at mimi's table skillet chicken rice broccoli cheese casserole

This is such an easy, quick and economical meal! In 30 minutes, you’ll have dinner on the table – no kidding. Mimi’s One-Skillet Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Cheesy Casserole is flavorful and satisfying. All the cooking is done in one skillet – as you would expect from the title. Ha!

I like this recipe for a couple of reasons. You don’t need to use any canned cream soups. As the rice and chicken cook, the liquid becomes creamy from the starch in the rice. The chicken and rice cook together in the skillet, so there’s no need to cook the rice separately. You could add a handful of toasted, slivered almonds or toasted pine nuts. Or how about some browned sliced mushrooms – that would be delicious, too.

Once the onions and chicken are browned, you’ll add the uncooked rice to the skillet and saute until the grains become translucent. Then add chicken stock. The brown bits in the bottom of the skillet dissolve in the liquid and give the cooked rice such an appealing light brown color.

The picture above doesn’t have the melted, cheesy topping. I wanted you to see how beautifully green the broccoli turned out. That’s because you add it halfway through the chicken/rice cooking process, so it steams perfectly and is tender-crisp. I used fresh broccoli, but you could substitute frozen if that’s what you have on hand.

at mimi's table mimi's chicken rice broccoli cheesy casserole 2

Yep, nice and cheesy, too! Now I’m hungry! Time to reheat leftovers for lunch. Another perk.

Yield: 4-6

Mimi's One-Skillet Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Cheesy Casserole

Mimi's One-Skillet Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Cheesy Casserole

This is such an easy, quick and economical meal! In 30 minutes, you'll have dinner on the table - no kidding. Mimi's One-Skillet Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, and Cheesy Casserole is flavorful and satisfying. All the cooking is done in one skillet

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup long-grained rice
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
  • 2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar or Monterey Jack or a combination of the two

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onion and quickly saute until translucent. Push the cooked onions to one side of the skillet. Put the minced garlic on top of the onions.
  3. Add chicken to skillet. Saute until the chicken is browned - 5-7 minutes.
  4. Push the cooked chicken to one side of the skillet. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and rice. Stir and saute rice until the grains become translucent.
  5. Add chicken stock. Lower heat to a simmer. Stir until ingredients are evenly distributed and the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet are dissolved in the liquid. Put a lid on the skillet and cook for 12 minutes.
  6. Remove lid and distribute broccoli florets evenly over the top. Put the lid back on and cook for another 8 minutes.
  7. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Replace lid and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Notes

Optional Additions: handful of toasted, slivered almonds or handful of toasted pinenuts, sliced and browned mushrooms.


 

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