This chicken and rice casserole is frequently requested by my husband who grew up calling it “Forgotten Chicken.” Simple and satisfying!
Chicken and Rice Casserole
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This was delicious! A big hit with my family! No left overs and everyone wanted more!
Beverly Nixon
This Casserole Is a Nostalgic Masterpiece.
Forgotten Chicken. Remember that?
That was not a joke. Forgotten chicken is a real thing and I’m asking you if you seriously remember it. I don’t, but Bjork does. And he mentioned it the other day, how much he ironically remembered and loved and missed having Forgotten Chicken as a kid.
I thought I should do a nice wife thing and make it for him. It was also a nice self thing:
- It was intensely cozy and comforting.
- There was enough for every meal all week. NO MORE COOKING! I mean, woops. I mostly do like to cook.
- It forced me to make my own homemade condensed cream of chicken soup, which was easy and wonderful and I’ll do it again, possibly forever.
- It was so customizable. I could have even added vegetables. Could. Have.
- It was intensely cozy and comforting.
Whether you remember it or not, I hope it brings a lot of coziness to your life.
Ingredients You Need
We’ve got a short ingredient list for this one, which I love! Here’s what you need to pick up at the store:
- Chicken breasts
- Brown rice (see FAQ for white rice)
- Seasoning mix (rotisserie, hickory, or chipotle)
- Sauce ingredients (chicken broth, milk, and flour)
I inlcluded the instructions for yesterday’s homemade condensed cream of chicken soup in this recipe, so if you follow these instructions you’ll already be making your own! If you want to use canned cream of chicken soup, there is a note about that in the ingredient list, too.
You’ll notice there are no vegetables in this list. This is just how Bjork prefers it! But you sure could add some veggies too – broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, peas, or green beans would all work great.
How To Make This Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Make The Sauce: Broth, milk, and flour is all you need. If you want to skip this step, you can use two cans of cream of chicken soup instead.
- Combine Rice and Sauce: Mix them up in a bowl with water and more seasoning.
- Arrange Chicken on Top: Place to chicken on top of the rice mixture and sprinkle with more spices.
- Bake: Bake covered and then uncovered or maximum browned crispiness!
One thing to know. This yummy chicken and rice casserole needs to bake for a loooong time because of the brown rice.
It’s worth the wait. Go watch TV. Read a book. Put your feet up and dream about making salted maple pecan pie bars again, for the fifth time this month. You’ll soon be lost in a big bowl of this goodness so don’t even worry about it.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Casserole
How can I add veggies to this?
Adding veggies to the top with the chicken should work! Broccoli, carrots, or mushrooms would be my pick(s).
Can I use white rice?
Yes, you can! It will cook faster than brown rice, so just keep an eye on it at the 45-minute mark.
How long does this keep for leftovers?
This will last up to three days in a sealed container in the fridge. Be sure to reheat it well to 165 degrees for food safety (because of the rice!). I also like to add a little more milk or water when reheating to make it creamy again.
Could I use chicken thighs?
Yep! This would work great with chicken thighs as well.
Could I use a different grain like quinoa?
If you’d like to use quinoa, I’d recommend making this casserole instead!
Can I make this in a dutch oven?
Sure can! Even cozier!
What sauce is in the photos?
This was cheese in the photos, but sour cream is another good option!
Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
This chicken and rice casserole is frequently requested by my husband who grew up calling it “Forgotten Chicken.” Simple and satisfying!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the sauce:
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used 2 cans)
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon seasoning mix (or 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. parsley)
(You can sub 2 cans of cream of chicken soup for the homemade sauce.)
For the casserole
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons seasoning mix of your choice for the flavor of the casserole – my favorite was a smoked hickory southwestern seasoning
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Make the sauce: combine the chicken broth and 1/2 cup of the milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a low boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the flour and seasonings into the milk until a smooth, thick mixture forms. Pour the flour and milk mixture into the saucepan over low heat and stir continuously, whisking as the mixture simmers. Continue to simmer and stir/whisk until the mixture is smooth and thick, 5-10 minutes.
- Prepare Casserole Dish: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch square casserole dish – it really sticks to the sides.
- Combine Sauce and Rice: In a large bowl, combine the uncooked rice, condensed soup from step 1, 1 tablespoon seasoning, and water. Pour into prepared dish.
- Add Chicken: Arrange chicken pieces over the top and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of seasoning.
- Bake: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake for an additional 30-45 minutes or until rice and chicken are cooked through and top is slightly browned. Allow to cool for 15 minutes; shred chicken into small pieces and stir to combine with the rice. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or shredded cheese.
Notes
A few commenters mentioned their rice not cooking all the way through, so you might want to just add a little extra liquid (about 1/2 cup) and keep the pan covered with foil for the entire baking time. Be aware that covering the dish helps it cook faster, while leaving it uncovered gets that nice browned texture on the chicken. I used a combination of both as mentioned.
Add water or milk as you reheat it to bring it bake to its original creaminess. Nutrition information is for 8 servings.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 90 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chicken and rice casserole, chicken casserole, rice casserole, casserole recipe
December 5, 2012
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
Your writing literally makes me laugh out loud. 🙂 This is a FAVORITE childhood winter meal – I should definitely make it sometime soon.
I love comforting casseroles like this one. Yea, they’re not the most healthy, but who cares? They’re delicious, and perfect when you want to feel warm, cozy, and loved. Can’t wait to try this one!
I can’t imagine Christmas someplace warm. I love the cold weather and snow too much!
Any casserole recipe where you don’t have to cook the chicken first is well worth the extra cooking time! (I’m incredibly lazy.)
This looks so yummy and comforting. Perfect for a cold winter’s day. I will be trying this soon!
Oh yum! I unfortunately do not remember this from childhood either but I WILL remember it from my adulthood 🙂 Totally making this next week.
I love casserole too! They just make life and cooking so easy!
That looks very very tasty, the older I get the more I become a fan of casserole dishes!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Only, should I be worried about putting raw chicken atop dry rice? It seems like the sort of thing Chef Ramsay would yell at you for, though I can’t say why, exactly.
How you manage to make even chicken and rice look like the Queen of Sheba is beyond me. You got skeelzs.
Thanks girl! 🙂
Well it’s July 22nd and hot as HECK here in FL, but I made this dish tonight! Added broccoli and cheese per the kids request and they LOVED it. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
This is what I wanted to do too! How much did u add?? I planned on just estimating lol
I’ve never heard of forgotten chicken… but this casserole looks amazing! I have a feeling my boyfriend would love it.
This looks like the perfect weeknight meal with leftovers! I am always looking for a dish I can make and eat in my lunch at work or on a busy night. I like that it doesn’t use any condensed soup! Delicious.
I love this. The humor. The recipe. All. Of. It. Nice work! Can’t wait to try it!! =)
Delicious, delicious, delicious!
My husband loves meals like this…and I do love chicken and rice casserole, especially using your homemade condensed soup from yesterday!
It’s 8:45 in the morning and I am already looking forward to making this for dinner tonight! As long as Target sells brown rice, I’m making this tonight!!!!!! EXCITED!!!!
Oh my gosh Lindsay… this seriously looks amazing! I’m already dreaming of eating it. I have no idea what forgotten chicken is, but I’m so glad you guys remembered it so that this would be created!!
I could use a comforting dish like this right now! Looks great!
I am totally throwing this in the crockpot!
How did it turn out in the crockpot? I made it once in the oven and loved it, but using a crockpot would definitely make my life a lot easier!
I actually have heard of Forgotten Chicken before, but I’ve never made it. Seems like a good recipe to have on hand for a busy mom like myself. I do not eat chicken, but my kids are huge fans of both chicken and rice, so this would be perfect for them.
Great chicken dish! I have to make this soon.
I made this last night… So yummy and comforting! As the snow falls, at least about 7 inches so far, it is nice to know we’ll be heating this up! It is actually looking quite like a “winter wonderland” !
Sarah
I heard there was lots of snow coming to MN! I miss it!! Hope you can get out and enjoy it a little bit (and then come in and warm up with something yummy)! By the way, guess what I found at a little store here in Cebu? B.T. Mcelrath Salty Dog Chocolate Bars!!!!!
Being a Midwestern girl, it’s required to love casseroles! Especially super easy ones like this…
I made this last week, as is, and it was great. So great, in fact, that my husband requested it again this week. I made it last night, but tweeked it to have a Mexican flair, and it was great again. Added some veggies and some different spices. I blogged about it over at my page(hope you don’t mind). http://beautifultastyfun.blogspot.com/2012/12/mexican-insipred-chicken-and-rice.html
Thanks for letting me know! Glad you liked it. I love the Mexican twist!
Loving the one dish dinners lately, thanks for this one!
Made this for my kids last night, halving the recipe. They ate the entire pan! I used a homemade seasoning blend and canned cream of chicken soup. All three said it was delicious. One added cheese, one added sour cream and one ate it plain. Guess it’s great anyway you choose! Thanks for the super quick and easy, one pan dinner Lindsay. I even mixed the soup and rice in the casserole dish, less to clean up!
Perfect! Glad you liked it!
Hi,
I made it the exact same way you describe (canned soup, mix in casserole dish)….and it tasted delicious, but not all of the rice cooked :(, so it was a bit….crunchy. I even made it again a few weeks later, but the same thing happened. I think the only thing i neglected in the recipe was rinsing the rice…..could that be it? Most of the rice ended up cooked but there was definitely some uncooked pieces in every bite.
Any suggestions? I’d love to make it again, with fully cooked rice 🙂
-Elizabeth
Yes, I would suggest adding more liquid, like another 1/2 cup of water or broth before you start baking it. It does take a really long time to bake, so maybe baking it a little longer to give the rice more time to cook would help. Did you cover it with foil while baking? I would suggest that, too. And I usually do rinse my rice although I’m not sure if that would have made the difference or not. Bottom line: more liquid! 🙂 Good luck!
Mine usually sticks to the bottom too – I think it’s an oven thing – so I stir mine halfway through making sure to scrape the bottom. There was definitely enough liquid. Great recipe! I love that the “cream of” recipe didn’t call for any butter (mine calls for a stick) so I will be using this for other casseroles to make them more healthy! Thank you!
This sounds RIDICULOUSLY delicious! It’s definitely a recipe I want to try soon. One question though. What other seasonings do you recommend for the casserole? I’m not used to using store bought seasonings… Maybe something with an Asian or creole flair? Or just something spicier?
Creole would be awesome. I used a Mexican-type spice mix like chili power, cumin, cayenne, chipotle… My vote is for some kind of spicy southwest blend but that’s because I love Mexican food! If you want to keep it really simple, just use onion and garlic powder with some salt, similar to an onion soup mix. Like this. http://angelaskitchen.com/2011/04/13/make-your-own-homemade-onion-soup-mix/
I have never heard of or had ‘Forgotten Chicken’ but your recipe sounds delicious! I like the idea of the casserole seasoning being the recipe you linked to for Homemade Onion Soup Mix. If I use this as the casserole seasoning would you suggest using the entire amount which equals one packet of dry onion soup mix? The Homemade Onion Soup Mix appears to make over 2 tablespoons of seasoning mix.