Description
A comforting one-pan chicken and rice casserole that practically cooks itself. This nostalgic dish combines tender chicken breasts with creamy rice infused with onion flavors for a simple yet satisfying family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups Minute rice (white or brown)
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (10.5 oz) can water
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
- Optional Add-ins
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Frozen vegetables
- Diced chicken (instead of whole breasts)
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish: Grease a 9×13 baking pan with the butter, ensuring even coverage to prevent sticking. This creates a nice base for your casserole and adds a touch of richness.
- Mix the rice base: In a bowl, thoroughly combine the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, water and rice. Stir until well incorporated to ensure the rice cooks evenly in the creamy mixture.
- Layer the ingredients: Pour the rice and soup mixture into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly. Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture, arranging them so they cook uniformly.
- Season with onion mix: Sprinkle the Lipton onion soup mix evenly over the top of the chicken breasts. This will infuse the entire dish with savory onion flavor as it bakes.
- Bake covered: Cover the pan tightly with foil to trap steam and moisture, and bake at 350°F for 1 to 1½ hours until chicken is fully cooked through and rice is tender.
- Add cheese (optional): If desired, uncover and top with shredded cheese during the last 10 minutes of baking for a golden, bubbly cheese topping.
- Rest before serving: Let the dish stand for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to settle and the excess moisture to be absorbed by the rice.
Notes
- For best results, ensure the foil is sealed tightly during baking to trap moisture needed for cooking the rice. If you prefer more vegetables, consider adding 1-2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables to the rice mixture before baking. For a quicker cooking time, you can dice the chicken into 1-inch pieces instead of using whole breasts.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Main-course
- Method: One Pot & One Pan
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of casserole
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 890mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 60mg