Chicken and Rice Casserole makes a classic comforting dish. Made of chicken and rice cooked in a creamy, flavorful casserole, this is a family favorite!
Growing up, there were certain dishes that we could depend on having in the way of comfort food: chicken and dumplings when it was cold or rainy, chicken soup when we didn’t feel well, and chicken and rice casserole to carry to friends and neighbors when they needed a meal to celebrate the birth of a child or mourn the loss of a loved one and everything in between, it seems.
It is a comfort food classic in my family, and most likely in many others as well.
There are so many variations of chicken and rice casserole, probably every family has their own version and then changes within the family as well. For my family, this flavorful version always hit the spot!
For my chicken and rice casserole, I like to use tender chicken that I’ve cooked low and slow either in the slow cooker or on the stove. You could easily use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or a roasted chicken that you’ve made yourself. Either would work just fine. I also use my homemade cream of chicken soup, but again, for convenience, you could certainly use canned soup, if you like.
Chicken and Rice Casserole makes a wonderful freezer or make-ahead meal.
You can simply combine everything, cover it tightly, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days in advance of baking or for longer in the freezer. I recommend allowing it to come to room temperature before baking or adjusting the length of baking time.
Here’s my Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family always does!
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
- 2 cups homemade cream of chicken soup optional or 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup and 1 can condensed cream of celery soup
- ½ cup diced onions
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 cup mayonnaise or 1 cup greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425º F. Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until casserole is lightly browned.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 recipe homemade cream of chicken soup
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425º F. Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add onion, celery, and garlic and saute until onion is tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add to chicken, cream of chicken soup, chicken stock, rice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and over with foil.
Bake covered for 30-35 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until lightly browned.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally posted 2011.
Reminds me of a recipe Mama used to make. Can’t wait to try it. Using canned cream soups is a perfectly acceptable alternative to the homemade variety. Just adjust salt where it may be called for elsewhere in the recipe. Robyn, thanks so much for finding all these basic, wonderful recipes for us. I look forward everyday to seeing what is new. I am a fan of your sight.
my husband will not eat anything with mayo in it. could I use another can of chicken soup in place of the mayo? Thanks in advance
Hi Carolyn,
You could use greek yogurt or sour cream in place of the mayo if you wish. I’ve never added additional soup in place of the mayo, so I can’t say how that will turn out. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
Can’t tell there is mayo in it, but this recipe tastes wonderful! Only change I made was sautéing the diced onions and celery in 1 T of butter.
I had roasted a chicken the day before and we had eaten only half. I was trying to think of something to make when I read my e-mails and your recipe was there. I had most of the the ingrediants on hand, so I made this. It was delicious and very easy to make. I had no onions,but I did have a can of French’s Onions. I added these and it was a good addition. Thanks for the recipes, you have some very good ones.
I just cooked this tonight and thought it was great, so did my husband. But next time I’ll use less mayo, maybe 1/4 of a cup. My husband isn’t a mayo fan but I am, so I’ll compromise with him on the mayo. I did add an extra cup of cooked rice because we had so much cooked rice in the fridge and that worked out great for us. Thank YOU!
Hi Tracy,
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! Funny about the mayo compromise with you and your husband! 😉 Thanks so much for letting me know how much you liked it! xo
I notice the recipe has changed, but we really like the original which has chicken stock and no mayo in it. Do you by any chance still have that recipe that you could send to me? I’ve lost my hard copy…thanks!
I would like this recipe also.
Hi Tammy –
I’ve added the original recipe some have requested under “Notes” at the bottom of the recipe. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
Hi Holly –
I’ve added the original recipe and cooking instructions you are speaking of in the “Notes” section at the bottom of the recipe.
Thanks so much!!! xo