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One Pot Souper Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Rice. Like broccoli cheddar soup meets risotto, but easier, and quicker to make. Similar to a cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole, but made all in one pot rather than a baking dish. This is made entirely in one pot and in under 35 minutes with very minimal prep. Grab some chicken, rice, broken spaghetti pasta, spices, fresh thyme, and fresh broccoli. Cook everything together on the stove, then mix in everyone’s favorite, cheddar cheese. Simple, but SO GOOD, and a dinner we can all love.
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Alrighty, I just returned to Colorado from over a week away. First to New York for work. Then to Miami to celebrate Easter with my family in the warmth and sunshine. It was such a nice trip that ended far too quickly for me.
My family has actually been traveling around as well. Going from Florida to the Caribbean, then back to Florida.
The point here is that we’ve both been doing a lot of traveling. And as you might guess, both of our fridges and pantries are looking a little empty.
We’ve eaten out quite a bit while traveling. So I knew when we all got home last night that dinner needed to be fast.
Thankfully I have a freezer full of already prepared meals, so I just grabbed dinner from there. We had last week’s honey balsamic chicken, then added some rice.
But this recipe is one that would work perfectly on a night like last night, or really any busy weeknight. I always have these ingredients on hand!
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Yellow onion
- Salted butter
- Fresh thyme leaves (and any fresh herbs you have on hand like parsley, etc.)
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Basmati rice
- Dry broken spaghetti or orzo
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Broccoli florets
- Whole milk or milk of choice
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Details
This is so great because it’s all cooked on the stove and in one pot. Simple!
Cook the chicken with an onion. Then add a mix of spices: fresh thyme, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. Now add the butter, rice, and broken spaghetti pieces. The broken spaghetti (or you can easily use orzo), is kind of the secret here, so I don’t recommend skipping it.
It’s just so good!!
Mix in the broth and broccoli, let the rice cook, then add a bit of milk to make everything creamy.
At this point, I take the pan off the heat and mix in the cheese until very creamy. Top with any fresh herb and serve!
Do you see how simple? We just love this recipe, and it’s a great dinner to keep on rotation. It’s wholesome and comforting, plus a family favorite!
Looking for other easy dinners? Here are some favorites:
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Noodle Casserole
Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
Sheet Pan Sticky Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros with Feta Tzatziki
Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup
Lastly, if you make this Souper Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Rice, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 – 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
- 1/2 cup dry broken spaghetti or orzo
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup whole milk or milk of choice
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot, set over medium heat, combine the olive oil, chicken, and onion. Cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the butter, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne. Mix in the rice and pasta, cook until golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes. 2. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is mostly cooked.3. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the milk. Add the cheese, then remove from the heat. Stir until creamy. Serve warm with additional thyme and black pepper.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
How in the world does this have any positive reviews? It’s very bland. I’m not kidding when I tell you my family eats anything, and they did NOT eat this.
We’ve tried the recipe a few times and enjoy the flavor. But, the rice never cooks all the way until soft. I’ve added water and cooked longer, but still no luck. Do you have any tips?
Hi Melissa,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you have been having issues with the rice. Are you using basmati rice? I might try and turn your heat up just a smidge in step 2 while the rice cooks for 25 minutes. I hope this helps! xx
This was delicious!! I actually veganized this recipe and made it vegan and it turned out amazing!! I just used everything but vegan versions of the things that weren’t already.
Hey Bree,
Wonderful! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well! x
Really fast, easy, and flavourful for the effort that went in. Thank you! Will be making again.
Thank you so much Sydney! xT
I love this recipe! Great for meal prep for the week and when you reheat it is almost better than freshly made. I top mine with a little hot sauce and it is amazing!
Thanks so much for trying out the recipe! Have a wonderful holiday season! xT
Yummy and follow the directions simplicity. Definitely one to be made again. Thx for the simplicity, Tieghan!
Thank you Tina! xT
I am excited to try this it is on the list for this week. Has anyone tried with a non dairy milk like cashew instead of whole? Will it work the same?
Hi Wendy,
That should be just fine for you to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Would I be able to make this ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze and then bake?
Hey Maureen! Yes, you could definitely freeze and bake! xT
What a flavorful, delicious meal! I easily halved the recipe for two and it turned out great. We have some leftovers for lunch, too.
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I appreciate you leaving a comment! 🙂 xT
This is the second recipe I make from this site involving rice and orzo. Each time the liquid to rice ratio is very off. I end up having to add more broth or milk so the rice and orzo can cook properly.
Hi there! I am so so sorry this didn’t turn out the way you hoped! Thank you for letting me know! xT
This was delicious and the basic recipe is fantastic as is. Warm, comforting, easy and fast. Here are tweaks I made based on preference and wanting to use up ingredients I had – added more chicken, more garlic powder, more chicken broth and more cheese.
Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! Hope you enjoyed! xT
Easy to make and my family loved it.
Thank you for taking the time to try out this recipe! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! xT
This is soooo good!!! I have it on constant rotation in my house. Every few weeks I buy lots of skinless, boneless chicken breasts that I cook in my slow cooker and then portion out in freezer bags. Using the pre cooked chicken makes prep even faster on busy days. It’s so creamy and cheesy!
Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! Have an amazing week! 🙂 xT
A staple. Add water chestnuts for crunch! Love it!
The rice took much longer and more water to cook. About 10 minutes more and 1 cup more of water. The overall taste was pretty bland. The kids thought it was good. I thought it needed much more flavor.
Thank you for the feedback! xT
Tastes so yummy!! I added extra chicken broth at the end because it seemed to thick. I also threw in chopped red bell pepper to add a little more color. Such a comfort food and very easy and quick.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have an amazing day! xT
I doubled the recipe but found it to be really thick and no sauce. Needs more salt. Overall not too bad.
Thank you for the feedback Carrol! xT
What kind of cheddar cheese do you recommend?
Hey Eliza,
I like to use Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT