I admit I have not, though the idea of it intrigued me recently. The dish sort of reminds me of my mother’s arroz con pollo, but with mushrooms and without tomatoes. With this recipe, I set out to make a scratch cooking version of chicken and rice casserole, sans the cans, with the goal of extracting as much flavor as I could out of the ingredients.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole
First, note that we use chicken thighs, instead of the more popular (and more expensive) breasts. The thighs have more flavor and are a little fattier, so they won’t dry out with long cooking. The chicken pieces are browned in olive oil, removed, and then the onions are cooked in the same pan with the browned chicken bits. Then the mushrooms are browned, and the whole pan is deglazed with dry sherry. All goes into a casserole dish with stock, cream, sour cream, herbs, and rice. It’s then topped with the chicken and baked in the oven. The rice cooks in the stock, the chicken finishes cooking, and the resulting chicken and rice bake is, as my 10-year-old nephew says, “Really good!”
What Kind of Rice to Use
For this chicken and rice casserole, I like to use medium or long grain white rice. The recipe assumes the rice requires approximately 1 1/2 cups of liquid per cup of rice to cook. Some rice varieties, such as brown rice, require more liquid (and a longer cooking time). Adjust recipe accordingly.
Can I Make This on the Stovetop?
Sure! You can make this entire dish on the stovetop instead of the oven if you want. Just use a large sauté pan with a tight cover, and cook on low heat when all is assembled. Cook it at a low enough heat to keep a bare simmer, but not so high that you burn the rice.
Can I Make This Casserole Ahead of Time?
You can make part of the casserole ahead of time, and then assemble and bake before serving. Just follow the steps to brown the chicken, cook the onions, garlic, and mushrooms and move them to the casserole dish. Once you deglaze the pan with sherry, let it reduce and transfer it and any scraped up drippings to the casserole dish as well. Refrigerate until you are ready to cook, then start with mixing the chicken stock with cream and sour cream, before assembling the casserole and baking it.
More Comforting Casseroles to Try
Turkey Tetrazzini Tuna Casserole Biscuits and Gravy Casserole Beef Noodle Casserole Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake
Put one cup of rice in each casserole dish.Brown the chicken as in Step 2 and divide it between the two dishes.Sauté the onions and garlic as in Step 3 and divide them between the two dishes.Sauté the mushrooms as in Step 4 and divide them between the two dishes.Make the sauce as in Step 5 and divide it between the two pans. If you’re concerned about not dividing it evenly, make the sauce in two separate batches.Cook as directed in Step 7.
If you’re making one to eat and one to freeze, we recommend cooking both of the casseroles, and freezing the second casserole after it has cooled completely.
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
You can make this in and Instant Pot! Give it a try using our recipe.
Can I Make This in a Slow Cooker?
Yes! We have a slow cooker version of this recipe, too.
5 Vegetable Sides for Chicken and Rice Casserole
Roasted Broccoli With Parmesan Green Beans With Bacon Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Shallots Roasted Baby Carrots Caesar Salad
If you are avoiding cooking with alcohol, skip the sherry and deglaze the pan with a 1/4 cup extra of chicken stock. Depending on how salted your stock is, you may need to more generously salt this dish. You can always salt to taste at the table. Stovetop Method: To cook the casserole on the stovetop, use a large sauté pan with a tight cover, cook on low when all is assembled. Cook it low enough to keep a simmer, but not so high that you burn the rice. If you don’t have both Italian seasoning and poultry season, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of one of these herb mixes, or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and basil. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Add a little more olive oil if needed with every batch. Remove chicken pieces and set aside in a bowl. The chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned. Add the garlic; cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to a shallow 9x13-inch casserole dish. (At this point, if you are making ahead, reduce the sherry to 1 tablespoon and pour off into the casserole dish. Refrigerate cooked onions, garlic, mushrooms, and browned chicken pieces until you are ready to make the casserole.) Let the sherry reduce to about 1 tablespoon, then add the chicken stock, and remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the cream, and the sour cream. Add the Italian and poultry seasonings (or fresh herbs) and paprika to the dish. Stir the rice, onion, mushroom, and herb mixture so that they are evenly distributed in the casserole dish. Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture (in a single layer if you can, they will be crowded). If the casserole still has too much liquid, let it cook a few minutes more, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated away.
