Let the ingredients cool completely before covering the baking dish tightly and refrigerating. This casserole can be prepared ahead of time and baked when needed. Bake the casserole for 30 minutes (20 minutes covered, 10 minutes uncovered) until heated through and crispy on top.Ĭan I make broccoli rice casserole ahead of time?.Combine crushed Ritz crackers with melted butter for the ultimate crunchy topping.shredded cheddar cheese Philadelphia savory garlic cooking creme. sleeve Ritz crackers (about 35), crushed (about 1 1/2 cups) boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crackers are golden. Spread the mixture evenly over top of the broccoli. In a small bowl crush the Ritz crackers and stir them with the melted butter. Pour the cheese mixture over top and stir to coat. Ground mustard and a touch of cayenne pepper add depth of flavor to the cheese sauce. (14 oz) frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained. To assemble, place the broccoli in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.Alternatively, if you are not a fan of spice, Monterey jack can be used instead. Pepperjack cheese adds a little bit of spice. Velveeta cheese gives the sauce a smooth and creamy consistency.Grating the onion helps it to melt into the other ingredients while still adding great onion flavor.Cook the rice according to package directions. Add your favorite white rice to this recipe.This dish is just baked long enough to heat through, so blanching ensures the broccoli is perfectly tender. Blanche the broccoli florets before adding to the casserole.What is your favourite holiday comfort food?įollow the Chicken Farmers of Canada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. To make broccoli rice casserole, stir in 1 cup of cooked rice to the broccoli mixture before baking. A double recipe will not fit in a 9×13-inch dish. If you want to double this recipe, bake it in two separate baking dishes. Try my Broccoli Swamp, Cabbage Roll Casserole or Santa Fe Chicken Tortellini Casserole.įor more holiday recipes, make sure to check out my Holiday Entertaining Guide. Store-bought breadcrumbs, Panko, or crushed Ritz crackers can also be used. You might also enjoy these Cranberry and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Bites, Keto Chicken Pizza Dip and Chicken & Stuffing Meatball Bites. Once you get the “framework” down, you can change them up as much as you like! I enjoy taking classic family recipes and adding twists to them. You literally cannot screw this recipe up! Stir in casserole ingredients as instructed until well-combined. For instance, you could add cauliflower with the broccoli, use a different kind of cheese, try another flavour of cream soup or even use dark meat chicken instead of chicken breast. Add the broccoli to the rice during the last 7 minutes of cooking and replace the lid.
It’s simple to add your own twists to the recipe. It also can be a side dish at your holiday dinner table. This is a great casserole to make when you have company and you want an easy meal to impress. I may have helped myself to a serving or two! I couldn’t wait to eat it so I took my photos right away. It’s best served hot which is why it comes out looking a bit messy on the plate. Bake mixture, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes, or whenever rice and chicken are done cooking (mine took about 40 minutes, yours may take longer depending on your oven). This dish is easy to make and so yummy to eat. Pour the ingredients into the greased casserole dish, spread into an even layer, then sprinkle Ritz crackers on top of the mixture. I also added cheddar cheese on top to give it an extra punch of flavour. It’s a blend of crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter and milk to create a buttery, crunchy crumble. Pour it over top of your broccoli/chicken mixture. The sauce is even more chicken – a savoury, creamy mixture of Cream of Chicken Soup, milk, egg and mayonnaise. You could use leftover chicken if you like! I baked a few chicken breasts to use in the recipe and then just chopped them into small cubes. The base of the recipe is broccoli florets, onions and cooked chicken. I’ll still serve it as a holiday side dish though. It’s still yummy comfort food perfect for the cold weather. Now it’s more of a main dish than a side dish, but that’s ok. I decided to take it up a notch and add some chicken making it a Chicken & Broccoli Casserole. Every holiday dinner for as long as I can remember has included my Mom’s broccoli casserole. I had a chicken recipe in mind for the holidays – a twist on my mom’s classic recipe.