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This Cheesy chicken and rice recipe is cooked in one skillet with broccoli and carrots! This hearty dish is a family favorite and I make it often on crazy weeknights.
Things I am currently obsessing over: this weather, The Handmaid’s Tale, and one dish dinners.
They all correlate, if you think about it. I need plenty of time to watch The Handmaid’s Tale with the windows open letting in the nice Spring breeze and I can’t do that if I’m spending hours in the kitchen cooking and washing dishes.
Right? 😉
So, yes, I’m lazy and that’s partly why I love this chicken and rice recipe. Not to worry, I also love it because it’s kid-friendly, healthy, packing in two veggies in one dish, made with lean chicken, and did I mention that it’s DELICIOUS?
Busy mama’s, tell me the truth – do you want this easy chicken and rice recipe or nah?
Right. I had a feeling you’d want the recipe. This one is just as popular as our broccoli rice casserole and the kids love it!
How to make cheesy chicken and rice with broccoli and carrots:
We’re going to start by chopping up some chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. You could also use thighs, if that’s more your style.
Season the chicken with a little garlic powder, salt, and pepper and toss it in a hot skillet with some olive oil.
Cook the chicken until browned on the outside. No need to cook it through at this stage of the game.
Next, you’ll stir in some minced garlic, diced carrots, white rice, and chicken broth.
Bring that goodness to a boil and pop a lid on. Go sit on the back porch and enjoy some peace and quiet while this cooks. You’ve got ten minutes. 😉
After ten minutes is up, give it a stir and add the broccoli. Chicken and broccoli go together so perfectly!
Pop the lid back on and cook for another ten minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Back to the porch with you. This time with a glass of my vodka collins.
Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle on some grated cheddar (or whatever cheese you fancy), and pop the lid back on for two minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
That’s it, friends. You’re done. This chicken rice recipe is ready to devour!
Call your people to the dinner table, dish up some of this cheesy broccoli rice casserole, and dig in!
Serve this with a big green salad on the side and you’re good to go.
I’m putting this under my ‘skinny‘ category, because it’s fairly light and healthy! Use reduced fat cheese if you prefer to limit the calories and fat even more!
For a quick dessert, try my chocolate chip cookies. They’re ready from start to finish in about 20 minutes – no weird ingredients, no chilling the dough, and they are literally the best chocolate chip cookies ever.
More rice recipes you’ll love:
Bacon Fried Rice – I make this for lunch weekly!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole – everyone’s favorite flavors, right?
Chicken Rice Casserole – this one is baked in the oven and it’s so comforting.
Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice: Low carb!!
If you love this cheesy broccoli rice casserole, be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more simple family-friendly recipes!
Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup grated cheddar
Instructions
- Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.1 pound chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Add the olive oil to a large, deep skillet and heat until shimmering.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook, stirring often, until chicken is nearly cooked through and browned on the outside.1 pound chicken breasts
- Add the rice, carrots, and garlic to the pan and stir to combine. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.1 cup white rice, 1 cup carrots, 3 cloves garlic, 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- Reduce to a simmer, cover pan and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid and stir well. Add the broccoli and cover the pan. Continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and the rice is tender.
- Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the cheese on top of the rice mixture. Cover with a lid for 5 minutes to allow cheese to melt.1 cup grated cheddar
Lena D says
Came out good but waaaaayyyyy too much pepper. I suggest cutting it in half. Overpowered the whole meal would of been perfect if I used less pepper.
P says
Had to substitute broccoli with cauliflower and added fresh thyme and chopped kale. Also used brown rice which I cooked separately then added during steam time. Everything delicious Thanks for this recipe
CindyH says
I was reading through the comments to see if anyone had used brown rice. Thanks for the info.
JACQUIj FINEGAN says
Just made this and it was a huge hit with the hubby! I didn’t have broccoli on hand, so I used canned peas with little onions at the very end. Just delish, thank you.
Jean says
Would love to see an instant pot version of this recipe!
Danielle Fox says
Tried this recipe for my family on the weekend followed it to the T even the relax on the porch part. I have to say it’s the best, most simple and relaxing recipe ever. Thanks
Lisa says
Do you need to cook rice first because it’s so hard. I don’t see it cooking in this pan fir just the 10 minutes.
Karly says
The rice doesn’t need to be precooked. It actually cooks for 20 minutes – 10 minutes then add the broccoli to the pan and cook another 10. 🙂
Bea says
I LOVE everything rice. This looks perfectly yummy. Thanks for sharing Karly 🙂
Debbie Tyrrell says
what kind of rice did you use?
Karly says
Long grain white rice.
Malinda says
YESSS!!! My family would LOVE this!!!
Barb says
Can frozen broccoli florets be used?
Karly says
I haven’t tried it with frozen broccoli, but I’m sure it would work. You may need to adjust the length of time the broccoli is cooking though.
Cait Conway says
Added onion to the recipe for more flavor as s&p and garlic is not enough. I used a garlic and herb seasoning and after 20 mins the rice was still hard. I suggest cooking for maybe an extra 5-8minutes. I also sauteed the carrots with the onions before adding in the chicken. All in all, this was a hit with my husband and 4 yr old.
Adina says
My kids would love this rice dish (me too), they adore this kind of one pot rice dishes full of everything, it is one of my leftover using recipes: a rice pot with everything I find in the fridge… Your version looks wonderful with the cheese.
P.J. Coldren says
SO – I don’t have chicken boobs or broccli on hand. I do have some nice boneless pork chops, cauliflower, and everything else on the ingredient list. Any reason I can’t substitute in this dish?? Thanks –
Karly says
I think those substitutes would work just fine. 🙂
Doris Bartlett says
Hi, I’m going to make this tonight sounds and looks good can’t wait for my husband to try it. Thank You
Alex says
Thanks so much for this recipe! I’m not very good at cooking and I don’t really have a chance too often to try and branch out of my comfort zone but this was so easy to follow and the end result was so tasty!! Definitely a recipe I can confidently make again and again <333
OTLIA PALMER says
CAN I USE INSTANT RICE
Karly says
I’ve only made this with regular rice.
Blair says
One and done! Totally my kind of meal!!
bella bradson says
Hummm Yummy!!!
I will give it a try in my restaurant!!
Thank you for this awesome recipe!!
Get my recipes restaurant here!:https://bit.ly/2KtsCNJ