🥦 What Makes This Recipe So Good
If you ask me, chicken broccoli rice casserole is the epitome of comfort food. Juicy chicken, tender broccoli, filling rice, and that cheese sauce?! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. This is one of those dishes that I’ve made for years because it’s just so delicious, and this recipe is the best of the best. That cheese sauce I mentioned before? Unlike most versions of this dish, we’ve left out all the canned soups – no cream of chicken, no cream of mushroom, no cream of broccoli. Instead, we’ll make a rich, creamy sauce from a base of butter, flour, onion, and garlic. Even with that homemade cheese sauce, this casserole is SO easy and simple. Honestly, you probably have everything you need for it in your kitchen right now, but even if you don’t, you can easily keep the bulk of the ingredients on hand. If you want to make it even easier, shred up a rotisserie chicken rather than cooking the chicken yourself.
🧀 Chef’s Tips
Chicken broccoli rice casserole is a terrific make-ahead option, whether you’re anticipating a busy weeknight ahead of you or looking for something to take to a friend. Prep everything right up to the point of putting the casserole in the oven, then cover it with foil and put it in the fridge instead (I mean, let the cheese sauce cool first). It can be refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. When you’re ready to eat, just let the casserole come to room temperature while the oven preheats. Looking to stock your freezer with casseroles? You’re in luck. This one freezes well, too. You can freeze it before or after baking it – just make sure you’re using a freezer-safe, airtight container, and that the food is completely cool before storing it. It can be frozen up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, let it defrost in the fridge overnight, then bake as instructed.
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