Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup

This easy Chicken and Rice Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup and shredded rotisserie chicken is a simple, delicious, and comforting dinner that you can make ahead.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken and rice casserole, chicken and rice casserole with cream of mushroom soup

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings - 8 people

Calories 521kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING:

¼ cup butter
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3 cups cooked rice (white rice, brown rice or wild rice will all work well)
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, NOT diluted
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

FOR THE TOPPING:

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed (about 31 crackers total)
1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions, coarsely crushed
¼ cup butter, melted
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.

PREPARE THE FILLING:

Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat; add mushrooms, onion and celery; sauté 6-8 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken, rice, soup, sour cream, chives, parsley and thyme. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.

PREPARE THE TOPPING:

In a medium bowl, stir together the crackers and French-fried onions. Add the melted butter and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

BAKE THE CASSEROLE:

Cover the casserole and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 5-7 more minutes, until the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping is lightly toasted. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Notes

Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
Alternatively, you can divide the casserole ingredients between two 8-inch square baking dishes. Bake one now, and freeze the other for a later meal.
Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for an easy, quick-prep solution. The rotisserie chicken also adds a lot of flavor to the dish.
Try microwaveable packets of rice for another shortcut, or use leftover rice from a previous meal.
Use full-fat sour cream for the best flavor and texture.
Bake the casserole just until it's heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly. Don't bake it for too long or it may dry out or get burned on top.
Use any flavor of condensed soup that you prefer: cream of chicken or cream of celery are both nice substitutes for the cream of mushroom soup.
For a lighter option with less sodium, feel free to substitute with the Healthy Request variety of condensed soup.
Use any type of cooked rice. I typically use long-grain white rice, which is our family's preference, but brown rice or wild rice are also good options.
Mix up the herbs to use your favorites. Try rosemary or sage instead of the parsley, chives or thyme. Garlic would also be a great addition.
Don't have Ritz crackers or French fried onions? Substitute with crushed potato chips, crushed Corn Flakes cereal mixed with melted butter, or other buttery crackers (like Keebler Club crackers).

Nutrition