Only 10 minutes to prep and 1 dish to clean, this cheesy, easy dinner is loaded with simple ingredients and perfect for a busy weeknight.
After the success of my Queso Chicken and Rice, I was excited to try out a new version by switching up just a few of the ingredients. I decided to give this one a try after a long day of meetings and video shoots, and boy was I glad! It was easy dinner perfection!
I know you have those weeknights too. You’re so tired that standing over the stove is the LAST thing you want to do. This recipe is made for nights like that!
Broccoli and cheese is a match made in food heaven, and who doesn’t love a good chicken and rice casserole. Combine these two delicious combos, and VOILA…a new family favorite dinner! Simple, quick comfort food!
What You’ll Need
- Knorr Cheddar Broccoli Rice Sides
- Chicken Broth
- Cream of Chicken
- Frozen Chopped Broccoli
- Cheddar Cheese
- Chicken Thighs or Breasts
- Garlic Powder
Tools You’ll Need
How to Make This Recipe
- The beauty of this recipe is that you can mix everything directly in the baking dish! Combine both rice packets, broth, cream of chicken, water, some of cheese and broccoli in your pan.
- Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Nestle the seasoned chicken into the rice in one even layer. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly on top.
- TIGHTLY cover the dish with aluminum foil. This is important so that the the steam doesn’t escape. Bake 1 hour, then remove the foil and cook an additional 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and top is slightly browned.
Tips and Substitutions
- Cream of chicken can be substituted with cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli, cheddar cheese and broccoli cheese soups. You can also make it homemade as well.
- Homemade Cream of Chicken: Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in ⅓ cup all-purpose flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in ⅓ cup milk and ⅓ cup chicken broth until well combined. Season with ¼ teaspoon onion powder and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes or until thickened and creamy.
- Fresh chopped broccoli can be substituted for frozen broccoli.
- Dark or white meat both work in this dish. If chicken tenderloins are used, it will likely only need a total cook time of 50 minutes covered plus 10 minutes uncovered. Breasts or thighs will need the 1 hour covered plus 10-15 minutes uncovered. If your chicken breast or thigh is thicker than ½-inch, flatten with a mallet or cut them in half horizontally. The USDA safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container up to 3 days and freeze up to 3 months.
- You can prepare this dish the night before and cover/refrigerate. Place on the counter 30 minutes prior to baking. At the end of cook time, check the internal temperature of the chicken for doneness.
- If you want to sear the seasoned chicken first, go ahead! Just adjust the covered oven cook time to 35-45 minutes.
- Adding a colorful side dish is ideal for this delicious casserole. Some yummy side ideas are:
- Glazed Carrots
- Roasted Vegetables
- Garlic Green Beans
- Grilled Veggie Kabobs
More Recipes Like This
Cheddar Broccoli Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 5.7oz packs Knorr Cheddar Broccoli Rice Sides
- 14.5 oz chicken broth regular or low-sodium
- 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup regular or low-sodium
- ½ cup water
- 10 oz box frozen chopped broccoli thawed
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 2 ½-3 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts ½-inch thick pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To a 13”x9” baking dish, whisk together both Knorr rice packets, broth, soup, water, broccoli and ½ cup of the cheese. Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place the chicken into the rice mixture and sprinkle cheese on top.
- Cover TIGHTLY with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove the foil, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown and bubbling at the edges
Cat
can I use regular rice instead? I forgot the knorr packs when I was shopping lol
Laura Ashley
Minute/Instant Rice works as well...it just won’t have the added seasonings and cheesiness that the packs have. 😁 If using long-grain, You’ll need to make sure you bake for an hour covered and 15-20 minutes uncovered.
Gail Barbour
Is there another form of rice or brand of rice packet that can be used? Our market didn’t have Knorr Rice Sides. 🙁
Laura Ashley
Now I'm seeing this one. Glad you saw the answer already. Hope it's a big hit with you and your family!
Gail Barbour
Oops, just noticed you addressed the rice question from someone else!
Laura Ashley
Glad you saw it 🙂 I saw this comment before the other one LOL. I hope you LOVE the dish too!
Amanda
how much water am i supposed to use? recipe does not say
Laura Ashley
In the ingredient list at the bottom it says 1/2 cup. I hope you like it!😊
Heather Jackson
This is a new family favorite. My daughter went back for seconds and asked that I make this more often. I can’t wait to try out more of your recipes.
Laura Ashley
This is wonderful, Heather! Thank you SO much!! I’m so happy you made it and that it was such a big hit with your family! I hope you love many more too!
Andrea
Is it ok to use bone in chicken thighs?
Laura Ashley
Yes, but I would just check the chicken with a thermometer to confirm that it is cooked through safely 🙂 I hope you love it too!
Cathy Hunter
Loved this recipe and so so easy. Gave it to my daughter and her family loved it too.
Laura Ashley
That makes my heart so happy to hear, Cathy! Thank you SO much!! I'm love that you made it and it was a hit with your family!
Cindy
Can a bagged “ready rice” product be used in place of the Knorr? For example, a brown rice/quinoa w/garlic mix?
Laura Ashley
I can't say for sure as I haven't tried it, however, I think that type of product might become mushy baked that long in the oven since it's already ready. A few folks said they subbed with brown rice/wild rice uncooked blends that worked well.
Diane
Can I prepare this without using the chicken and making it just a vegetable and rice dish? If so, how do I adjust the cooking time thank you
Laura Ashley
Yes! You can do that. I would say it’ll likely be done in 45-50 minutes. You could uncover, check, and recover and cook longer if needed. It’ll be great without meat!
Shawna
I used boneless thighs and after an hour at 350 and tightly covered my chicken was full very raw. I ended up having to put my oven at 450 and cook for another 20 min and then broil for 15min
Laura Ashley
Oh wow! I'm sorry to hear they weren't cooked through for you. I've had a couple folks with that feedback but after troubleshooting they felt their chicken was thicker than recommended. That's why I always recommend checking with a thermometer to ensure doneness. Different ovens, chicken cuts and thicknesses can alter the time. I hope it was tasty at the end of the cook time.
Elizabeth Johnson
can I bake it in my air fryer using the bake option?
Laura Ashley
I would like to say yes, but I haven't tried it so I'm not sure.
Shirley Palmer
I’d like to try this for a potluck, would you see any reason why I could not cut the chicken into bite-size pieces?
Laura Ashley
Hi Shirley! You can definitely cut them in smaller pieces. Depending on how small they are, it will likely need around 10 minutes less of the covered bake time. You can confirm it's cooked through with a meat thermometer. I hope you love it!
Melaney
Can I use frozen chicken thighs when making this?
Laura Ashley
Hi Melaney! You probably can, but I can't say for sure how to adjust the time cooking for it. I always thaw them overnight in the fridge first. I hope you love it!