Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole with brown rice, broccoli and no canned soup makes one easy baked healthy chicken casserole from scratch.

Healthy Chicken Casserole

Who doesn’t love a combo of chicken and rice, right?! This healthy chicken and rice casserole is one of my older healthy casseroles I gave a makeover. Originally I used a skillet to pre-cook chicken, a pot to cook rice and then a baking dish to bake casserole in.

Whoa-whoa-whoa, it’s 2019! We can do so much better and prepare chicken broccoli and rice casserole without canned soup, and in just ONE POT. One pot, my friends. One Lodge dutch oven pot, I love it!

Isn’t it a beauty?! Not mushy and yet moist, with moderate amount of animal products and with 1.5 lbs of broccoli. This healthy chicken chicken casserole will become a staple in your house.

You and yours will love it! So easy to make as well. So, “good-bye” Betty and “hello” Olena. Let’s do it!

P.S. Check out all of my one pot meals and sheet pan dinners if you are always in a hurry like me. Also if you are a fan of chicken and rice and have an Instant Pot, try my Instant Pot chicken and rice.

How to Make Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Preheat large dutch oven on medium-high heat and swirl oil to coat.
2. Add chicken, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add rice and stock, stir and bring to a boil. Lay broccoli on top and do not stir, cover and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, add yogurt and green onion, stir. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake until cheese has melted. Serve hot.

Tips and Substitutions

• I like to use brown jasmine or basmati rice because grains stay separated once cooked. But long grain brown rice is just as good taste wise. Short grain rice will yield in more mushy casserole but still delicious. Ukrainian in me would use what I have on hand.
• I have not tested this casserole recipe with wild rice or white rice. My gut tells me, it won’t work.
• Dutch oven cooks food evenly in a cast iron pot. You need it to make this recipe and many others, trust me!
• I used organic low sodium bouillon cubes to make vegetable stock. You can use from a carton as well, I just like the convenience.
• Plain or Greek yogurt with 2% and higher fat content is the best. Skim yogurt lacks flavor and will not make casserole as creamy.
• You can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs. Chicken breasts are more dry than thighs. Use what you have or like.
• Broccoli comes out not mushy but rather soft. You can blanch broccoli separately and add before stirring with yogurt. If you are very specific about your broccoli.:)
• Cannot make this in slow cooker. For pressure cooker version, see my Instant Pot chicken and rice.

How to Store and Reheat

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave or in the oven at 375 F for 15 minutes with a splash of water.

To freeze, fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in a fridge overnight. Reheat like above mentioned. Rice and chicken freeze well.:)

After reheating you might add a bit more yogurt to bring back creaminess. Sprinkle fresh herbs as they always add another layer of flavor.

More Healthy Casserole Recipes to Try

• Healthy chicken broccoli casserole with pasta and no canned soup!
• Ground turkey quinoa casserole so good and simple.
• Turkey pasta bake with kale but no one will complain!
• Skillet enchiladas in one pot in 30 mins.

Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 10 reviews

Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe with brown rice, broccoli and no canned soup makes one easy baked healthy chicken casserole from scratch.

• Author: Olena of ifoodreal.com
• Prep Time: 7 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 57 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Casserole
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Ukrainian American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw boneless & skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups brown rice, rinsed & drained
• 4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
• 8 cups (1.5 lbs) broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup plain yogurt, fat 2+%
• 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup marble or any hard cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Preheat large dutch oven on medium-high heat and swirl oil to coat.
2. Add raw chicken, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add rice and stock, stir and bring to a boil. Lay broccoli on top and do not stir, cover and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, add yogurt and green onion, stir. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake until cheese has melted. Serve hot.

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in a fridge overnight. Reheat in a microwave or in the oven at 375 F for 10 minutes.

Notes

• I like to use brown jasmine or basmati rice because grains stay separated once cooked. But long grain brown rice is just as good taste wise. Short grain rice will yield in more mushy casserole but still delicious. Ukrainian in me would use what I have on hand.
• I have not tested this casserole recipe with wild rice or white rice. My gut tells me, it won’t work.
• Dutch oven cooks food evenly in a cast iron pot. You need it to make this recipe and many others, trust me!
• I used organic low sodium bouillon cubes to make vegetable stock. You can use from a carton as well, I just like the convenience.
• Plain or Greek yogurt with 2% and higher fat content is the best. Skim yogurt lacks flavor and will not make casserole as creamy.
• You can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs. Chicken breasts are more dry than thighs. Use what you have or like.
• Broccoli comes out not mushy but rather soft. You can blanch broccoli separately and add before stirring with yogurt. If you are very specific about your broccoli.:)
• Cannot make this in slow cooker. For pressure cooker version, see my Instant Pot chicken and rice.

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

3953.4 g453.2 mg13.3 g44 g25.3 g60 mg

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