There are few things cozier than the Classic Cozy Casserole… except enjoying a big bowl of Classic Cozy Casserole by a roaring fire with your favorite blanket wrapped around you! Creamy, fluffy, poultry-flavored rice, tender broccoli, and lots of butter-sautéed, pan-seared chicken (or for a quicker route, wonderfully juicy rotisserie chicken), this dish has everything you would want in a great home-cooked comfort food. The buttery cracker crust on top? Well, that’s just a lovely homespun bonus. Help yourself to some welcome comfort and rest a spell!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, can substitute 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons, melted
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups white long grain rice
- 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- 1 cup buttery round crackers, crushed
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Step 3 –Season the chicken breasts with the Italian seasoning, the salt, and the pepper.
Step 4 –In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the room temperature butter.
Step 5 –Add the chicken breast pieces to the butter and cook until golden-brown on all sides, and the meat is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 5 minutes. If using rotisserie chicken, you can skip this step.
Step 6 –Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Step 7 –To the same pot, add the chicken broth, the olive oil, and the rice and stir to combine.
Step 8 –Bring the rice mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Step 9 –Cover the pot tightly and simmer the rice mixture for 6 minutes.
Step 10 –Add the broccoli to the pot and replace the cover. Do not stir the mixture.
Step 11 –Let the rice mixture simmer until the rice is cooked through and all of the liquid is absorbed, about 9 minutes.
Step 12 –Turn off the heat but do not move the pot or the cover.
Step 13 –Let the rice stand for 10 minutes; do not stir. Any rice on the bottom of the pot will loosen.
Step 14 –Add the cooked chicken, the cream of chicken soup, the milk, the sour cream, 1/2 of the cheddar cheese, the dried thyme, and the garlic powder.
Step 15 –Add the chicken and rice mixture to the prepared casserole dish.
Step 16 –Top the chicken mixture with the remaining cheese.
Step 17 –Cover the casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes.
Step 18 –In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the melted butter with the cracker crumbs.
Step 19 –Top the casserole with the crumbled cracker topping and bake, uncovered, until golden-brown, about 10 minutes.
Step 20 –Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes.
Step 21 –Serve.
