One of my fall favorites, this chicken, rice and veggie casserole couldn’t be easier to make. Using lots of help from the grocery store, this is an easy dish to make and serve during the week. Using frozen veggies and pre-shredded chicken from the deli (or the chicken from a rotisserie chicken), this comes together fast. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of flavor. Fresh herbs, lots of seasoning and flavorful toasted panko breadcrumbs, makes this a warm, comforting and delicious bite of food.
Let’s talk ingredients. First, I use a combination of brown rice and fresh cauliflower rice I buy already riced in the produce department. Stay away from the frozen cauliflower. I find it is soggy, smelly and not at all appealing. The fresh riced cauliflower from the produce department has the texture of rice and blends well in this dish. Yes, you can use all rice and yes, it can be white rice it that is your preference. You could also make a chicken and yellow rice casserole and use saffron rice (YUM!). I’m going for a little healthy goodness here and wanted some whole grains in here but I just wanted a little so I substituted cauliflower for some of the rice. FYI: you can totally use all cauliflower. This recipe is very flexible (like most of my recipes) so make it your own. I just trying to show you that you can have a healthy chicken and rice casserole that is easy to make and still delicious.
Note: you can also make your own cauliflower rice using a food processor. Just buy a head of cauliflower and break it into florets. Add those to the food processor and pulse until you have the texture of rice. Easy. BUT, since this recipe is all about short cuts, I buy the premade cauliflower rice.
For the chicken, I’m able to find shredded chicken in packages right in my grocery store. I can also buy it at Whole Foods and Sprouts market. Alternatively, you can buy a rotisserie chicken and just shred the meat. And of course, you can roast your own chicken and shred that when it is cool. If you go that route, be sure to try my Roast Chicken with lemon and Herbs and use the leftovers for this recipe.
I wanted to add just a little creaminess to the mixture and I chose to use fat-free Greek yogurt. That is my preference but you can substitute sour cream, light sour cream, and full fat Greek yogurt here too. I’ve also made this using some jarred chicken gravy giving you a chicken and rice casserole that is dairy free. You want all your ingredients moist when you put this in the oven so it is delish when baked.
For herbs I’ve chosen fresh thyme, but you could try oregano, parsley or any of your favorite herb mixes in this. I used green onions since that is what I had on hand but feel free to substitute regular minced onion (a couple of tablespoons) or minced shallots.
To get started on the recipe, grab a large non-stick skillet and add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil. Add the minced green onion and your sliced mushrooms. I used already sliced button mushrooms from the produce department but you can use a variety of mushrooms that you like and slice them yourself. Reminder, I was going for easy here. Once the mushrooms are soft and brown, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add in the wondra flour and a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir into the mushrooms and stir in completely. Let cook a minute to remove that raw flour flavor. Note that I use Wondra flour since it doesn’t clump like regular all-purpose flour does and I find I can get a smoother consistency. However, all-purpose flour works just as well. Just be sure to really work it into the oil and let it cook a full minutes. Add in your stock and bring to a boil.
Once it is boiling and starting to thicken, add in your chicken, rice and cauliflower and stir to incorporate. I like to season with salt and pepper at this stage and taste again. Next, add in your peas, corn, yogurt and thyme and make sure everything is incorporated. Bring to a simmer. Taste again, adjust seasoning again and put to the side.
Make your topping by melting the butter and seasoning in a small non-stick skillet. Add the panko and stir into the butter coating everything in the flavored butter. Spread out in the skillet and let toast. Stir the ingredients so everything is toasted on all sides and is golden brown. Put to the side.
Spoon all the ingredients into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with the panko topping. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes until piping hot. Serve and enjoy.
Note: You can make your filling and place in the casserole dish, cover and refrigerate overnight making this a great make ahead dish. Just uncover the dish and let it come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Top with the panko topping right before baking and add an additional 5-10 minutes to the cooking time.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments. Did you put your own twist on it? If so, do share. Then, if you are looking for other easy chicken recipes, be sure to check these out:
Baked Maple-Bacon Chicken Wings & Drumsticks
Blackberry Chicken Salad for Two
Chicken and Rice Veggie Casserole
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 Teaspoons PLUS 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 Cups sliced mixed mushrooms (about 10 oz.)
- 3 Green onions, sliced then finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Wondra flour
- 2 Cups Chicken broth
- 2 Cups Shredded chicken
- 3/4 Cup Cooked brown rice
- 1/2 Cup cauliflower rice, uncooked
- 1/2 Cup Frozen peas
- 1/2 Cup Frozen corn
- 2 Tbsp. Fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Fat-free Greek yogurt
- Kosher Salt & Freshly ground black pepper to taste
TOPPING
- 1 Tbsp. Light butter (Land 'o Lakes with canola oil is a favorite)
- 1/2 Cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ Tsp. Garlic powder
- ½ Tsp. Onion powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large non-stick skillet heat two teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the green onions and mushrooms. Cook, stirring until are softened and browned. 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add to the same pan, one tablespoon of olive oil and the Wondra flour. Mix into the mushroom mixture to completely incorporate. Add your chicken broth and continue stirring into the mushroom mixture. Keep stirring until it comes to a boil. It will start to thicken.
- Add in the shredded chicken and the cooked rice and cauliflower rice. Mix everything together. Once it is simmering, add in the peas, corn, thyme and yogurt. Stir everything to combine. Season again with salt and pepper and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Pour mixture into a small baking dish and put to the side.
- MAKE YOUR TOPPING. To make a really tasty topping for the casserole, in a medium sized non-stick skillet, add one tablespoon of light butter. Let melt than add the panko and seasonings. Stir to get everything combined and the panko coated in the butter and seasoning. Continue toasting the panko until it is fragrant and a light brown.
- Top the casserole dish with the toasted panko and bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until completely heated through and the topping is golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy.
