Chicken and Rice Casserole

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I stole this recipe for Chicken and Rice Casserole from tlc.com who stole it from simplyrecipes.com. This casserole recipe is an easy to make flavorful meal. Onions, garlic and mushrooms are cooked in a skillet then added to a casserole pan. A sauce is made in the same skillet the vegetable were cooked in. Raw rice is added to a casserole dish and topped with the sauce. Browned chicken is placed on top and the pan is covered and baked. The rice cooks in the oven saving you prep time. My family loved this recipe for Chicken and Rice Casserole and I hope yours will too.

In a large skillet brown 2 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Work in batches, brown the chicken pieces on two sides, 1-2 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside. The chicken doesn’t have to be cooked thoroughly, only browned; the chicken will finish cooking in the oven.

Sauté the onions and garlic. In the same sauté pan add 1 tbsp olive oil, lower to medium, add 1 medium chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to 9×13 pan. Raise heat to high, add ½ lb sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them.

Add the sautéed mushrooms to the casserole pan.

Add ¼ cup dry sherry to pan and deglaze the pan, scraping bottom of pan. Let reduce to 1 tbsp then add 1 ⅓ cup chicken stock, and remove from heat. Stir in 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp poultry seasoning, ½ tsp paprika, ¼ cup cream and ½ cup sour cream.

Add 1 cup raw white rice to vegetables in casserole pan. Pour sauce mixture into casserole pan and stir to combine.

Place browned chicken pieces on top in a single layer.

Cover dish with foil. Bake 375 F for 45 minutes. Remove foil.

Serve the Chicken and Rice Casserole warm.

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Chicken & Rice Casserole

Onions, garlic and mushrooms are cooked in a skillet then added to a casserole pan. A sauce is made in the same skillet the vegetable were cooked in. Raw rice is added to a casserole dish and topped with the sauce and browned chicken pieces are is placed on top and the pan is covered and baked. The rice cooks in the oven saving you prep time.

Course Chicken, Entree
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ lb chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces, patted dry
  • Salt / pepper / olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ lb cremini or button mushrooms sliced
  • ¼ cup dry sherry or white wine
  • 1 ⅓ cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup cream
  • 1 cup white rice medium or long grain, raw
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Brown chicken pieces: heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high or high heat. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Work in batches, brown the chicken pieces on two sides, 1-2 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside. The chicken doesn’t have to be cooked thoroughly, only browned; the chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
  3. Sauté the onions and garlic. In the same sauté pan add 1 tbsp olive oil, lower to medium, add onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to 9x13 pan.
  4. Sauté the mushrooms: Raise heat to high, add sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them, add to casserole dish.
  5. Make the sauce: Add ¼ cup dry sherry to pan and deglaze the pan, scraping bottom of pan. Let reduce to 1 tbsp then add chicken stock, and remove from heat. Stir in 1 ½ tsp salt, cream and sour cream.
  6. Assemble the casserole: Add raw rice to dish. Pour stock mixture over the rice. Add seasonings and paprika. Stir to combine. Place chicken on top in a single layer.
  7. Bake: Cover dish with foil. Bake 375 F for 45 minutes. Remove foil. If casserole is too liquidly, cook for a few minutes more, uncovered. Sprinkle with parsley.

Recipe Notes

I used chicken breasts instead of thighs. Also, I added a garlic and herb seasoning mix to the browning chicken step to add more flavor than just salt and pepper. Dried onion and dried garlic can be used instead of fresh, add to the mushrooms when sautéing them. You don’t have use the sherry or wine, you can use chicken stock instead. Also, I added the Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning and paprika to the sauce while it is the pan. I found this easier than stirring in the casserole dish. You can also use milk instead of cream for the sauce. After the sauce was done, I added the mushrooms and rice to the skillet and stirred the mixture in the skillet. I didn’t trust myself to not dump the mixture over the edge of the casserole dish and make a mess.