Cheesy Chicken and Rice is our go-to weeknight dinner, something the entire family loves! This one pot casserole is filled with chicken breast, rice, broccoli, cauliflower, and velveeta. It’s so creamy, cheesy, and easy. Even the kids will love it!
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Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole with Velveeta
This cheesy chicken and rice recipe is loaded with Velveeta cheese, broccoli, cauliflower, and an array of spices that really turn up the flavor on a tried and true classic casserole dish!
This beauty is made in just one skillet to ease any cooking chaos, and lets you get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
It doesn’t get much better than a good comfort food dish with that many perks. So, don’t miss out on a dinner you’ll love, and try this recipe now!
Why You’ll Love this One Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe:
- Cheesy: This is one creamy, cheesy dinner. No one can resist it!
- One Pot: Make a whole casserole filled with chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, rice, and cheese in one skillet. And in less than 30 minutes!
- Family Favorite: Even the kids will love this one! The veggies are covered in cheese, so no convincing will be necessary.
Chicken and rice with broccoli is a classic casserole favorite, but now let’s take it to the next level. Add alll that melty cheese and it’s a hit!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken: Use chicken breast. You could also mix in rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked and shredded chicken.
- Rice: Instant rice works great in this recipe, and cooks up just as fast as the rest of the meal. I used white rice, but you could use brown rice too.
- Veggies: Broccoli and cauliflower florets add some extra nutrients. Feel free to mix in other vegetables if you prefer.
- Velveeta: Velveeta melts quick and easy into this one pot casserole, and adds to the smooth, creamy texture.
- Salted Butter
- Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: This adds all that creaminess to the casserole.
- Chicken broth: Use a low-sodium option if you like.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, paprika.
How To Make Cheesy Chicken and Rice (One Pan)
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Prep chicken breasts, then melt butter in a skillet. Cook chicken just until browned, then put aside in a foil-tented plate (to keep it warm).
- Pour soup, broth, and seasonings into the skillet, then add the rice, veggies, and velveeta.
- Stir until the cheese melts, then add the chicken back into the skillet, and heat until fully cooked.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Skinless, boneless chicken breast works best for this recipe.
Velveeta melts much more easily than other cheese options, which is what makes it so great for this quick recipe. If you use another cheese, just be aware that it could affect the cook time and final texture.
Yes, this casserole freezes quite well. Let it cool, then place it in freezer-safe containers. Freeze up to 3 months.
This cheesy chicken and rice casserole is sure to be a family favorite. The broccoli and cauliflower are covered by perfectly-melted Velveeta, so the kids won’t complain, I promise!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Make sure the skillet is big enough. Be sure your skillet is at least 12 inches. We’re going to be making the whole recipe in this one dish so any smaller and you’ll have overflow. If you only have smaller skillets, cook half the recipe in each skillet, or try using a dutch oven.
- Prep ingredients before you start. To make the process go smoothly, I like to make sure all of my ingredients are prepped before I start doing any cooking on the stove. So make sure your chicken and veggies are all ready to go before you start adding anything to the skillet.
- Keep a close eye. Since this recipe comes together so quickly, be sure not to leave the pan unattended for too long. Keep a close eye on the skillet to make sure nothing is cooking faster than expected.
How do you butterfly chicken breast?
Simply cut into the side of each chicken breast, and cut lengthwise. In this case you’ll cut all the way through, to create 4 thin cutlets. That means enough pieces for the whole family, but it also means the chicken will cook through faster.
There’s nothing better than a recipe that doesn’t involve a million dishes to clean and is one of the reasons why I LOVE this recipe. It’s full of flavor, easy to make, and even easier to clean up. Everyone will love this cheesy chicken and rice casserole, so make it tonight and enjoy!
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise (butterflied)
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 10 ounces (1 can) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 3/4 cups uncooked instant white rice
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 4 ounces velveeta cheese
Instructions
- Season the chicken liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt and pepper
- Add butter to a large (12 inch) skillet over medium high heat. Once melted, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until fully browned and nearly cooked through.2 tablespoons salted butter
- Remove the chicken and place on a foil tented plate to keep warm.
- Add the soup, chicken broth, paprika, and pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine.10 ounces (1 can) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Stir in the rice, broccoli, and cauliflower. Add the velveeta cheese, stirring to melt.1 3/4 cups uncooked instant white rice, 1 cup broccoli florets, 1 cup cauliflower florets, 4 ounces velveeta cheese
- Once Velveeta is melted, return the chicken to the skillet and nestle in the rice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until internal temp on the chicken reaches 165F.
- Serve and enjoy!
Deborah J. Sweeney says
Made this last night and the four of us ate almost an entire double batch. I love that your recipes are so quick and easy but taste like someone slaved away for hours. This one does cook quick so it is important to have all the ingredients prepped and near the stove when you start, as you stated. Thank you so much! I just found you and you’re instantly my favorite cooking blogger!
Becky Hardin says
YAY! Best type of comment ever. Thanks so much for letting me know it was a success 🙂
Cindy says
Great weekday dinner. Quick & easy. It got from hubby and kids.
Becky Hardin says
Thank you, Cindy!
Taylor Price says
Not only was this super easy to make, it is probably one of the best things I’ve made in a while. I was worried it would be plain because the seasonings list is short but it is amazing.
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Taylor!
Maggie Olson says
I ended up basically doubling the liquid to keep the instant rice from sticking to the pan. Just not good.
Becky Hardin says
I am sorry it didn’t work for you, Maggie!
Marie says
Question!! If I use regular rice, is there a different liquid variation I should use?? I’m sure there is lol I just don’t know what that is. PS… I’m making it now and just realized it said “instant” whoops lol
Becky Hardin says
Oh no! Hopefully it all worked out!
Becky Hardin says
Oh no! Hopefully, it all worked out!
Allison says
I made this recipe and it was very good. I let the liquid reduce so it was a little dry but I’ve learned my lesson. I loved the tongs you used in the video of this recipe. Do you know where you got them or the brand? If you have an affiliate link, I’ll purchase it that way.
Becky Hardin says
It’s been so long since I bought them, I’m not sure. They’re called pastry tongs. A quick google search led me to some similar ones by Winco. Hope this helps!
Allison says
How kind of you to search the web for them and also to respond. I’ll look up the Winco ones. Thanks again.