Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli

December 1, 2014  •  Easy Entrees, One Dish Meals

creamy chicken casserole-1I always make more food than I need for a meal. Partly because I’m used to feeding a full family and might never get used to cooking in smaller quantities, but also partly because it’s so easy to make some great dishes out of simple leftovers. In this case I had roasted a couple of chickens, and had some leftover cooked brown rice and a head of broccoli in the refrigerator that needed to be used.creamy chicken casserole 1-1This simple casserole was perfect comfort food when winter decided to make a rude early appearance in Denver last week – the temperature dropped nearly 50 degrees in just an hour or two as the Arctic blast hit us. Winter is never over fast enough for me and I hate to think that I’m already counting the days until spring – stay warm my friends!

Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cooked boneless chicken breasts, cubed or shredded
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 4 cups milk (any % milk fat will work)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups garlic croutons, crushed
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and sauté the onion until slightly softened. Combine the onion with the chicken, rice,and broccoli in a large bowl and gently toss until combined.
  2. Heat the butter and flour over medium high heat in a stockpot , whisking together for a few minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time and bring to a boil to fully thicken. Stir in the cheese until melted, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the casserole ingredients and stir gently until everything is coated.
  3. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and then pour the mixture into the dish. Top with the crushed croutons and bake at 375 degrees until bubbly, about 45 minutes.

 

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