Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole (From Scratch!)
A homemade recipe for chicken, broccoli and rice casserole made completely from scratch with a cheesy cream sauce and topped with buttered breadcrumbs.
It’s been quite a long time since I made a casserole, so when I asked my husband last week if he was hungry for anything in particular on Sunday and he said “a broccoli casserole”, I jumped at the opportunity to make one. My great aunt used to make a killer broccoli casserole on Sundays growing up, and I put a homemade spin on it a couple of years ago. While I could have made that again as a side dish, I took it a step further and decided to make a main dish casserole with chicken, broccoli and rice. I know that’s a popular recipe, so I did some searching for a good recipe and was disappointed when I couldn’t find one that was completely homemade. So, I made my own!
I made a huge batch of chicken breasts in the slow cooker on Friday night and used some of it for this casserole, which made the prep work significantly easier. If you’re looking for an easy shortcut, picking up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store would be a great way to cut the prep time. I also made a batch of rice the day before and used pre-cut, pre-washed broccoli to keep this recipe as simple as possible. I didn’t cook the broccoli before adding it to the recipe and it was al-dente in flavor (which I like), but if you prefer super soft broccoli, I would par-boil them.
For the sauce, I made the base sauce for my favorite macaroni and cheese and added some cheddar cheese, which turned out to be the perfect vessel for serving the chicken, broccoli, rice and mushrooms.
I used panko breadcrumbs for the topping of this casserole, but you could use plain breadcrumbs, Italian breadcrumbs, or even Ritz crackers!
Now that we’re heading into the blustery winter months, I’m excited to start recreating more homemade versions of casseroles… Do you have a favorite?
Four years ago: Macaroni & Cheese Casserole
Eight years ago: Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole (From Scratch!)
Ingredients
For the Casserole
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (732 ml) whole milk
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 cups (560 g) cubed cooked chicken, 3-4 chicken breasts
- 4 cups (364 g) broccoli florets, about 1 pound
- 2 cups (316 g) cooked rice
For the Topping
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (60 g) plain or Panko breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the sliced mushrooms. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked down and all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the mushrooms to a separate bowl.
- In the same pan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until the flour starts to brown a bit and smells nutty, whisking constantly. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer.
- Once the sauce comes to a simmer, whisk in the cheddar cheese, adding a handful at a time and whisking until completely melted before adding the next handful. Season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
- Add the chicken, broccoli, rice and cooked mushrooms to the sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is completely combined and evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the breadcrumbs (or Ritz crackers).
- Sprinkle the casserole with the ½ cup of shredded cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the cheese.
- Bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Delicious!! Big hit, my husband ate a 3rd helping tonight
How far in advance can you make this?
Up to one day.
How many servings in this 9×13 pan?
Made this tonight. didn’t have enough broccoli so did half and half with cauliflower. It was very tasty. I will make it again. Super easy to make.
Just came out of the oven my family LOVED it! My husband can’t stop saying how good it is! Thanks so much for this recipe i used too make a really bland chicken rice casserole with yuck cream of chicken and that came out with no flavor and no ate it! This recipe they about and even came back for more! My very picky 15 year old loved it as well this will go into rotation! 😊
Hi Angela, I’m so thrilled to hear your family enjoyed this recipe!
So so good! I couldn’t wait for dinner tonight because I had made this before and was making it again tonight! I got to Trader Joe’s and get their pre-cooked chicken, fresh broccoli in a bag and brown rice (also in a bag) and can pop both in the microwave.  This meal is a snap and is one of my new favorites!
This was delicious! The only thing I did different was add some Parmesan cheese in with the cheese. Â The flavor was wonderful..was not overly salted. Adding to my list of recipes!
Delicious. I added one jalapeño to give it a kick.
Easy to make. Very tasty. I used 3 cups of rice, two just didn’t seem like enough. Also, used two sleeves of Ritz, 6 Tb butter, and 1/4 ts of garlic powder to make the topping. It’s from another similar recipe.
Made this tonight and I loved it. I left out the mushrooms and didn’t grate enough cheese, and forgot to salt and pepper it. Oops. Â I don’t think it lacked flavor it just had a different flavor than when the canned soups are used. Just my opinion.
Cheers!
Your recipes sound great but I must know the data on sodium particularly i order to make this. I would really like to see that breakdown with your recipes, if possible, like the other recipe websites do. If it’s already there, I must have missed it although looked thoroughly.
If you click the print button it has the nutrition facts listed, including sodium.
Nutrition Facts
Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole (From Scratch!)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 596Calories from Fat 351
% Daily Value*
Fat 39g60%
Saturated Fat 20g125%
Cholesterol 137mg46%
Sodium 388mg17%
Potassium 602mg17%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 1280IU26%
Vitamin C 40.6mg49%
Calcium 416mg42%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
My husband and I found this to be so bland. I used fresh broccoli, chicken breasts, and followed directions exactly. I just can’t think of what to change in order to add some flavor to this!? But, now I have a large pan of it left, so I’ll have to think of something. :(
You can easily spice up the sauce. I added a bit of fresh lemon juice, a table spoon of prepared mustard, a table spoon of cooking sherry, and a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Along with the mushrooms I added onion, garlic and red pepper.
I made this yesterday for supper and it was really good! I used canned mushrooms because I didn’t have fresh and I used leftover Lipton rice and my husband and I really liked it. Thanks for the recipe!
Does this freeze well? I’d like to make several batches and freeze them in foil pans.
Hi Lisa, I have not tried freezing this, so I couldn’t say for sure. If you do freeze it, let me know how well it thaws!
I made this tonight for supper and it turned out yummy. I did make a couple of changes. I liberally seasoned the diced chicken before cooking with a homemade cajun seasoning (equal parts garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper and paprika) and I lessened the amount of mushrooms because while I’m a fan, the husband isn’t.
Loved that this was from scratch. I added a tablespoon of onion and two garlic cloves to the mushrooms. The cheese sauce was a little bland for my hubby so I added a 1/2 tsp onion and garlic powder and a 1/4 tsp paprika. We might change up the cheese next time with a bit more flavor, add a bit of parm or just more cheddar for a cheesier taste. I used brown rice. The casserole is nice and creamy. . .love that.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I love that it uses fresh broccoli and that you don’t even have to cook the broccoli first! I have a major aversion to canned condensed soups but love casseroles so this was just perfect.
I’ve made this several times and it’s fantastic! Things I’ve learned: I use brown rice, which seems to hold up better structurally; make sure to liberally salt the sauce as directed, or the end result will be a little too bland; the sharper the cheddar (I use very sharp!) the better. I’ve mixed in a little smokey sharp cheddar with the regular, and it was delicious, too. Thanks for the recipe.
This casserole was soooo good! Wow. The buttery topping, the cheesy sauce, YUM! Thank you for a new easy weeknight dinner that will become a regular in our home!
I knew my husband would really like this, validated last night! Thanks!
Sorry our family agreed rather bland and lacked flavor. Have really enjoyed many recipes from your site. If you make this add spices and undecrook rice or may be slightly mushy.
I only have regular butter, if I omit the salt from the recipe do you think it will be too salty?
Hi Sonya, No, that should be fine.
Sounds like a good one. I’ll have to try it. I much prefer home made to store-bought/frozen.
I made this last night for dinner and it has to be one of the best chicken rice casserole dishes I’ve made. Flowed the directions as is, very creamy and delicious.
This was a go-to when the kids were little, and when my daughter had her baby, this was part of the freezer food I stocked for her. I am reluctant to admit I used cream of chicken soup and cheez whiz but honestly I’m trying to get away from that stuff now. No, really! This recipe sounds yummy!
cheese whiz?? please. stop cooking. now.
Cheese whiz..dont be put down for using it. I bet it was delicious. My Grandma cooked using what was available, likely on sale or even cheap…with 4 boys to raise on 1 income they likely were what we would call “poor.” But everything she made was delicious….and made with love. My Dad still to this day talks about the “homemade maple syrup” she made with artificial maple flavoring and how good it was. Love covers over a LOT of foodie “wrongs”. My Grandma made me this grilled sandwich one time with canned corned beef and sauerkraut I’m pretty sure…I dont really like either .but that sandwich still lingers in my mind sitting there with my Grandparents looking out at the vineyards out their livingroom window. I miss them both so much.
I’d love to see your from-scratch take on a childhood guilty pleasure: tater tot casserole. It was just browned ground beef topped with frozen tater tots and covered with canned cream of mushroom soup. Somehow, it tasted better than the sum of its parts!
Yum!!! I’ve made this with canned cheddar soup, but this version seems so much better and will be my new go-to.
My favorite casserole is Tuna Noodle Casserole, which I also do with cheddar soup. I’m going to use this technique to ditch the canned soup in that recipe too. Thanks!
I haven’t thought of making a casserole in a while either, and forget that they don’t actually take too much time. This looks great, might have to make it this week!
This looks so good. I am so wondering how you did your batch of chicken breasts in the crockpot and also if this can be frozen? Is it okay to use brown rice or should it be done with white?
Thanks! Can’t wait to make this.
Hi Marla, I made this with brown rice, but you could use either one. I use this recipe for my crock pot chicken: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-chicken-recipe/. You can freeze it, as well.
I’m all over this! (Minus the mushrooms,my choice not hubby) I took a HotChicken Salad recipe &made it my own ,we love it! I think this one will be dinner tomorrow!
I can’t wait to add this to my family’s dinner rotation! Do you think this would freeze okay? I usually split dishes up that require 9×13 and make one for now and freeze the other for later. Thanks!
I’ve frozen it (my recipe, not this one exactly) and it was fine.
Hi Beth, Yes, I think it would freeze just fine.
You mentioned that you made a large batch of chicken in the slow cooker — how did you do that?
I was hoping to find out the same thing!
I would love to know how you cook chicken breasts in the slow cooker!
In her post about her experience on the Whole 30, this is the recipe Michelle said she used for chicken: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-chicken-recipe/
Thanks, Sally, I was about to ask the same thing!
Hi Nicole, I use this recipe: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-chicken-recipe/.
Marry me chicken and broccoli casserole. This is exactly what my family likes for dinner!
I am certainly with you — no canned mushroom soup is in our house. Besides the sodium level the taste is beh. I did the same thing with green beans – all home made and they turned out great. I wish I would have had this recipe when my kids were little and at home. This is such a fantastic family recipe. Definitely pinning and sending to my daughter.
Well, this is a blast from the past. Love the homemade spin. I remember this being some serious comfort food…looks delish! I love that it’s from scratch and yet still so simple to make!
Do you use fresh broccoli and cook it before you put it in the casserole or do you use frozen ?
It looks like fresh and that is what I would use. Just blanch it for a minute or two
Hi Jana, I use fresh broccoli, but I don’t cook it before I put it in the casserole. It ends up al dente; if you would like it softer, then I would blanch it or do a quick steam before adding it.
I had this growing up all the tme, loved it. Can’t wait to make it again thanks for the reminder! Yours looks delicious :)
i never really had casseroles growing up, and i’m still a little wary of condensed soups and canned everything. but this sounds so tasty and hearty, without any of the scary things i’ve come to associate with casseroles, that i will definitely have to give this one a try (: