Easy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

This Gluten Free Chicken Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole is healthy comfort food at its finest! The best part of this casserole is that it reheats beautifully, can be made in advance, and freezes great in individual portions.

To complete the meal, we like to serve this broccoli casserole with a simple side dish such as garden salad, plain caesar salad, or chopped cucumber tomato salad.

Crusty bread or toast would be a great addition too if you love baking gluten-free bread. 

There is a skip-to-recipe button in the top left corner along with a clickable table of contents list (just below) that will quickly take you to the part you are more interested in. Enjoy!

Ingredients

My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!

The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.

• Cooked chicken - we are going to use fresh chicken and sear it lightly in a skillet. But for convenience and time saving, any leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken can be used.

• Rice - I cook the rice upfront and never in a casserole. Uncooked rice texture is not the same and it can easily be overcooked and become mushy while baking. Unless you are an expert in rice casserole recipes, don't risk it. I like to use long-grain rice for skillet dinners and casseroles as it holds up its shape well.

• Fresh broccoli florets - fresh or frozen cut into small florets. No need to cook the broccoli before adding to the casserole.

• Cheese - the key ingredient that I wouldn’t make this casserole. Any melty cheese will do, cheddar, Colby Gouda, Gruyere, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack and even Pepper Jack.

• Topping - optional but many like a little crunch added on top. You could make your own breadcrumbs from gluten-free bread, panko breadcrumbs, ritz crackers, or cornflakes as I did in this breakfast casserole. Fried crispy onions are one of our favorites too. I add these right before serving.

• Flour - regular all purpose flour or GF. Any gluten-free flour all-purpose flour blend will do. It can be without xanthan gum which is essential in baking recipes.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare an 8x11 casserole dish by greasing lightly with olive oil or butter.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sear the chicken for about 5-6 minutes. Set aside. 

In the same skillet, add the remaining cooking oil. And once hot, saute the onion until it starts to get brown.

Add in the gluten-free flour and whisk quickly for about a minute or so.

In batches, stir in milk, continuously whisking. When all the milk is added, add in the spices and season with salt and black pepper.

Simmer the mixture on low heat until it thickens. Stir every once in a while. Remove from the heat and add 1-½ cup of cheddar cheese.

Stir until cheese is melted and incorporated into the mixture.

In a large bowl or right in the prepared casserole dish, mix rice, broccoli, chicken, and sauce. 

Sprinkle the remaining ½ cups cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Serve while the casserole is still warm and the cheese melty. 

Tips

• You need a 8x11 inch or 9 inch baking dish or another casserole-style baking dish.

• This recipe uses no canned soup, but for convenience's sake you can use it but I highly recommend trying my Cream of Mushroom Soup or Gluten Free Cream Of Chicken Soup instead. Make this soup 1-2 days ahead and you don’t have to worry about the sauce on the day of baking. 

Freezing And Storing Instructions

Please note that the casserole will taste the best on the day of making or within 24 hours.

FAQ

Easy Gluten Free Rice Recipes

ALL DINNER recipes.

Easy Gluten Free Casserole Recipes

Craving for more easy chicken casserole recipes? I got you covered, these readers' popular recipes will become your new family favorite. Our new favorite additions include cheesy Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan and fulfilling old-fashioned Hamburger Casserole.

I hope you'll enjoy this chicken broccoli rice and cheese casserole recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!

Thank you for reading,

Love,

Julia

Easy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

This Gluten Free Chicken Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole is healthy comfort food at its finest! The best part of this casserole is that it reheats beautifully, can be made in advance, and freezes great in individual portions.

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin

Author: Julia | The Yummy Bowl

Course: Main Course

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 29 minutes

Total Time: 39 minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 532kcal

INGREDIENTS

Casserole

• 1 pound chicken breasts cut into bite-sized smaller pieces
• 2 cups brown rice cooked or white rice
• 4 ½ cups fresh broccoli cut into small florets

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour I like to use Measure to Measure or Schar Mix C
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded and divided
• 2 tablespoon curly parsley freshly chopped to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare an 8x11 casserole dish by greasing lightly with olive oil or butter.
• In a large skillet, over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sear the chicken for about 5-6 minutes. Set aside.
• In the same skillet, add the remaining cooking oil. And once hot, saute the onion until it starts to get brown.
• Add in the gluten-free flour and whisk quickly for about a minute or so.
• In batches, stir in milk, continuously whisking. When all the milk is added, add in the spices and season with salt and black pepper.
• Simmer the mixture on low heat until it thickens. Stir every once in a while. Remove from the heat and add 1-½ cup of cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and incorporated into the mixture.
• In a large bowl or right in the prepared casserole dish, mix rice, broccoli, chicken, and sauce.
• Sprinkle the remaining ½ cups cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Serve while the casserole is still warm and the cheese melty.

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Nutrition Facts

Easy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Amount Per Serving

Calories 532 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 9g

Cholesterol 115mg38%

Sodium 469mg20%

Potassium 883mg25%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 38g76%

Vitamin A 1376IU28%

Vitamin C 76mg92%

Calcium 499mg50%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This cheesy casserole is Inspired from here.