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Glass Pyrex dish containing a hearty Chicken and Rice Casserole topped with parsley, serving spoon in casserole.
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5 from 10 votes

Brenda Rowland’s Chicken and Rice Casserole

This hearty chicken and rice casserole is the most savory dish around! With just a few classic ingredients, this casserole will take you only minutes to combine and its ready to pop in the oven. Topped with a buttery and mouthwatering crust, this one is perfect for any get together or potluck!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 250kcal
Author: Amanda Mason

Ingredients

  • 4 Chicken Breasts (See the quick substitute in the Recipe Notes section)
  • ½ onion, quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 can water chesnuts, sliced
  • 2 bags "Boil in a Bag" Rice (White or Brown Rice - Your Choice)
  • 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 1 can Chicken Broth
  • 1 teaspoon sage, ground
  • cup Cheese Whiz (Buy a 15 ounce jar and only use ⅓ cup in the recipe)
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespon butter
  • 2 Sleeves Ritz Crackers, crumbled

Instructions

  • Cook the raw chicken breasts in a pot of boiling water until cooked all the way through. When cooking the chicken, you want to make sure you include the fresh quartered onions, garlic, salt and pepper. That will help season the chicken while it cooks.
  • While the chicken is cooking, bring a separate pot of water to a boil and cook the "Boil in Bag" rice according to box directions. When rice is done cooking, drain and set aside.
  • Once the chicken is done cooking, drain the water and let the chicken cool. Throw away the onion and garlic that was cooked in the chicken.
  • When the chicken has cooled, shred the chicken by hand and place in a large mixing bowl.
  • Combine all ingredients in the recipe, excluding the finely chopped onion, Ritz Crackers and butter, into the big bowl of chicken and stir together. 
  • Place chicken and rice mixture in a 9x13 pyrex dish.
  • Bake on 350 for an hour, covered with aluminum foil.
  • When the casserole is done remove from the oven and set aside. Take the finely chopped onion and sauté in butter in a small saucepan.
  • While the onions are sautéing, crumble up the up Ritz Crackers by hand and place in a separate bowl.
  • Once the onions and butter are sautéed, pour the onion and butter mixture into the bowl containing the Ritz Crackers and mix well. 
  • Remove the aluminum foil on the casserole and pour the cracker mixture on top of the casserole and broil in the oven on high until crackers are lightly toasted.
  • Let casserole cool for 15 minutes and then serve. 

Notes

NOTE: If you want to make it SUPER easy on yourself, skip boiling the chicken and buy an already cooked Rotisserie Chicken! Just pull it off the bone and you're ready to mix it with all the other ingredients! Easy Peasy!

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal