Ina Garten's Chicken Casserole

Sink your teeth into Ina Garten’s most delectable (and simplest!) Chicken Casserole dish, prepared with Minute Rice, broccoli, carrots, peas, chicken breast, and a deliciously creamy cheese sauce.

This article contains a wealth of information to help you make the most simply stunning chicken casserole ever.

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Ina Garten Chicken Casserole — Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole is the ideal comfort meal!
Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole with cream cheese and mozzarella is easy to make and oh-so-comforting!
With only a few basic ingredients including chicken breasts, rice, broccoli, carrots, peas, spices, and a beautifully creamy cheese sauce, you’ll have this delectable creamy chicken casserole ready in about 40 minutes.
This dish, in our opinion, isn’t complete without the bubbly mozzarella topping.

What is Chicken Casserole?

When you make chicken casserole, typically, you cook all of the components of your chicken dinner in a baking dish. Chicken casserole typically consists of four components:

Pasta or rice.
Chicken breast or thighs.
Vegetables of all kinds!
Sauces such as cheese sauce, roux, and more.

Ingredients That You’ll Need:

Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole is loaded with vegetables, rice, and chicken breast along with a cheese sauce. The following are the main ingredients:

Rice: You may use either brown or white Minute Rice in this recipe. You can substitute a different type of rice if desired, but it will require a different amount of liquid and will take significantly longer to cook.
Chicken Breast: Chop the chicken breast into 1-inch slices so that it cooks evenly. Feel free to substitute chicken thighs for the breast if you prefer.
Veggies: Onion, carrots, green peas, or broccoli all work well in this recipe. However, green beans, celery, cauliflower, and bell pepper are among our top picks.
Milk: Milk is used to make a delicious creamy sauce.
Broth: Broth is an important ingredient in the sauce. Feel free to use whatever kind you want.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese: The more cheddar, the better! If feasible, we recommend shredding your own cheese rather than buying it pre-shredded.
Spices: Garlic powder, salt, and pepper are the spices used in this chicken casserole.

Quick Note: If you want to cook the chicken for this dish at home but aren’t sure how long it will take, keep in mind that we have an article about How Long To Bake A Whole Chicken At 375.

What Kind of Dish Should I Bake My Casserole In?

Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole recipe specifies that you use a ceramic casserole dish. Casserole dishes, like cast iron pans, bake foods more evenly and quickly than standard metal baking pans. However, don’t worry if you don’t have one! A baking pan or a Dutch oven would also suffice.

How to Make Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and coat a large ceramic casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Layer the bottom of the casserole dish with brown Minute Rice, broccoli florets, yellow onion, carrots, and green peas.
Place the broth and milk in a small saucepan and warm it up over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in 6 ounces of the shredded cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Continue to whisk until the cheese is melted.
Pour over the rice and vegetables and toss to combine.
Next, cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and put them in the casserole dish, making sure they are well covered in cheese sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.
Sprinkle the remaining 2 ounces of the shredded cheddar cheese and the shredded parmesan cheese on top of the casserole and bake it for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Recipe Tips

Cut the chicken breast into cubes to speed up the baking time of the casserole.
Freeze individual servings of the chicken casserole for a quick dinner on nights when you don’t feel like cooking from scratch. For directions on reheating frozen chicken casserole, see the section below.
Because the cheese has salt, you don’t need to add very much to this recipe.
If you want your chicken casserole to be spicy, add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the sauce.

What to Serve With Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole

You can serve Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole with green beans, roasted asparagus, cauliflower rice, or broccoli on the side. Here are some serving ideas:

How to Store Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole

In The Fridge:

Place the chicken casserole in food storage containers or bags and then put them in the refrigerator’s coldest section. If stored correctly, they should last for up to four days.

In The Freezer:

You can store Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole in containers for up to 2 months in the freezer. After thawing it in the fridge overnight, reheat it in the oven until heated through.

We don’t advocate freezing Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole because the cheese and creamy sauce will dry up and it will alter the flavor.

How to Reheat Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole

In The Oven:

Place Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the edges are bubbling.

In The Microwave:

Cover Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole with a microwave-safe cover (not metal or aluminum foil).
Heat it for 90 seconds and check to see if it is heated thoroughly.
If not, microwave for 90 seconds at a time until it is sufficiently heated through.

In The Air Fryer:

Reheat Ina Garten’s Chicken Casserole in an air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.

FAQ Section

Can you use raw chicken in this casserole?

You don’t need to cook the chicken before placing it in a casserole if you plan to bake it for at least 45 minutes. However, you may use pre-cooked shredded chicken if you would like to be able to cook the casserole faster.

Can I substitute the chicken breast with other meat?

You can substitute the chicken breast with chicken thighs or tenders. If you choose to use chicken tenders, there’s no need to slice them.

What Can I Use If I Don’t Have a Casserole Dish?

Feel free to substitute the casserole dish with a deep cast-iron skillet or a Dutch oven. You can also use a cake pan if desired.

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