About
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 9x13-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.
