Let’s bring on the full comfort vibes with an easy, cheesy gluten-free chicken and rice baked casserole. There’s lot of shortcuts packed in, like using frozen veggies and skipping pre-cooked chicken, but full send on taste – velvety cream cheese sauce, gooey cheddar, tender rice, and perfected seasoning. This is a gluten-free chicken recipe your whole family will cheer for.
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Winning Gluten-Free Dinner Idea? Gimme Some Chicken Casserole!
As if coming up with easy dinner ideas isn’t hard enough, but ones to appease the whole family? Need help? I got you. At least a couple times a week I turn to these tasty gluten-free chicken dinner ideas because I love how the ingredients are accessible and affordable at my local grocery store.
A dish my family always sings the praises of is this cheesy chicken and rice casserole with fresh bites of veggies. Since it doesn’t use canned soup, it also happens to be naturally gluten-free. Win win for us all.
The kids especially love the chicken and rice combo because what’s not to love about that comforting mixture? I appreciate throwing together a gluten free casserole that doesn’t use condensed soup, yet still easy to whip up for a weeknight dinner.
As an added bonus, this rice bake doesn’t require precooked chicken. While using a rotisserie chicken is definitely an option, I typically have boneless breasts in my freezer. I like the time saving step of not having to cook it ahead of time. Simply chop it up and throw it in the casserole with rice, frozen veggies, and a creamy cheese sauce.
This recipe falls solidly in the winner, winner chicken dinner category. Serve alongside perfectly roasted zucchini or some seriously soft gluten-free breadsticks and you may just get a well-deserved round of applause.
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(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Start off easy with casserole layers.
Grease the casserole dish by rubbing the bottom and sides with a butter stick. Sprinkle the rice and thawed frozen veggies on top (or partially thawed for those of us who need some leeway).
In a bowl mix together chopped, raw chicken breast with a little olive oil and seasonings because what’s a top priority with chicken and rice? No blandness please! Scatter that on top of the veggies.
No canned soup cheesy cream sauce.
Start by melting the butter. Add the garlic to sauté briefly and then sprinkle in the flour. Slowly whisk in the broth, followed by the milk, until smooth. Finally whisk in cream cheese until mostly smooth. You might see small small chunks, but that’s okay.
Finish up by removing from the heat and stirring in salt, pepper, and 1 cup cheddar cheese. See, that wasn’t hard, was it? It’s how we make gluten-free easy. 👊
Pour and bake till rice is tender.
Cover everything with that cheesy goodness. Use a fork to gently mix together so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the baking pan.
Now, here’s the part that took some experimentation. How do you nail tender rice in a casserole? First, using a slightly higher oven temp, 375°F, means not having to bake for an exceptionally long time. Second, covering the dish securely with foil helps the rice absorb the moisture. It’s removed for the last 20 minutes so we can give everything a quick stir. Finally, add more cheese on top, which is never a bad idea!
Infinitely Yummy Possibilities
The beauty of this chicken casserole is how easily adaptable it is for your family’s preferences, extra goodness, or whatever you have hand. Here are some possibilities I’ve dreamed up, but if you change up the recipe, let me know in the comments below!
- Besides cheese, other gluten-free topping ideas include crushed pork rinds, GF crispy rice cereal, GF crackers, or gluten-free bread crumbs.
- For veggies use any preferred. I like the frozen California blend, but you can do broccoli, leftover chopped veggies (steam first), or any other frozen variety.
- Use freshly grated sharp cheese so the flavor shines through, or a mixture of cheeses, like parm, gruyere, Swiss, or mozzarella.
- Consider protein swaps like using rotisserie chicken, chicken thighs, adding chopped ham or cooked and crumbled bacon.
Got leftovers? I’ve frozen this casserole and served again as a bonus make-ahead meal. Once it has completely cooled, transfer to an airtight container to freeze. When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight and transfer to a greased baking dish. Cover with foil and heat in a 325°F oven until heated through.
Perfectly Tender Rice In Casseroles
Chicken and rice recipes are popular, but where many of them fall short is how to achieve tender rice, without cooking separately first. Here are some easy tricks I’ve discovered.
- Rinse the rice before adding to the casserole. This gets rid of extra starches so it isn’t clumpy or mushy.
- Give everything a stir before baking. You don’t want the rice to stick to the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Bake covered with foil for most of the time. This is when it will get about 80% tender. Uncover so you can stir everything again, making sure it hasn’t settled on the bottom, and bake for about 15 minutes uncovered, or until tender.
- If you find it stills need a little more time, I like to remove it from the oven, cover again with foil, and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Then you aren’t risking tough, overcooked chicken, while still allowing time for the steam to do some extra work.
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Creamy Comfort Gluten-Free Chicken Casserole with Rice
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups uncooked white rice, rinsed until water run clears
- 12 ounce frozen California medley vegetables, thawed or partially thawed
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free all purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups gluten-free chicken broth
- 2 ½ cups milk, at least 2% for best results
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed and room temp
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- butter, for greasing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub butter on the bottom and sides of a 9X13 inch baking dish. Spread the rinsed rice on the bottom and then sprinkle the veggies over the top. Set aside.1 ½ cups uncooked white rice, butter, 12 ounce frozen California medley vegetables
- In a bowl combine the chicken with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Scatter pieces over the top of the veggies. Set aside.1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium low heat. Sauté the garlic for 15 seconds and then sprinkle in the flour. Slowly whisk in the broth until smooth. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons gluten-free all purpose flour, 2 ½ cups milk, 2 ½ cups gluten-free chicken broth
- Whisk in the cream cheese until mostly smooth and no large chunks remain. Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper and 1 cup cheddar cheese.4 ounces cream cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- Pour the sauce over everything and use a fork to mix the rice, veggies, and chicken with the sauce.
- Cover securely with heavy duty foil or a double layer of regular foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven to stir again with a fork. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Leave uncovered and bake for about 20 minutes more, or until the rice is tender. If desired, broil for 1-2 minutes for the cheese to become golden and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
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It was delicious. I used fresh carrots and corn for veggies. We’re going to make this with some Mexican flavors next time; maybe some cauliflower risotto some day. 😋
It’s such a flexible dish! Thanks, Jason, for the note.
Best,
Melissa
Delicious recipe, my family loved it! I did modify a little since I didn’t have certain ingredients though.
Thanks for taking the time to share, Crystal! I appreciate it.
Best,
Melissa
Very good. I upped the spices a bit. But otherwise a good recipe
Thanks for taking a moment to comment, Kathie! I appreciate it!
Best,
Melissa