Description
Loaded Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake delivers pure comfort straight from your kitchen, packed with creamy goodness and hearty flavor that makes dinner feel like a warm hug. Grab your favorite casserole dish and prepare for a crowd-pleasing meal that brings smiles around the table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- ½ cup cooked bacon bits
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 375°F and coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Slice 2 lbs of chicken breasts into uniform 1-inch cubes for even cooking.
- Whisk together 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper in a large mixing bowl.
- Fold 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice into the liquid mixture until every grain gets thoroughly coated.
- Transfer the rice and sauce blend into your prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.
- Carefully arrange chicken cubes across the rice in a single, neat layer.
- Shield the dish completely with aluminum foil to trap moisture during baking.
- Slide the covered dish into the 375°F oven and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and generously scatter 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese over the top.
- Return uncovered dish to the oven for an additional 15 minutes at 375°F.
- Verify chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F using a meat thermometer.
- Sprinkle ½ cup bacon bits and ½ cup chopped green onions across the cheesy surface.
- Allow the casserole to rest 5-10 minutes so the sauce can thicken before serving.
Notes
- Chicken sizes can vary, so use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness without overcooking and drying out the meat.
- Substitute white rice with brown rice for added nutrition, but increase liquid and baking time by about 15-20 minutes.
- For a lighter version, swap full-fat cream of chicken soup and sour cream with low-fat alternatives and use reduced-fat cheese.
- Prep ingredients ahead of time to make assembly quick and streamline weeknight dinner preparation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 570 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 50 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg