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
- Enchilada Rice Casserole
- Potato Curry Casserole
- Keto Shepherd’s Pie
- Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Rice Casserole
Chicken Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast cubed
- 1 (10-oz) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup chopped green beans
- 1 cup Arborio Blend™ with Mushrooms
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fried onions
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, add rice and water and turn stove temperature to high until water begins to boil. Lower temperature and cook until rice is done and most of water has evaporated, stirring occasionally so rice does not stick to bottom, about 15-20 minutes. In a separate pan, sauté chicken and green beans until just done.
- Add chicken, beans, and mushroom soup into rice, stirring until mixed.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Add rice mixture into a large casserole dish, spreading evenly across. Sprinkle surface with cheddar cheese. Cook for 15-20 minutes until everything is heated and bubbling. Top with fried onions and parsley (if using) before serving.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
https://twitter.com/JBeard25/status/529438942039261187
My favorite rice recipe is making chicken burritos with white rice and black beans.
https://twitter.com/ThatTuxedoCat/status/529435346119819264
My favorite rice recipe is Cajun Jambalaya.
I love making my Grandma’s recipe for rice pudding.
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I like rice with smoked sausage
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tweeted -https://twitter.com/neiddy_ruiz/status/529352137952612352
My favorite recipe is chicken and rice soup
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I love rice pilaf!
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https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/529311156075499520
My favorite is pork fried rice.
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I also make a No-Peek chicken andd rice casserole but mine doesn’t have cheese in it
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/529134378807332865
My favorite is fried rice. It’s so easy to use left over meat from one of my other meals, chicken is great as also pork.
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i love rice and corn with cheese
i posted a tweet here:
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my favorite rice dish is brocolli rice casserole
I like to make rice with chicken.
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/rhoneygee/status/528425446006738944
Beef tips and rice is an easy recipe that the whole family likes.
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Rice pudding has always been my favorite rice dish! I could eat it all day!
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/528279774544658433
My favorite recipe is a chicken and rice casserole similar to this!