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This chicken and rice casserole is the creamy, cheesy dinner my family asks for again and again. You get tender rice in a savory sauce, seasoned chicken on top, and sharp cheddar melted through every scoop.
It comes together with a can of cream of chicken soup, long grain white rice, and a few pantry seasonings. The hands-on part takes about ten minutes, then the oven does the rest. Everything bakes in one dish, so cleanup is easy.
This is the version I make when I want both parts right. The rice bakes up tender and creamy all the way through, and the chicken stays juicy instead of going dry. So many chicken and rice casseroles leave you fighting one or the other, and this one does not.
Want the same flavors on the stovetop instead? My one pot chicken and rice is the skillet version for nights you do not want to turn on the oven.
FAMILY FAVORITE
The Dinner I Have Leaned On for Years of Busy Nights
This is one of those dinners I have been putting on the table for my family for as long as I can remember. It is what I reach for when I want everyone fed and happy without a lot of fuss, and it always brings people back for a second scoop. Filling, easy, and the kind of meal that makes a weeknight feel handled.
What You’ll Need
- Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless breasts are what I use here. They cook right on top of the rice, soak up the seasoning, and stay lean and simple for this kind of bake. Size matters for timing, which I cover down in the tips.
- Cream of chicken soup: This is the shortcut that makes the sauce creamy without a single extra step. A can of condensed cream of chicken soup carries the whole base.
- Long grain white rice: Use long grain white rice, not instant and not minute rice. Instant rice turns to mush in the time the chicken needs, and the texture falls apart. Long grain holds up and drinks in the sauce.
- Whole milk: Whole milk thins the condensed soup into a pourable sauce and keeps everything creamy as it bakes. Lower-fat milk works but the sauce will not be as rich.
- Smoked paprika and Italian seasoning: These two are what take the chicken from plain to something worth going back for. The smoked paprika brings a warm, savory depth and the Italian seasoning adds a little herby lift, so the chicken has real flavor instead of tasting like plain baked chicken.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar melts into the rice at the end and pulls the whole dish together. I fluff it in so every scoop has cheese, not only the top.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole
Step 1: Make the Sauce and Start the Rice Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Whisk the cream of chicken soup and milk together until smooth, then set aside half a cup of it for later. Stir the rice into the rest of the sauce, pour it into the prepared baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Season and Add the Chicken Season both sides of the chicken with the onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper, smoked paprika, and salt. Pull the rice out, uncover it, and lay the chicken right on top. Pour the reserved sauce over the chicken and cover again.
Step 3: Bake the chicken. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the oven.
Step 4:Remove the chicken. Move the chicken to a plate and tent it with the foil while the rice finishes.
Step 5: Finish the Rice with Cheddar Fluff the rice with a fork, sprinkle the cheddar over the top, and fluff again so the cheese melts through. Return the rice to the oven uncovered for 15 minutes, until it is tender.
Step 6: Bring It Together and Serve Fluff the rice one more time, set the chicken back on top, and scatter the parsley over everything. Serve it hot.
Storing Leftovers
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently in the microwave or a low oven with a splash of milk or broth stirred in to bring the creaminess back.
- You can freeze it for up to 3 months, though the rice softens a little after thawing, so let it thaw in the fridge overnight before you reheat it.
More Chicken Dinners to Try
Looking for more easy, one-dish dinners? Browse all my easy casserole recipes, or start with one of these:
- Chicken Potato Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Crack Chicken Casserole
- Crockpot Marry Me Chicken
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together the soup and milk.1 can cream of chicken soup, 1¼ cups whole milk
- Reserve ½ cup of the soup mixture, set aside.
- Add the long grain white rice to the soup mixture and stir to combine.1 cup long grain white rice
- Pour the soup and rice mixture into the prepared baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Season both sides of the chicken breast with the onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper, smoked paprika, and salt. Remove the rice mixture from the oven, uncover, and lay the chicken breasts on top of the rice.4 chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour the reserved soup mixture over the chicken breasts. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and move the chicken from the baking dish to a plate. Cover the chicken with the aluminum foil and set aside.
- Fluff the rice with a fork, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and fluff again, mixing the cheese with the rice.1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Return the rice to the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Once done, fluff the rice again and add the baked chicken breasts back on top of the rice. Top with the chopped parsley.1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Serve hot.
Jenn’s Notes
- Choose a lighter-weight four-pack of chicken breasts when you can. Really thick breasts take longer, and I have had to add about five minutes to bring them up to 165.
- Let the rice have its full 20 minutes under foil before the chicken goes in. That covered head start is what keeps it from staying crunchy in the middle.
- Pull the chicken the moment it hits 165 and let it rest while the rice finishes, so it stays juicy.
