Chicken and Rice Casserole

Well, Tartlets, in case you haven’t noticed, new posts are a little more intermittent these days.

Remember that concussion I mentioned awhile back? Yeeaaaah. Turns out, it didn’t go away as quickly as I had originally thought. I had a relapse in mid-January, and I was told by various doctors that the only cure is rest and time. This unfortunately means that I’m restricted from most of my blogging activities until I’m fully recovered, which really sucks. So, bear with me and my silence for another few weeks until I can once again flood your inbox and social media with tons of new content.

In the meantime, here’s a new post to tide you over. I can’t do much work on the computer these days (this post actually took about 3 weeks to complete), but I do have some precious moments when my brain doesn’t feel like it’s perpetually on the Spinning Tea Cups ride at Disney World. There’s not much I can do during those respites, but one of the things I can finally do again is cook.

I know what you’re thinking: should I really be wielding a sharp knife while concussed? Probably not. (My husband would say, definitely not.)

But, people, there is only so much Netflix and Amazon Prime one can watch, and there’s only so much sitting on your tuchus one can do.

So, I decided to take the chance. Luckily, theres not much chopping involved in this recipe, and the fact that I was able to cook this dish while concussed is a testament to how amazingly easy it is to make.

One of my more recent posts was all about hygge books — novels that make you feel all warm and cozy, particularly on a wintry day. Well, if you’re going to have a hygge day of reading, you’re going to want a hygge meal to go with it. Enter this Chicken and Rice Casserole as the ultimate comfort food dish.

One of the key “requirements” of hygge is making simple, hearty meals that warm your soul. The goal of the meal is to enjoy eating it with family and friends, as opposed to spending all your time in the kitchen to create a fancy meal that only serves to impress your guests. You’re encouraged to embrace the beauty of simplicity, even in food, and this casserole couldn’t be simpler. Or, more delicious.

You pretty much throw all of the ingredients into a big bowl, stir, then pour it into a casserole dish to bake for the next hour or so, leaving you plenty of time to chat with your guests, play with your pets, light some candles and sip some tea, or just get in a little more hygge reading time.

The recipe uses a lot of pantry staples, so I recommend stocking up on the ingredients beforehand so you can be ready to make this at a moment’s notice. I personally love to whip up this casserole whenever we have a snowstorm.

The ingredients that make this recipe so easy are the condensed soups — cream of mushroom, cream of celery, and cream of chicken. Now, let’s get something straight: I am not a creamed soup fan, especially when it comes from a can. I’m never going to crack open a can of cream o’ anything and eat it as plain ol’ soup.

However. When mixed together with some instant rice, chicken, and spices in this casserole, the soups transform this dish into a creamy, steamy, delicious dinner. I recommend using the Campbell’s brand, and I always use the 98% fat free versions of the creamed soups. Because, health. Obviously.

Be sure to use instant rice with this recipe instead of long grain or brown rice. I keep a box of it in my pantry just for this casserole; it’s completely worth it. After over an hour in the oven, the minute rice has softened perfectly, and the end result is a perfectly creamy risotto-style dish.

This Chicken and Rice Casserole is creamy and buttery, full of flavor, and deliciously hearty, especially on cold, snowy day. It also makes your whole house smell mouthwateringly of roast chicken, which is simply a bonus.

Serve with a side of crunchy, crisp green salad — or, you can just do what I do: shovel spoonfuls of velvety rice and tender chicken into your mouth without any healthy accompaniment whatsoever. NO JUDGEMENT. (Because judgement isn’t very hygge. And this meal is all about the hygge.)

Chicken and Rice Casserole

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups instant white ricce
• 1 10.75-oz can condensed cream of chicken soup (98% fat free version)
• 1 10.75-oz can condensed cream of celery soup (98% fat free version)
• 1 10.75-oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup (98% fat free version)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 stick unsalted butter, sliced
• chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• paprika to taste, for sprinkling

Instructions

 

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Cut chicken into bite-size chunks and set aside.
• Chop parsley and set aside.
• Slice butter into about 14 pats and set aside.
• Spray a 9x12 casserole baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large bowl (preferrably one with a handle and spout), combine chicken, rice, creamed soups, black pepper, poultry seasoning, and 1/2 tsp onion powder.
• Carefully stir in one cup of the chicken broth, then add the second cup of broth. Stir until all ingredients in the bowl are thoroughly combined.
• Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish, using a spatula to spread it evenly and ensure that all chicken pieces are fully submberged.
• Arrange the butter pats evenly over the top of the mixture, then generously sprinkle the casserole with paprika and onion powder.
• Bake casserole in the preheated oven for 65-75 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through.
• Remove casserole from oven and let cool 10-15 minutes before serving (casserole will firm up a bit during this time). Garnish individual servings with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

This recipe is an adapted version of Mamaw's Chicken and Rice Casserole on Allrecipes.com.