One Dish Chicken & Rice Bake

Six ingredients, one baking dish, zero fuss. This chicken and rice bake uses cream of mushroom soup as both the sauce and the cooking liquid. The rice absorbs all that savory, creamy broth while the chicken breasts roast on top, keeping everything in a single pan.

The trick is using uncooked long grain rice. It cooks right in the dish alongside the chicken, soaking up the soup and water mixture as it bakes. No need to boil rice separately or dirty another pot.

Covering the dish tightly matters here. The steam trapped inside is what cooks the rice through. If you peek too early or leave gaps in the foil, the rice can end up crunchy in spots.

Pro Tips

• Use thick, even chicken breasts so they finish cooking at the same time as the rice. If your breasts are uneven, pound the thick end to about ¾ inch.
• Resist the urge to lift the cover during the first 40 minutes. The trapped steam does all the work.
• Let it rest covered for 5 minutes after pulling from the oven. The rice finishes absorbing liquid and fluffs up nicely.

Variations

• Swap cream of mushroom for cream of chicken or cream of celery soup for a different flavor base.
• Stir frozen peas and diced carrots into the rice mixture before baking for a built-in veggie side.
• Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the top during the last 5 minutes of baking for a cheesy crust.