Description

This Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup is a comfort food classic, featuring tender chicken, hearty rice, and savory mushrooms in a creamy sauce. Perfect for a quick dinner that the whole family will love!

Ingredients

Scale

¼ cup salted butter
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
3 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
3 cups cooked rice (white rice, brown rice, or wild rice all work well)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (use Heart Healthy variety for less sodium)
½ cup milk (or substitute with chicken broth or water)
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (or 1 teaspoon dried chives)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed (about 31 crackers total)
1 (2.8 ounce) can French fried onions
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and celery; sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl.
In the same bowl with the sautéed vegetables, combine the chicken, rice, cream of mushroom soup, milk, sour cream, chives, parsley, and thyme. Mix gently until everything is well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish evenly.
For the topping, combine the crushed crackers and French fried onions in a medium bowl. Pour in the melted butter and toss to mix. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole.
Cover the dish with foil and bake until the filling is hot and bubbly, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the topping is lightly toasted. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Notes

You can use leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken for convenience.
Feel free to substitute the vegetables based on your preference or what you have available.
This casserole can be assembled a day in advance and baked when ready to serve.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 464
Sugar: 3g
Sodium: 795mg
Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Unsaturated Fat: 8g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 39g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 23g
Cholesterol: 99mg