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Tomato Cheddar Chicken and Rice Bake. Made with chicken, rice, garden herbs, and in-season cherry and heirloom tomatoes. Simply cook everything together on the stove. Top the dish with creamy Havarti, gouda, sharp cheddar cheese, and garlicky olive oil-dressed tomatoes. Melt the cheese under the broiler to make it crispy and crunchy. It’s SO GOOD, and it’s a great way to use summer tomatoes!
Half Baked Harvest At Home
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This is such a classic Half-Baked Harvest recipe. I grew up on chicken and rice, and even to this day, it’s probably one of my mom’s (and many of my siblings) favorite types of dinners. It’s simple, but it really is comfort food to us.
I’ve made so many chicken and rice bakes, but the broccoli cheddar chicken and rice bake is one of my personal favorites. As I was working on this week’s recipes, it dawned on me that I’ve never made one with tomato, cheddar, and rice. When I thought about it, I knew the dish would be something we’d all really love.
I thought back to some of the recipes my mom enjoys most. The combination of tomato and cheddar has been a favorite of hers since she was a kid.
Plus, a good bowl of creamy tomato soup with a side of grilled cheese (made with cheddar) is classic. I took all of these flavors and used them in the rice bake. It’s so easy to throw together and a delicious summer meal.
And I hate to go here already, but I have to say that come the middle of August, this will become a go-to for anyone in need of back-to-school dinners. You can even make the dish ahead of time, then pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat!
These are the details
Step 1: start cooking the chicken
If you use a large skillet that’s able to go from the stove to the oven, you can create this recipe in just one pot.
Cook the chicken with an onion and butter. I like to use butter for flavor
Step 2: add the rice
What I love to do next is add the rice to the chicken and allow it to get a little toasted in the golden butter. Toasting the rice in butter makes it so delicious.
Next, mix the rice with additional butter and fresh thyme and let it cook for a minute. Now, add a couple of handfuls of cherry tomatoes and pour over a few cups of water. At this point, cover the skillet and let the rice fully cook. This will take 15 minutes.
Step 3: top with cheese
Now that the rice is cooked, you can transfer the rice and chicken to a casserole dish. Alternatively, if your skillet is oven-safe, you can leave the rice in the skillet.
Top with a mix of cheeses. I love Havarti, gouda, and cheddar cheese, but you must use cheddar!
Step 4: the tomatoes and baking
The final step is the tomatoes. Find a couple of heirloom tomatoes and then cover them in a mix of olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes. Lay the tomatoes over the cheese and bake the casserole until the cheese is super melty.
You can now switch the oven to broil to get the edges of the dish crispy, this totally optional though.
Step 5: serve and enjoy
When the casserole comes out of the oven, top it with fresh basil leaves and a few sprinkles of sea salt.
Now serve it and enjoy all the deliciousness!
The rice underneath stays soft and creamy, while the cheese on top turns crispy and crunchy. The corners of the dish will form an insanely delicious, cheesy crust too, which we all love!
Looking for other easy back-to-school recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Browned Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Cheese Ravioli
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
Lastly, if you make this Tomato Cheddar Chicken and Rice Bake 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! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Tomato Cheddar Chicken and Rice Bake
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 cups small cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup shredded Havarti or gouda cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1-2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- chili flakes
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. In a large skillet, set over medium heat, cook the bacon until the fat renders, then remove from the pan. Set aside. 3. Add the onion, and chicken. Cook until the chicken is seared, 5 minutes. Add the butter, the rice, cherry tomatoes, and thyme, and cook until toasted, 2-3 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cayenne. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered for 15 minutes until the rice is mostly cooked.3. Once the rice is cooked, stir in 1 cup of cheese. If needed, transfer the rice to an oven-safe casserole dish. Scatter the remaining 1 cup of each type of cheese over the casserole. Lay the sliced heirloom tomatoes on the cheese. 4. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes. Spoon the oil over the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the bacon around the tomatoes. 5. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Switch the oven to broil and broil 1-2 minutes, until the cheese on top is becoming crispy. Serve warm with fresh basil.
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.
Wow! I have never left a review anywhere but this was so good I wanted to let you know that! My husband had something positive to say with every bite! Thank you!
Hey Christine,
Yay!! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Have a great day! xT
Made this tonight. It was delicious! I seasoned my chicken with lots of salt and pepper before cooking, otherwise, I followed the recipe as is. We will definitely make this again!
Thanks so much for your comment, Lori! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try! Xx
Hi Tieghan!
Thanks for all your amazing recipes,I love your site!
Q- have you tried baking the rice mixture completely somehow? (Besides browning the bacon, etc.) I’m considering trying it fully in either an enameled cast iron, or rice cooker.
Just wondered, thanks!
Liza
Hey Liza,
Thanks so much for your kind message! So sorry, I don’t think I am quite understanding your question. Can you elaborate a little more? xx
Very bland. Too much rice.
Hi there,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
Made it tonight and it was delicious. I used half the rice and added steamed broccoli. Next time I would use chicken broth for a little more flavor but overall very good and easy!
Hey Kristie,
Wonderful! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it turned out well! x
This is just delicious!
What’s the best way to reheat without drying out the rice?
Hey Annelise,
Wonderful! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it turned out well! I would just pop it in the microwave:) x
New fave for the family. I used Pancetta in place of the bacon. I also needed to use up some asparagus so added that to the mix before popping in the oven. You’re recipes never miss!
Hey Stephanie,
Happy Sunday! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! xx
Could you substitute the rice for orzo?
Hey Virginia,
I haven’t tested this, but I’m sure it would work nicely for you. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Made this tonight for dinner. It was delicious! Cayenne is to spicy for me so I used mild chili powder and some cumin. Made it more Spanish rice like. Would omit cumin next time. Thanks for the recipe Tieghan!
Hey Beth,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing what worked well for you! So glad it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xx
Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious, as has come to be expected every time I try one of your recipes. I will definitely be making this again.
Hey Kim,
Awesome! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xT
Not much flavor, too much rice. Tasted like it was missing something but salt & pepper didn’t help the overall flavor.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
My boyfriend and I made this last night and it was SO easy and good. We followed it to a tea and thought it was very flavorful and had a good balance! Will definitely make again
Thanks so much, Toni! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xT
This is delicious! I made a couple of tweaks. Omitted the cherry tomatoes as it seemed overkill with the sliced heirlooms on top. Didn’t have havarti or gouda,so used gruyere which was fine with the cheddar. Also put the remaining cup of cheese on top of the tomato, garlic oil and bacon layer instead of under it.
Hey Karen,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it and your feedback! Xx
I’ve been cooking your recipes for the past couple weeks and everything I made was just amazing including this recipe! Thank you so much! 🤤
Hey Inna,
Awesome! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you giving it a try! Thanks for trying so many recipes! xT
It tasted good I would cut down on the rice, use a bit more chicken and use chicken broth instead of water. Very good though
Hey Gayle,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this dish, thanks for making it! x
Made this yesterday and fed a crowd of 8! Everyone loved it and went back for more.
May have added a bit more chicken, tossed in some zucchini and used chicken broth w the rice.
Made this ahead.. with company and afternoon at the beach it worked great. Added the garlic/ oil tomatoes before baking.. 350 for about 45 min.
Beautiful dish! Thank you for another wonderful recipe.
Hey Susan,
Awesome! Thank you so much for making this dish and sharing what worked well for you, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Hi. Wondering if I can sub in one cup of cottage cheese to increase the protein. Going to try this tonight! Thx!
Hi Angie,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT