This Creamy Cheesy Chicken and Rice casserole is the ULTIMATE comfort food recipe. A from-scratch, rich, cheesy sauce coats rice and tender chicken to create one irresistible, creamy chicken and rice casserole.
Our Favorite Chicken Casserole
The very first recipe I shared on my blog WAY back in 2014 was this Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole.
It is by far my family's all-time favorite comforting casserole dish, and through the years, it has proven to be one of your favorites as well.
This simple chicken and rice casserole is easy to make, tastes extremely indulgent, and appeals to just about every palate--even picky kids!
Made with leftover chicken, cooked rice, a simple from-scratch creamy sauce, and cheddar cheese, this chicken and rice casserole is a simple dish, yet still delivers incredible flavors.
Truly, what is not to love? Tender chicken and rice are swimming in a rich, cheesy sauce. It is absolute comfort food!
This is one of those casseroles you make when you are craving comfort, need to bring a meal to a friend, or just want to make your family smile.
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: This recipe calls for pre-cooked chicken, making it a great time to use any leftover cooked you have like store-bought or homemade Rotisserie Chicken, Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken, Roasted Chicken Breasts, or Instant Pot Shredded Chicken.
- Chicken Stock/Broth: Use either low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken stock to control the level of sodium.
- White Wine: I love adding white wine to elevate the sauce, but it is completely optional. Feel free to use additional chicken stock in its place. If using wine, use a dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.
- Herbs: To add depth of flavor and elevate this chicken and rice casserole into something memorable, I love to add fresh thyme and garlic. Both are optional and can be omitted for a more basic chicken and rice casserole.
- Cheese: Use a sharp or mild cheddar or Colby cheese for this casserole. For best results, grate the cheese yourself, as pre-grated cheese is coated in anti-caking agents which can prevent a smooth, creamy sauce.
- Rice: Use cooked white or brown rice. You will need 4 cups of cooked rice, which is equivalent to about 1 cup of uncooked rice.
Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-Free Chicken and Rice Casserole: If you need this casserole to be gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Broccoli: Add 2 cups of chopped steamed broccoli to the casserole before baking.
- Buffalo Chicken and Rice Casserole: Omit the thyme, white wine, and minced garlic from the recipe. Stir in ½ cup bleu cheese or ranch dressing, ⅓ cup hot sauce, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder into the cheese sauce along with the rice and chicken. Bake as directed.
- Lower Fat: To keep this recipe a bit on the lighter side, reduce the amount of cheese in half.
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
When using leftover chicken and precooked rice, this casserole comes together with minimal hands-on prep, but delivers incredible flavor!
- In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
- Whisk in an equal amount of flour, to form a thick paste, known as a roux.
- Cook the roux, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, which will cook off the raw flour taste and make for a really delicious sauce.
- Slowly whisk in the wine and minced garlic and simmer until thickened.
- Add the chicken broth, ¼ cup at a time, whisking to incorporate. By adding the broth slowly, you will avoid a lumpy sauce.
- Season the sauce with fresh thyme, salt, and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir in half of the cheese.
- Cook until the cheese is melted into the sauce and then turn off the heat.
- Add the diced or shredded chicken and cooked rice directly to the sauce and toss to evenly coat.
- Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish and then top with additional shredded cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and golden, and the casserole is warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
This Chicken and Rice Casserole is a hearty meal that stands alone. However, I love pairing this casserole with a side salad or steamed or roasted vegetables, like Instant Pot Green Beans or Roasted Broccoli.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover Chicken and Rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen after baked for up to 1 month in an airtight freezer-safe container.
To reheat, allow to defrost in the refrigerator overnight if needed, and then place the casserole in a shallow heat-safe dish. Cover with a moistened paper towel and microwave for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through. The paper towel will keep the casserole moist and the microwave clean.
How to Prepare in Advance
This Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake is a great casserole to prepare in advance and refrigerate or freeze to bake at a later time. This casserole bakes up perfectly from frozen, making it perfect to pop on a busy night or to take to a friend in need of a meal.
To prepare this casserole a advance, prepare up to baking. If freezing, be sure to use a disposable or freezer-safe baking dish. Cover the baking dish tightly with 2 layers of foil. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To bake from the fridge, remove the casserole from the fridge and remove 1 layer of foil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, letting the casserole sit on the counter while the oven preheats. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until warmed through.
- To bake from the freezer, remove the casserole from the freezer and remove 1 layer of foil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, letting the casserole sit on the counter while the oven preheats. Bake for 60 minutes covered, remove the foil, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
More Cozy Chicken Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Casserole
- Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
- Creamy Chicken Casserole
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.
If you enjoyed this creamy, cheesy chicken and rice casserole, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dry white wine or additional chicken stock
- ½ tablespoon fresh minced garlic
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ tablespoon fresh chopped thyme optional
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Lightly butter a 2 quart or 9x13 baking pan
- Melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Slowly whisk in the wine and garlic, whisking until thickened. Add in the chicken broth ¼ cup at a time, whisking to incorporate. Add in the salt, pepper, and thyme, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low and then stir in 2 cups of cheese until melted.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cooked rice and chicken.
- Transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted through.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- To bake from the fridge, remove casserole from the fridge and remove 1 layer of foil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, letting the casserole sit on the counter while the oven preheats. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until warmed through.
- To bake from the freezer, remove casserole from freeze and remove 1 layer of foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes covered and then uncovered for 15 additional minutes.
Nutrition
This recipe was the very first recipe published on my blog in February 2014. The pictures and recipe remain the same, but the post has been updated with tips, variations, and new photos in 2023.
Dani
I made this tonight and I think I did something wrong... the sauce turned out too dark and the flavor sort of overpowered the chicken and cheese. Do you have any suggestions? It looks and sounds great, and was super easy to make, so I'm hoping I can try again and get it right!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so sorry that this did not work for you Dani. My guess is that you cooked the butter and flour mixture too long--which would make it dark like the roux for like a Gumbo--which you don't want. Try melting the butter over medium heat, whisking in the flour, and then adding the sauce after 30 seonds. Lowering the heat may help. And cook the liquid just until it comes to a boil. And be sure to use high quality clear chicken stock. Hope those tips help--this is one of our favorite meals.
Dani
Tried this again tonight and it was much better! I think my stove is old and gets pretty hot so I kept the heat between medium and low. Thanks for the tips!
Jennifer
Made this exactly as written for the first time tonight and it's delicious! We do the Feingold diet (no artificial food dyes, preservatives, flavors, etc) and it fit well with my ingredients! My family of four ate almost the entire 9x13 pan. It's now going into the meal rotation. Thanks for a good wholesome, flavorful meal.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing that Jennifer. And we eat just like you, so you should be able to find plenty of tasty recipes on my site to include in your diet.
Shantier
How do you cook the chicken? Bake it?
Kristen Chidsey
You can bake it, poach it or use leftover Rotisserie chicken. I typically use my roasted chicken recipe https://amindfullmom.com/cooking-basics-roasting-chicken/
Lisa
I cut it up into cubes and put it in a medium pan on the stove to brown it in some herbs, then I used the same pan for the sauce, extra flavor to the sauce is great! You could bake it though, maybe even left over crock pot chicken....
Kristen Chidsey
That sounds incredible. Yes, you can use leftover chicken or baked chicken as well!
Rosemary
Wow Kristen this looks amazing, I can't wait to try it, love rice.
Kristen Chidsey
You will LOVE this Rosemary!
Johnna
This looks like comfort food central! Perfect for the chilly days I hope are headed our way soon.
Kristen Chidsey
Johanna, This is comfort food! And yes, bring on chilly days!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
This is creative!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Megan.
Jen
Just made this tonight using the gluten free method. It was great.
Kristen Chidsey
Jen, that makes me so happy!! Thank you for sharing!
Stacy Friedman
Can you call this a cream sauce whenthere is no cream in it?
Kristen Chidsey
I call it "creamy" because the roux, chicken stock, and cheese make it feel very creamy on your mouth. Feel free to add 1/2 cup cream in place of 1/2 cup chicken stock.
Ashley
Is there any way this can be adjusted in order to use raw chicken and uncooked rice?
Kristen Chidsey
Hmm, Ashley--I have never tried that--but I need to experiment with it for sure. If you want to give it a go, I would suggest, adding an extra cup of chicken stock to the dish (for the rice to absorb) and to lay the chicken on top of the rice mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes at 350. Remove foil and cook additional 10-15 minutes. I am not sure how this will work out, but that is where I would start. Let me know if you give it a try and I will try it too sometime
Tammi
I was wondering the same thing.....putting in dry rice and raw chicken. I also thought about putting it in the crockpot to cook.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Tammi! I haven't tried cooking this in the crockpot with raw chicken and dry rice. I think I should experiment with that myself 😉 Because I use brown rice and not instant white rice, I don't think it would have enough time to cook properly in the oven. I do think there is a chance in the slow cooker-but I have to experiment with that and see if the roux would burn up. As far as raw chicken, go for it! Just be sure to cook chicken until 165 degrees
Ashley C.
Hi!! Can I use minute rice? And if so, should I cook it first? I feel like it would get mushy.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Ashley! Yes, I would still cook the minute rice. I just would cook it maybe more like 4 minutes than 5.
Abby
Possibly a dumb question but everytime I cook rice I seem to mess it up and it takes 10x longer to cook. So my question is do you cook the rice before adding it with the chicken or does it cook when you bake it in the casserole?
Kristen Chidsey
Abby, NEVER a dumb question.
Rice is a very tricky thing to cook right. I start off with 1 cup rice to 1 3/4 cup water. I bring the water to a boil and then mix in the rice. Turn to a medium simmer and then cook for 20-25 minutes for white rice and 45-50 for brown rice.
For this recipe, the rice is pre-cooked. But it can be a little under and turn out okay!
Abby
Thank you! I think the time must have been my problem I swear the box always says a lot less time than 45-50 mins.
Kristen Chidsey
Happy to help 🙂
Jennie
Do you think you could add a can of hotel for some extra spice?
Kristen Chidsey
Jennie, a can of rotel sounds like a great idea. I may omit 1/4 cup of the chicken stock just to keep the dish from getting too liquidy. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
Briana
Do you cook and mix everything such as butter, salt/pepper and broth into the man before putting it into the casserole dish????
Briana
Sorry I mean pan not man
Kristen Chidsey
Yes Briana, as stated in directions. Melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in flour, chopped thyme, salt and pepper then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously. Whisk until thick and nearly boiling then stir in cheese until melted. Stir in rice and chicken and then transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish. That allows the sauce to thicken up and coat the rice and chicken well. Enjoy!
sandra
It looks so good. The kids will love this. Going to make this tomorrow nights supper.
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you and your children enjoy this Sandra!
Jenn K
I made this last night! I did add some heavy cream, and used less flour. VERY rich, but very good. I also added uncooked broccoli, and it was the perfect texture once it baked and soaked in all the flavors. I think without the broccoli added, I would need a veggie on the side.
Kristen Chidsey
Jenn, so glad you liked it. I can imagine with the heavy cream it was very rich, but tasty!! And I always serve lots of veggies on the side 🙂
Cathy
If I use wine, do I reduce the amount of Chicken broth by 1/4 ?
Kristen Chidsey
Yes. I hope you enjoy...and using the wine adds so much flavor