Shortcut Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

This divine ooey-gooey cheesy chicken and rice casserole recipe comes together with just 6 simple ingredients, all of which you likely already have in your pantry and freezer! It's sure to become an easy weeknight meal staple.

This recipe was created in partnership with Knorr®. Thanks for supporting me and the brands I love!

Shortcut Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

With fall right around the corner, I know we can ALL use another super easy weeknight meal in our recipe repertoire, and this cheesy chicken and rice casserole is the perfect fit for so many reasons. Not the least of which is that it can be on your table, ready to serve, in under an hour -- and MUCH sooner if you already have some leftover chicken to use up!

Ease and speed of preparation are meaningless, though, if you're left with a dish that's flavorless and lacking texture. Not so with this fabulous casserole... It hits all the right notes:

✔ uses just 6 ingredients
✔ all ingredients are pantry/freezer staples
✔ can be prepared right in the baking dish
✔ bakes to perfection in 35 minutes
✔ full of texture and flavor

This is gonna be on weeknight repeat in your home ALL fall and winter long! As it definitely will in mine...

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Shortcut 6-Ingredient Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole Ingredients

Maybe you've been wondering about the "shortcut" I mentioned in the recipe name? Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer... The (not so) secret timesaver is that this baked chicken and rice casserole starts with a package of Knorr® Chicken Broccoli Rice, which gives this dish tons of flavor, thanks to its delicious chicken-flavored sauce. And you can conveniently pick it up at Meijer, along with all of the other necessary ingredients!

Knorr Rice Side Dishes cook on the stovetop in just 7 minutes, which makes them an ideal quick and easy side for any meal. But this also makes them perfect as a main dish meal recipe starter! Just add your favorite protein and veggies for a dinner your family is sure to love. (See also this leftover turkey noodle casserole and these 7-ingredient Italian stuffed peppers.)

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:

cubed cooked chicken -- diced leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken (check out the ">easiest way to shred chicken), or canned chicken are the quickest options for getting this casserole into the oven quickly. But you can also opt to brown about 1-lb. of cubed chicken on the stovetop with a little olive oil if you need to. It dirties an extra pan but only adds about 10 minutes to the prep time!

frozen broccoli -- place in a colander, rinse under cold water, and then let it drain well before adding to the other ingredients.

diced white onion -- don't be afraid to use yellow onion or even red onion, if that's what you have on hand!

Parmesan cheese -- the grated kind works just fine in this dish.

mozzarella cheese -- we prefer a variety with large shreds, but any shredded variety will do.

How To Make Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

If you already have cooked chicken on hand (be it leftover, rotisserie, or canned), congratulations, making this cheesy chicken broccoli and rice casserole recipe is pretty much a dump, stir, and bake dream for you! If not, NO WORRIES -- just grab a skillet and brown about 1-lb. of cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts in approximately 2 tablespoons of olive on your stovetop.

Once you've got your chicken situation ironed out, you can proceed with the steps below.

1| Pop a 2-cup liquid measuring cup of water into the microwave and bring it to boiling. Then in a 9x13" ceramic baking dish, combine the Knorr Chicken Broccoli Rice, boiling water, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the thawed broccoli, cubed chicken, and diced onion. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

2| Bake covered for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the aluminum foil (there will be some steam that's released), and sprinkle the casserole with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Top with the mozzarella cheese.

3| Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. If you want the mozzarella cheese to be a golden color (yes, please!), pop the casserole under the broiler on high for about 2 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

A Few Quick Tips For Best Results:

• Remove as much water from the thawed broccoli as possible before adding it to the other ingredients.
• Mix all of the ingredients right in the baking dish to cut down on the amount of dishes you need to wash. Yay for fewer dishes!
• Add the mozzarella cheese at the end of the baking time so that the chicken and rice layer maintains its integrity and the cheese is melty and gooey on top.

That's it! You've got a divine ooey-gooey broccoli, rice, cheese, and chicken casserole that's ready to be devoured by your hungry family.

And trust me -- THEY WILL!! My kids go absolutely nuts when I make this for dinner, so I typically double it to make two casseroles. Then we add a simple side salad and occasionally a loaf or two of this 15-minute garlic bread recipe to round our meal out.

Save On Knorr Sides at Meijer

I stock up on Knorr Sides with each grocery trip to Meijer, not only for sides and as meal starters, but because my kids often make them as a quick lunch, too.

Which reminds me... Have you tried Meijer's super convenient grocery pickup and/or delivery, yet? I can't recommend it enough -- it not only saves time, but it also saves me from all of those unplanned extras my kids have a tendency to toss into my shopping cart!