Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole

This Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole features plenty of pepper jack cheese and green chiles to bring a hint of spice and add a pop of flavor. Serve it with a green salad and warm rolls for a filling and delicious family meal.

Ingredients Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

This easy chicken and rice casserole is comfort food made for busy weekday meals. In fact, you can assemble this dish one day in advance and have it ready to pop into the oven when you get in from your day. It’s far from bland, with the addition of pepper jack cheese and diced green chiles. Sour cream adds a tangy flavor to the sauce and cream cheese binds everything together. Ingredients to make Chicken and Rice Casserole with sour cream:

• Chicken – Fully cook rotisserie chicken cut into bite-size pieces.
• Rice – Long grain white rice (i.e. Ben’s Original or similar)
• Water – For cooking the rice.
• Butter – Butter adds a rich flavor.
• Bouillon – Chicken bouillon cubes seasons the rice layer.
• Liquid – Two cups whole milk for the sauce.
• Cream Cheese – One 8 ounce chive and onion cream cheese binds the sauce.
• Sour Cream – Sour cream gives the sauce a creamy texture.
• Seasonings – Granulated garlic or garlic powder, salt,  lemon pepper or black pepper
• Shredded Cheese – Pepper jack cheese for a hint of spice.
• Green Onions – Give the filling a mild onion flavor.
• Green Chiles – Expands the flavor profile and gives it more flavor.
• French Fried Onions – For the crunchy topping.
• Herbs – Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro for garnishing.

How to Make the Best Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole

• Prepare Dish and Heat Oven – Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a deep casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Cook Rice – In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add rice, butter and chicken bouillon cubes. Mix well. Simmer covered until liquid is absorbed. Uncover, fluff with fork and set aside.
• Make the Sauce – In a stand blender blend together milk, cream cheese, sour cream, granulated garlic, salt, lemon pepper and onion powder.
• Combine – Place rice, chicken, green onions, green chiles, shredded cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add sauce, stir to combine.
• Pour Rice Mixture into Baking Dish – Sprinkle the top with reserved pepper jack cheese and french fried onions.
• Oven – Bake per the recipe until golden brown and bubbly.
• Serve – Let stand for 5 minutes then serve garnished with fresh cilantro, green onions or fresh parsley.

Tips for Making Chicken and Rice

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: A large bowl, saucepan or rice cooker to make the rice, measuring cups and spoons, sharp knife and cutting board, stand blender or immersion blender, 13×9-inch baking dish and cheese grater.
• Don’t Overcook the Rice: Make a special effort not to overcook the rice initially or it can become mushy when baked. If you already have leftover rice on hand you’ll need around 4 1/2 cups of cooked rice for this recipe.
• Make-Ahead Tip: You can fully assemble this chicken and rice casserole one day in advance. Cover and chill in the refrigerator then give it 20 minutes or so to warm to room temperature prior to baking per the recipe. Top it with the French fried onions just before baking.
• Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Rice Casserole with Sour Cream: You can add sauteed mushrooms to the casserole. Serve steamed broccoli, sweet peas, green beans or any of your favorite veggies. You could also serve it with a simple green salad and garlic bread or dinner rolls.

Recipe Variations

• Protein: You can used rotisserie chicken, poached chicken, grilled or baked chicken for this sour cream chicken casserole. You could also use leftover turkey.
• Chicken Bouillon: You could use 2 teaspoons of chicken soup base in place of bouillon to season the rice.
• Chicken Broth: You could cook the rice in chicken broth and omit the bouillion. Season with slat to taste.
• Spice: You can adjust the amount of spice in this casserole depending on the level of spice in the chiles. When choosing canned green chiles, you can use fire roasted, mild or hot depending on your personal preference.
• Vegetables: Add frozen peas, steamed broccoli florets or sauteed mushrooms to the rice.
• Cheese: You can also swap out the pepper jack cheese with monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese.
• Alternate Toppings: You can use panko breadcrumbs, seasoned dried breadcrumbs or crushed crackers such as Ritz crackers. Toss with a couple of tablespoons of melted butter before sprinkling on top of the casserole.
• Low Fat Options: This recipe works great with light butter, low fat sour cream and Neufchatel cream cheese.
• Herbs: You can garnish with fresh parsley, cilantro or chives.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole covered with aluminum foil or in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat in single servings in the microwave or in a preheated 350°F oven until heated through.
• Freezer Storage: You can store this chicken rice casserole frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat just before serving.

What Rice is Best for Making Easy Chicken Rice Casserole

Can you use brown rice for Chicken and Rice Casserole? For this recipe long grain rice works best. It seems to hold up to the baking process and soaks in the flavor of the sauce. Brown rice could work in this recipe, but it would take longer to cook initially on the stovetop and you may need to adapt and increase the amount of liquid for the sauce.

More Easy Casserole Recipes to Make

• Rotel Chicken Spaghetti is sure to become a family favorite.
• Baked Ziti is perfect for Italian night at home.
• French Onion Chicken Noodle Casserole with a salad and garlic bread is a feast.
• Cottage Pie is a delicious way to transform ground beef into a filling meal.
• Supreme Pizza Tortellini Bake is a one dish meal.
• Hoppin’ John Casserole sans rice is topped with a cornbread crust.
• Cheesy Carrot Casserole from Belly Full.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• 13×9-inch Casserole Dish
• Cheese Grater
• Kitchen Utensils
• Measuring Set