No Fuss Chicken & Rice Casserole
Submitted by poorcollegeboy
No-fuss chicken and rice casserole: chicken pieces baked over flavored rice and cream of mushroom soup. The 4-ingredient one-pan dinner that’s been feeding families since the 1950s.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
45 minREADY
55 minThis is the dump-and-bake chicken casserole every Midwestern recipe box has a version of. Four ingredients, one dish, no browning, no roux. The chicken bakes directly on top of flavored rice and condensed soup, and the result is comfort-food perfection that takes 5 minutes to throw together.
The genius is in the moisture management. Condensed soup mixed with water hydrates the dry rice while the chicken juices drip down and self-baste everything. The chicken stays moist on top, the rice absorbs all the savory flavors below.
Use boxed flavored rice (Lipton, Uncle Ben’s, or Rice-A-Roni) for the easiest version. The seasoning packet does all the flavor work, no spices required. Plain long-grain white rice works too, but you’ll need to add curry, paprika, or your favorite blend.
The water-to-soup ratio is the variable that determines texture. Less water for thick, sticky rice; more water for fluffier, soup-like results. Eyeballing it after a few attempts becomes second nature.
Watching the casserole during baking matters. If the rice looks dry before the chicken is done, add a splash more water. If it’s still too soupy near the end, pull the lid off so the excess can evaporate.
Serve with a green salad, steamed vegetables, or just a slice of buttered bread.
Pro Tips
- Skinless chicken is preferred so the rice doesn’t get greasy.
- Spray the baking dish with non-stick cooking spray for easier cleanup.
- Bake covered if the mixture isn’t very soupy; uncovered if it’s too liquid.
- For wild rice mixes, bake an extra 15 minutes since wild rice takes longer.
Variations
- Substitute cream of chicken soup or cream of celery for variety.
- Add a cup of frozen peas or chopped broccoli for vegetables.
- Sprinkle paprika or shredded cheddar over the chicken before baking for color and flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Uncle Ben’s box or envelope of flavored rice (wild or pilaf, etc.) can be substituted for Lipton’s Rice ‘n’ Sauce, but if you use plain white rice, use long cooking kind (not Minute) and you will have to add spices to your taste: curry, paprika, pepper, etc. whatever you wish.
The small packets of Lipton’s or Uncle Ben’s usually have their own flavor pak and no spices need to be added unless you like extra pepper.
Combine dry rice, flavour pack if there is one, can of cream of mushroom (or cream of chicken or cream of celery) soup, and ½ to 1 full can of water after that. Stir well with fork as soup will be lumpy. Add washed and skinned pieces of chicken and sink them down into the liquid.
Bake at 375℉ (190℃) for 45 minutes to an hour depending on type of rice--wild rice takes a little longer. When rice is finished, chicken is finished. Watch during cooking and if rice begins to dry out, add water.
Note:
If bake at 400℉ (200℃) cooking time is less.
If mixture was relatively soupy before putting in oven, bake uncovered, but if mixture was not very soupy bake covered.
The soupier the mixture when goes in oven (how much water you added) the less you will need to watch it while baking.
If it is looking like it is going to still be soupy towards the time for it to be finished, take cover off.
One more thing, cleanup is easier if you sprayed baking dish (glass) with Pam or other cooking spray before you put the ingredients in the dish.
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