This casserole has protein, and fiber, and is so easy to make! The classic flavor combo is simple enough to serve to just about anyone without complaints, but still tasty enough to become a weeknight staple!

This recipe is inspired by my husband's family Thanksgiving recipe, 'green rice'. It's a simple American convenience recipe with canned cream of chicken soup, frozen broccoli, bagged rice, and a jar of Cheez Wiz. And I want to start by saying that there is nothing inherently wrong with using or enjoying any of those things! Sometimes you need to get dinner on the table quickly - or get vegetables in however you can, and there is nothing wrong with that at all! But I wanted to make a version that felt a little fresher while still being easy to make (and add chicken for protein). So let's get into this easy casserole!

Cook the Rice

Preheat the oven to 350. Place rice in a small pot with 1 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Cover and allow to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Alright, the question of the ages, should I rinse my rice? Well, sources don't agree. This post from Martha Stewart's blog suggests rinsing rice removes bugs, dirt, dust, and more - but most commercial rice isn't at a real risk of having any of those things (that doesn't mean it's bad to be sure, though). The real reason to rinse your rice is textural, leaving the starch on your rice will create a stickier texture (which you might want in contexts like making sushi) while rinsing it will give you a fluffier final product. Your choice won't make a big difference in this recipe though.

As for the cooking, I like to bring my rice to a boil, move it ever-so-slightly off the center of the burner, cover it, and let cook for about 20 minutes. "Why do you move it off the burner?", you may ask. I don't know, my mom always did it and her rice always came out perfect!

Prepare the Chicken

While the rice cooks - cut the chicken into small cubes and pan fry with olive oil over medium-high heat until golden brown and cooked. Salt and Pepper to taste while cooking. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and add chicken.

So, you can cook this chicken however you like. I have an oven method in this post, but to keep dishes to a minimum I did it in a pan for this recipe. It's really simple! Cube your chicken (I did about 1/2 inch cubes), and get them into a hot, oiled pan. You want the pan to be nice and hot so that the chicken sizzles when it hits the pan, and you get a beautiful golden-brown crust on each piece. Don't forget to season as you cook! This process should be really quick, and leave a bit of delicious fond in the pan for the rest of the elements to pick up as they cook in the same pan!

Prepare the Broccoli

Using the same pan, add broccoli and 1/2 cup of water, Cook over medium heat until softened, agitating occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Make sure all the water evaporates.

For this step of the recipe, we are going to do a quick and dirty steam-sauté hybrid. Once the chicken is out of the pan, you can throw in the broccoli (make sure the florets are bite-sized first) and 1/2 cup of water. The broccoli is going to steam as the water evaporates and get that nice vibrant green color, but also get a little golden color from the pan. Once again, don't forget to season with salt and pepper as it cooks! This process should only take a few minutes, we just need the broccoli to soften a little so it's nice and chewable.

Make the Cheese Sauce

Remove broccoli from the pan and add to the casserole dish. Turn the pan down to a low-medium and add butter and flour, cooking for 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in milk, making sure it incorporates before adding more. Continue this process with the chicken stock. Stir in cornstarch if the sauce looks thin, and then add in the cheese to melt. Add sauce and rice to the casserole dish and mix. Bake for 25 minutes.

This part is a little harder, but making a roux and the many sauces that start with it is a great skill! You can make gravy, béchamel, and more with this technique. You start by toasting melted butter and flour together until they're slightly browned and fragrant. Then, you slowly add milk, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before the next (you can also do this with stock). The mixture should stay thick and smooth, but if you add too much liquid at once it will break and become thin and runny. But that's okay! You can stir in a little cornstarch to fix this problem and thicken it, but with practice, the process gets much easier.

After you've finished adding liquids, you simply melt in the cheese, add it to everything else, and stir it all until it's combined. A quick trip to the oven later and your casserole is done.

Quick and Healthy Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole Recipe

Download the recipe here

Servings: 6

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place rice in a small pot with 1 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Cover and allow to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
2. While the rice cooks, cut the chicken into small cubes and pan fry with olive oil over medium-high heat until golden brown and cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste while cooking. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and add the cooked chicken.
3. Using the same pan, add the broccoli and 1/2 cup of water. Cook over medium heat until softened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ensure all the water evaporates.
4. Remove the broccoli from the pan and add it to the casserole dish.
5. Reduce the heat to low-medium, and in the same pan, add the butter and flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
6. Slowly drizzle in the milk, making sure it incorporates before adding more. Continue this process with the chicken stock.
7. If the sauce looks thin, stir in the cornstarch. Then, add in the cheese, stirring until melted.
8. Add the sauce and cooked rice to the casserole dish, and mix everything together.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

See Nutrition Info

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	468
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23.8g	31%
Saturated Fat 12.9g	64%
Cholesterol 98mg	33%
Sodium 493mg	21%
Total Carbohydrate 35g	13%
Dietary Fiber 2.1g	7%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 29.2g
Vitamin D 3mcg	14%
Calcium 382mg	29%
Iron 2mg	14%
Potassium 413mg	9%

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About the Author

Hi! I'm Alexandra, and I've been cooking and baking for about 12 years. My passion is making cheap, convenient, nutrient-dense food that still tastes amazing, and helping to perpetuate healthy eating habits without perpetuating diet culture. I want you to find recipes that make your body and your heart happy, without putting any food off limits, or making you feel guilty for loving delicious things.

By Alexandra Massengale