October 6, 2014

Chicken Rice Casserole

by Kirbie

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

Easy chicken rice casserole with arborio rice, cheese, and creamy sauce is a delicious comfort food dinner.

This post is sponsored by RiceSelect and Blogher.

With the weather cooling down, casseroles have been on my mind. Today, I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious chicken rice casserole.

I made this casserole as part of RiceSelect’s “Rethink Rice” program. The goal is to redefine rice by creating dishes where rice is the hero of the dish rather than just a plain side or something to lay your entree on.

The rice blend has pieces of dried mushrooms mixed in. It has an earthy taste, with a touch of garlic and onions. After tasting the rice, my immediate thought was to make a homey rice casserole.

I wanted to add chicken because chicken goes so well in casseroles.
And then I began to think what would pair well with chicken and mushrooms.
My next thought was adding green beans.

And before I knew it, my casserole was turning out a lot like an upgraded version of a green bean casserole except instead of a side dish it’s a complete dinner with rice, protein, and vegetables.

To boost the mushroom flavor, I added some cream of mushroom soup. And since this was looking so much like a popular Thanksgiving green bean casserole, I also went ahead and topped it with cheddar cheese and crunchy fried onions.

The dish is relatively stress-free, and you can make a large batch and have leftovers for future nights too.

Ingredients

Cubed chicken breast
Cream of mushroom soup
Chopped green beans
Arborio Blend™ with Mushrooms
Water
Shredded cheddar cheese
Fried onions
Chopped parsley

You can also use cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup instead of the mushroom one.

Instead of chicken breasts, you can use the same amount of boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Recipe Instructions

Place water and rice in a large pot of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, and cook the rice until most of the water has evaporated. Stir occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

In a separate pan, sauté the chicken and green beans until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken and green beans to the pot with the rice and stir to combine.

Pour the rice mixture into a baking dish and spread it in an even layer. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake the chicken casserole for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 375°F or until it’s bubbling hot.

When it’s done baking, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle the fried onions and chopped herbs like parsley, basil, or thyme over the top for garnish. You can also garnish with freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Storage Tips

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep well for three to four days, but the fried onions will soften and won’t be as crispy when you reheat the dish.

I was really pleased with how this turned out, and so was Mr. K. The dish had a warm, comforting appeal, and I imagine we’ll be making it again for future dinners this Fall and Winter.

More About RiceSelect’s Arborio Blend™

Coming from an Asian background, rice has definitely been more than just a side and has been an integral part of many of my favorite dishes, like sushi, fried rice, rice pudding and risotto.

For this campaign, I was given RiceSelect’s Arborio Blend™ with Mushrooms to try. I love, love mushrooms, so I was really excited to try this out. As an added bonus, it’s also gluten-free!

All RiceSelect products are grown, milled, and packaged in the USA and are produced from non-GMO proprietary seed. There is also an Arborio Blend™ with Jalapeño that I will need to try on a later date.

More Casserole Recipes