Old School Chicken and Rice Casserole – seriously THE BEST!!! Everyone cleaned their plate and went back for seconds – even our picky eaters!!! Chicken, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of celery, onion powder, garlic powder, water, milk, instant rice and parmesan cheese. This has quickly become a family favorite! We make it at least once a month. SO good!!
Remember this recipe.
Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!
Pin This RecipeThis Old School Chicken and Rice Casserole is seriously delicious! We absolutely LOVED this casserole. We ate it for lunch and leftover for a couple of days afterward. SO good! This casserole is super easy to make. It was ready to go in the oven in minutes. This makes a TON. Next time I might split it between two pans and freeze one for later.
I used a whole rotisserie chicken in this casserole. If you don’t have a rotisserie chicken, you will need about 4 cups of cooked chicken for the casserole. This recipe uses three cans of Cream of Whatever soup. I always buy the 98% fat-free or Healthy Choice to cut down on fat and sodium. Our favorite part of the casserole was all the yummy parmesan cheese on top! YUM! This was a huge hit in our house. Chicken Legs has already requested this again for dinner. I can’t wait!
Old School Chicken and Rice Casserole
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 rotisserie chicken (4 cups cooked chopped chicken)
- 1 (10.5-oz) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10.5-oz) can cream of celery soup
- 1 (10.5-oz) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups instant rice, uncooked
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, fresh or green can
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Remove skin from rotisserie chicken and discard. Remove chicken meat from bones and chop.
- In a large bowl, combine, chopped chicken, cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, cream of mushroom soup, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, water, milk and instant rice. Pour into prepared pan. Top with grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes.
Notes:
Steph
Remember this recipe.
Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!
Pin This Recipe
I boiled and chopped two large chicken breasts. Used 2 cans of cream of chicken and 1 can of cream of mushroom because a can of cream of celery has never even made it into my house. Added broccoli and chives and used cream instead of milk just because I had some cream I needed to use. It was good but I reheated leftovers for lunch the next day and added some shredded cheddar cheese and it was excellent.
I have some Jazmine bag rice do you think that would work? Really trying to dump mix & go lol!
No. This recipe is formulated for instant rice.
I didn’t have minute rice so I cooked once cup of rice like I typically do, which becomes 2 cups cooked…. Then I used Pacific Foods organic cream of chicken and cream of cauliflower and 1.5 cups of organic skim milk (since I typically use whole milk I figured skim would be equal to the water and milk combo). I decreased by half a cup due to my already cooked rice as well as just two cans of soup. Everything else was the same.
It is a KEEPER!!! Best ever and with my family with finicky eaters it was an absolute hit! Left overs were even better.
Made again with 4 – 12.5 cans of chicken breast and boom! Dinner in no time. Love the cooked rice addition so will continue that way.
Thanks for the recipe and I hope my tweak helps those without minute rice. 😋
Bravo!!! I made this last night for my family and there were not too many words spoken because they were all busy eating. My husband said it was the best chicken and rice he has had and appreciated all of the flavors the dish has. So many chicken and rice dishes can be bland and this is definitely not one of those!! I also loved the fact that I was able to put this together when I got home from work and that it was a quick meal. I baked it in two 8X8 dishes so we can freeze one and have it later this month!
What do you do if you can only find cream of cans in 10.5 ounce and not the 10.75 ounce listed on the recipe?
use it – they changed the size of the can recently – it is no big deal
I would like to try but I’m picky and so are my kids. Could I make it with 3 cans of the cream of chicken? Don’t like mushrooms or celery much. Would that change it too much?
You can use any flavor of condensed cream of soup that you prefer.
Made this several times for my daughter and grandchildren
They loved it
Everyone always has seconds
and daughter takes a bowl of it to work for
lunch the next day
We love this recipe in my house! We used brown instant rice and I through a bag of broccoli in the mix and half a bag of peas, also added breadcrumbs to the top and a bit more seasonings to taste! Delicious! We have made it exactly the way its written as well and that too is delicious!
And SO SO EASY. That’s my favorite part! Thank you!
Add a can of Rotel tomatoes and chilies. It gives it a bit of a bite. Love this recipe this way.
For those wondering about substituting the instant rice with regular rice, I made this last night using 2 cups of uncooked Carolina jasmine rice and it worked out beautifully. No other substitutions or adjustments, except for breadcrumbs sprinkled on top.
I used leftover turkey and add peas. Was amazing. Will definitely make again.
This is so delicious, picked up rotisserie chicken on the way home from church and had a yummy no fuss lunch! Love your recipes, thanks for sharing them!
SO glad you enjoyed it!
What I love most about this recipe, is that it’s basic. Being basic allows people to build on it, how they like. Some nights when I’m especially lazy, we have this as written and other nights I add or change ingredients. Family loves it however I make and are always throwing out suggestions for next time. Thank you for a great simple meal that can easily be dressed up.
SO glad you enjoyed it! We keep all of the recipes pretty basic just for this reason. I like to let people add what they enjoy to each recipe.
Can you freeze it before cooking? Looking for some easy meals to get started for school.
Brooke,
I cooked, cooled and then froze. Zapped in microwave, then added cheese on top and broiled till melted (2-3 min). Yum!!
Can you cook this in a crockpot? If so how long?
I’ve never made this in the slow cooker so I am not sure what the cooking time would be.
Making this tonight. Started before I read the recipe! Lol I had 3 boiled cooked chicken breasts and I made the instant rice in a large skillet. Chopped the breasts while the rice cooked. Added 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 cup milk and 1/2 # of velvets cheese., few pats of butter and 1/2 cup of water. I just put it in the oven for 30 minutes.
So good! Used brown rice (precooked), no water, and added peas. Big hit with the fam.
I made your version of chicken & rice it is in the oven as I’m writing this. It is spring in NE pA & my chives are up so I’m going to top the dish with chives. I’m using raw chicken thighs. It looks like a very good recipe
Made as written and it was fantastic, which is saying something because I am a very fussy eater, worse than a two-year-old. 🙂
Now that I have tried it as above I might make a few adjustments, I will probably add chicken broth instead of water, skip the celery soup as I am not a big fan, though it does go well with this dish, and add some salt and pepper.
I am not sure why people change recipes then complain they didn’t care for it, how can they tell if they don’t try the original dish first?
I make a similar dish using whole prices of chicken but I think I would like this better and the addition of a packet of dry onion soup mix
I was going to come on here to say I added a packet of onion soup mix and it was really delicious!
How saucy does this turn out after baking? We do like stuff like this extra creamy. Was thinking of adding 1/2 cup more milk or chicken stock. Has anyone tried this? Thanks!
Could I double this and bake it in a large roasting/lasagna pan or will my rice get mushy?
Could the rice be substituted with cauliflower rice?
Absolutely delicious!
I made this tonight and it was heaven in my mouth! I didn’t have onion powder so I used onion flakes and I added a can of mushrooms. (I’m a mushroom lover 10xs over) Thanks for posting! Everyone cleaned their plates and almost licked them clean!
I made this and put it in the fridge to bake tonight. Just realized I forgot to spray the glass pan with Pam! Will it be okay?
Made this today and it’s soooo good! And easy!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Well I made it with homestyle noodles and added frozen peas is wonderful
InstAnt rice is basically ric3 that has been cooked and then dehydrated. So using long cooking rice, I would partially cook and then add less water and milk. That is what I will be doing tonight. I’ll let everyone know how it turns out. I did notice tiny green flecks in the photo of the finished casserole. Was that from the seasoning found on a rotisserie chicken, or did you sprinkle in a little dried parsley?
dried parsley just for a bit of color
Great recipe! I added Frozen green beans and Ritz crackers on top! Delicious! It’s a keeper!
How would I reheat this in the oven?
Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF until warm, about 30 to 40 minutes.
I can’t find cream of celery anywhere! What can I substitute?
Any cream of soup will work fine.
I’m sorry, I’m not much of a cook and I know this is going to sound stupid but what exactly is instant rice? I just don’t understand, is it a boxed rice? Does it say instant on it? How do you know it’s instant?
It says instant rice on the box. Look for Minute Rice brand.
Can I use the boil in bag success rice? I’ll measure out of the bags? Thank you!
Boil in the bag rice is not the same as uncooked long grain rice. I can not say if it will work in this casserole.
I have made this recipe a few times and we love it! The problem is I'm trying to use less cream of soup as it's not the healthiest. Any suggestions?
This is an EXCELLENT recipe and it Taste even better! We LOVED it and hubbie is asking me to make it again! *puts all those soups on my grocery list*… thank you for this recipe! It's a keeper.
Does it require "instant" rice or can I use regular jasmine rice?
This recipe is specifically for instant rice. It will need to be reworked for regular rice. The liquid content and baking time won’t be the same.
what can I use instead of Cream of Mushroom. Family doesn't like that.
Whatever cream of soup you prefer
I made this yesterday and it was delicious!! Super quick and easy. Will definitely be making again!!
Going to the store today after work and picking up the ingredients. Having this for dinner, and brussel sprouts on the grill..sounds yummy! Thanks for the recipe…
This was delicious!
Do I have to use rotissierre chicken?
No. Any equivalent amount of cooked chicken will work
What's the best way to scale this back for 2-4 servings without leaving half cans of soup leftover?
I’m not sure there is a way to do it without having leftover cans.
How many does this typically serve?
servings are listed above all recipes to the left of the print button – this one serves 6 to 8
I only have 2 cans of soup & can’t get to the store. Is there something else I can use to substitute that 1 can? Thank you!
I’ve made this before and it’s excellent! My husband & son do not like casseroles but they both love this!
Maybe some sour cream or cream cheese & milk mixed together.
Wondering if I would be able to put this all together the night before or the morning of, so we just have to put it in the oven when we get home from work?
I haven’t made this and refrigerated it unbaked. I’m not sure how the rice would do soaking all day. ??? You can certainly give it a try. You could also prep everything but the rice and refrigerate it and stir in the rice when you get home and bake.
My husband just asked me why this is the first time I have made this. He said why did we have to wait so long ? I substituted brown jnstand rice and it was super tasty.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
This is a new staple in our house. At lease twice a month.
I have this in the oven as we speake and followed recipe to the tee. Serving with a side of roasted asparagus/zucchini. It smells great. Will report back after my food critics eat. Thank you!
All soups were fat free, and I used cooked rice because we don't like the taste of instant rice, and just did 1/2 of milk and 1/2 of water. AMAZING!!!!!
I used all healthy request soups , brown minute rice and stove top stuffing on top! EXCELLENT!!!!
This turned out perfectly! Followed it perfectly as you suggested (used full fat on everything :-)) and it was a hit -creamy, flavorful goodness! Love your recipes! Keep them coming! Best!
Whelp. I just realized I thought it said COOKED rice after I put it in the oven. I'm probably gonna have a watery mess, boo. Oh well I bet it will still taste good! Ill update!
I always use Frosted Flakes instead of the parm. It gives it a sweet and crunchy taste to it. I add it after 30 mins then cook it for another 10. My family LOVES it.
What an interesting idea! I LOVE it! Going to try Frosted Flakes next time. Thanks for sharing!!!
I always top it with Frosted Flakes. It gives it a little sweet crunchy taste. I add it on top after 30 mins then cook it for another 10. My family LOVES it
This was fantastic!! I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious — especially the crusty parm topping!
Made this today. It was incredible! I used two bags of Success rice and 1/2 & 1/2 instead of milk, cuz that's what I had. I added a can of mushrooms and a small jar of pimento. Oh, and I used a large,(very large) can of canned chicken. A perfect whipped together meal in a hurry that made the house smell fabulous!
Can I do this in a crockpot?
I'm sure you can. I've never tried it in the slow Cooker so I don't know how long it would need to cook.
Can I do this in a crockpot?
Can I use raw chicken tenderloins, regular rice and put it all in the oven to bake? Or would that not taste or cook the same?
I have only made this casserole as written above.
Can you use long grain rice instead of instant rice?
Not in this recipe.
I have used long grain rice and cooked it prior then just mixed everything and it was sooo good!!
I’m trying it with regular, long grain rice, and chicken breast, I will post how it turns out, it’s just guessing on the water and milk, I plan to make the rice al- dente.
Can i use brown instant rice?
I did. Uncle Ben’s instant brown rice. It cooked up just fine for me.
Making Tonight only have brown instant rice. Anyone used this before? Does it work out ok?
You may need to adjust the liquid content and the cooking time will be different also. Brown rice is not an equal substitute to white rice.
How much is 4 cups in weight? Want to know how much chicken is needed.
Thank you.
about 24 ounces
Will this work with uncooked chicken breasts instead of the rotisserie chicken?
I have not made this with raw chicken
Yes but you’ll need to double your cooking time.
Is there a way to make and freeze before cooking or would I need to bake and then warm later?
I'm not crazy about Cream of Celery soup, but Cream of Onion is wonderful. Some frozen veggies and maybe some French Fried Onion Rings on top wouldn't hurt either. Sounds like a keeper :o)
This recipe makes way to much for one person. Can you freeze the left overs?
absolutely! Enjoy!
I put in two containers, cook one and freeze other {Uncooked] then when I want to cook it, thaw in fridge over night and cook for next meal
OMG, this is the best. I tried it today and I added peas & carrots a little sour cream. This will definitely be a go to. Will be taking to church Saturday for Father's Day potluck.
OMG, I tried this today and it is the best. I add peas & carrots and a little sour cream. Out of this world. Thank you for sharing this. It will definitely be a go to meal.
I did too. A can of sweet peas and a can of diced carrots. Yummy
I have made this many times and it’s a favorite in our household. I want to make it tonight but couldn’t find instant rice due to everyone hoarding groceries. If I were to use regular rice would I need to cook it first?
I’ve only made this as written. The raw to cooked rice ratio will be different, as the liquid and cook times. Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Could you add broccoli or some other vegetable or would that throw off the liquid amount for the rice to bake?
I think broccoli would be fine. If you use frozen, make sure it is already thawed and drained.
Thank you
I'm not sure that I can get cream of celery soup where I am. I don't recall seeing it. Can I use 2 cream of chicken?
sure! 🙂
Any way to adapt this recipe using regular rice (we don't like the texture of instant rice)?
Sounds delish.
I've only made this with instant rice.
I just made this fantastic dish with regular rice. I used 4 cups of cooked rice and I then reduced the liquid(milk and water) by half. This allowed the cooked rice to still absorb some liquid, not dry out, without being all soupy.
Shall, Minute Rice Brand has a Premium Long Grain version (different than the regular!) That actually has the texture of regular rice with the convenience of Minute Rice. I use it all the time. It's harder to find in stores but SOOO much better.
Yes… use uncooked chicken and uncooked regular rice and the same ingredients. That is the recipe my family has used for years…this current recipe is just faster! Have a great day and enjoy
Great easy dish. Love the flavors. My chicken came out a little dry. Any suggestions?
The rice needs to be uncooked and minute rice and instant rice are the same thing. 🙂
is minute rice and instant rice the same?
Yes
Is the instant rice cooked or uncooked?
uncooked