Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Bake with Rice

This Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Bake with Rice recipe are made with broccoli cuts, tender chicken thighs, and sharp cheddar cheese. The chicken thighs come out crispy and coated in gooey melted cheddar cheese surrounded by plump and soft rice for a complete meal.

There is something to be said about the combination of chicken, cheese, and broccoli, and the variety of those flavors is EPIC! The best part of this one-pan chicken and rice meal is how you can make everything in one baking dish, and you’re done! You don’t have to use several pots and pans and have a significant cleanup matter on your hands.

I started off making this recipe in my crockpot. The way I came up with this recipe was a complete accident. Now and then, on my Instagram page, in my stories, I show meals that I make in my crockpot that hasn’t been tested. As a working mom, sometimes I have to move and shake, and I do this by dumping stuff in a slow cooker and going on about my day. This one particular day, I had some rice, chicken breast (initially), cheese, and broccoli. I added all of the ingredients to the crockpot. Because chicken breast needs love, I created a topping mixture using mayo, dijon mustard, sour cream, and cheese. I had no direction or a clue as to what I was doing. Man o man, it was sooooo good!

I made the dish a second time, and that is when I realized that this one-pot meal would be even more delicious if I used dark meat because of the moistness of the chicken. Man, I was right! I love this dish because you can make it in a slow cooker or, in this case, in the oven, and the cooking time would be different. If you make this in a slow cooker, you will cook low for about 6-8 hours.

Ingredients in this recipe

Chicken Thighs: Using chicken thighs in this recipe will make this dinner recipe a repeat in your home. The skin comes out super crispy and flavorful. However, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.

Broccoli Cuts: You can buy a frozen bag of broccoli cuts to make things easy, but you can also use fresh broccoli if you want. Just be sure to steam them or cook them in hot boiling water for five minutes before adding the broccoli to the pan.

Rice: You can use white or brown rice for this recipe. I do not recommend using quick minute rice or that rice in a bag that you can boil. If you do, the rice will come out mushy and very overcooked.

Sharp Cheddar Cheese: If you can, grate the cheese as it will melt better. However, if you don’t have time to shred the cheese, using pre-shredded cheese will be fine.

These are the basic ingredients for this cheesy chicken and broccoli bake. They also make delicious leftovers!

Commonly Asked Questions

Can you freeze this meal?

I’m sure you can, although I have never put this meal in the freezer. If you are going to freeze this meal, you cook the dish as instructed, allow it to cool completely at room temperature, cover it in plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer. Preheat the dish to 350 ℉ Degrees. But you may want to add a bit of water so the dish doesn’t completely come out dry.

What is a good side dish for this chicken broccoli casserole?

A perfect side dish for this meal is some good ole buttery biscuits or crescent rolls! You can make these ahead of time and warm them up in the microwave when you’re ready to serve your meal.

Can I use a different type of meat?

Yep! You can use chicken drumsticks or turkey breast tenderloin.