Yield: 8 to 10

Adapted from: Delish

Chicken and broccoli casserole is a meal that many people grew up eating, and this recipe will make you feel like a kid again. This creamy, cheesy, Ritz cracker-topped casserole is packed with chicken, rice, and freshly blanched broccoli with the quintessential cream of mushroom soup.

Notes: With bread, salad and dessert, total cost is approximately $35.

Oven only method takes longer than expected to cook the rice. Do the initial cook of the rice and sauce on the stove top and then mix with the chicken & broccoli and put in casserole dish.
The original recipe also called for sautéing the chicken with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. I used plain salt and don’t see any need for the Lawry’s. Certainly an option though
Prep: 10 Cook: 90

• 4TBS unsalted butter, divided, plus more for greasing
• 24oz cooked Chicken Breasts. I used sous vide to get nice tender chicken
• 1TBS AP salt (use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt on chicken instead of regular salt during cooking)
• 2TBS neutral oil
• 1large yellow onion, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1½cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 3½cups chicken broth
• 2(10-oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
• 2heads of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1½cups crushed Ritz crackers
• ¼tsp garlic powder
• ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1½cups shredded cheddar, divided

Prepare chicken:

Shred or cut cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.

Prepare Broccoli:

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil, than salt the water.

Place ice cubes in a medium bowl and fill with cold water.

Cook broccoli in boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until bright green and slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer broccoli to ice water to stop cooking. Drain and transfer broccoli to a bowl with chicken, season with ½ tsp salt. Cover and refrigerate if not making casserole the same day.

Stovetop Rice Cooking:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 TBS butter. Add onion, season with ½ tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add 1½ cups rinsed rice and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice is lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3½ cups of broth and scrape any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a boil.

Stir in 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup. Set heat to simmer or low, cover and cook, stirring after 15 minutes, cook until rice is almost completely cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes total.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Grease a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with butter.

Prepare cracker topping:
In a medium heatproof bowl, microwave 2 to 4 TBS butter until melted, about 30 seconds. Add 1½ cup (1 sleave) crushed Ritz crackers, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp pepper, and ½ cup cheese and toss with a fork to combine.

Finish:
Add chicken and 1/2 to 1 cup of water to skillet, cover and heat over medium heat until water is boiling. Add broccoli to skillet on top of chicken, cover and heat for 1 minute, turn off heat.  Set covered pan aside until rice is done. Drain water from skillet and add chicken and broccoli and remaining 1 cup of cheese to casserole dish, pour rice and sauce over and mix to distribute. Top with cracker topping.

Place casserole in oven, uncovered, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until bubbling slowly and topping is slightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Storage and re-heating:
Let casserole cool to under 90°F, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Remove from refrigerator, cover with foil and heat in a 350°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and heat uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes, until contents are hot and topping is browned.