This Is the Easiest and Cheesiest Chicken and Rice Casserole.
There is a certain type of food that people who are the same size as me (very light) adore: food that often contains a lot of dairy products, be it sour cream, heavy cream or cheese. Food is beige, orange or brown. Food that is at home on a TV tray. It’s comforting, if not super exciting, and sometimes nothing else will help. This cheesy chicken and rice casserole is just such a meal.
Is this dish a thinly veiled excuse to eat a mass of rice drenched in cream cheese sauce? Yes, but it’s also an excuse to clear your fridge of all the little things that need a warm and caring home. It doesn’t have to be chicken and rice casserole. It could be a broccoli and rice casserole, a ground pork casserole and a rice casserole, even a tuna and rice casserole if you like that kind of thing. You can also combine any or all of the above – make a cheesy casserole with chicken, bacon, broccoli and rice – there’s a lot going on in this casserole.
It all starts with a bag of grated cheese
If you mix shredded cheese with a little corn starch and melt the powdered strands in a jar of condensed milk, you get a thick and sticky cheese sauce. It’s perfect for dipping chips or mixing macaroni and cheese on the stovetop . The pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch (usually potato) and mixing the bag with a can of condensed milk makes for a slightly thinner sauce that’s perfect for mixing with rice to create the base of this casserole.
All you need is a 12-ounce can of condensed milk and 8 ounces of pre-shredded cheese, plus 4 cups of cooked rice and a few handfuls of whatever protein and vegetables you want to toss. From there, you can complicate things as much as you like. I like to make the sauce and season it with lots of Louisiana hot sauce, but you can make it however you like. (A little sautéed garlic and caramelized onion with a little fresh nutmeg would be nice.)
Once the sauce is ready, add the rice, then add some boiled chicken (10 ounces is a good amount) and any frozen or boiled vegetables you have. With the exception of frozen peas, corn, lima beans, etc., it is recommended to pre-cook vegetables so that they do not release too much water and also add some flavor to them. (Roasted broccoli brings a lot more to the table than plain frozen broccoli.)
Let everything warm up well in the cheesy rice mixture, then spread it in a saucepan, sprinkle with cheese or breadcrumbs on top and place under the broiler to create a bubbling golden crust.
Easy Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces sweetened condensed milk ( not sweetened )
- 8 oz pre-shredded cheese, plus more for the top (if you need to grate your own cheese, mix the pieces with 1 teaspoon cornstarch).
- Hot sauce to taste, as well as any other seasonings and spices that you want to add to the cheese base.
- 4 cups boiled rice
- 10 ounces boiled chicken (or other cooked protein)
- A few handfuls of whatever vegetables you want/need to get rid of
Add milk and cheese to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Season generously with hot sauce and add any other herbs and spices you wish. Stir the cheese-milk mixture constantly so that the cheese does not burn. Once you have a smooth sauce, taste it and add seasonings if necessary.
Add rice and stir to combine. Add chicken, then any vegetables. Continue adding ingredients until the mixture is thick, not thick. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, sprinkle more grated cheese on top and fry until browned and bubbling.