A big thank you to Imagine Soups for sponsoring our cheesy broccoli chicken and rice casserole post. So excited to find a great organic soup to work with!
I adore our readers, but I’m always a little surprised by what does well. Everyone is going crazy trying to think up unique, over the top recipes, but I post a casserole and it stays number one on the site for months. Clearly the world is trying to go gaga over totally different recipes, while the general public still wants the comfort foods they grew up on too. Especially for their kids.
This recipe is one of our new favorites thanks to the creamy filling and totally crunchy topping. You’ll want to be careful though, it’s really best to steam the broccoli and carrots ahead of time so they are tender to eat. This is the type of bake that is meant to be really easy, but one of my favorite parts is that you can totally skip the cheese and butter and make it totally dairy free. Yes, this soup is dairy free. Here’s a few more facts you may love…
- Imagine® creamy soups are rich, non-dairy and with a full serving of vegetables in each cup (USDA MyPyramid. One-half cup of vegetables = 1 serving), they are bursting with garden-fresh flavor.
- With no added MSG, GMOs or artificial flavors, chemicals and preservatives, Imagine® goes above and beyond to put a great product on your table.
And the soup is the other big deal. Please do not just go buy a no name brand soup. Really though, premade soups are one of those that you want to take the time to buy the better product. It will totally change your meal from average to delicious, plus by using a brand like Imagine, you can actually read the label and make sure you are feeding your kids better quality foods. We used creamy potato leek so that we could get in even more flavor without adding more ingredients.
And then we busted out the crunchy topping because heaven only knows how much I love a crunchy topping! I thought we would do things a little different, so we went with crunchy cornflakes instead of bread crumbs. Somehow the flakes tasted better and gave a better texture to the casserole. And don’t worry, I’m all about giving back to my readers so a little heads up, there’s a special deal right now for you, Kroger shoppers you can visit Kroger.com to download a $1 off coupon on Imagine Creamy Soups to your Kroger Plus Card. Not a Kroger shopper? Visit imaginefoods to check out all their delicious varieties, as well as a $1 off coupon.
Can You Eat Broccoli Stems?
Broccoli stems are just as nutritional as the rest of the broccoli.
Broccoli stems contain slightly more calcium, iron and Vitamin C than the florets.
The broccoli florets contain more vitamin A.
Is Rice High in Carbohydrates?
White and brown rice contains about 52 grams of carbs per cup.
Wild or black rice have only about 35 grams of carbs.
Although White rice is the most popular rice, wild or black rice is a better choice if you are watching your carb intake.
Is Rice Gluten Free?
All rice is gluten free.
Rice is one of the most popular gluten free grains.
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Uncooked Rice
- 1 1/2 Cup Carrots, sliced and steamed
- 1 Cup Broccoli, chopped, and steamed
- 2 1/2 Cups Imagine Creamy Potato Leek Soup
- 1 Large chicken breast, cooked and chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
Topping
- 9 slices colby jack cheese
- 1 1/2 Cups Corn Flakes, crushed
- 1 Tablespoon Butter, melted
Directions:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray an 8×9″ pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the rice, broccoli, chicken, seasoning, soup and carrots.
- Stir everything together and place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
- There is no need to tent with foil.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornflakes and butter.
- Remove from the oven and add the cheese and cornflakes.
- Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 6 servings, Serving Size: 1
- Amount Per Serving:
- Calories: 220 Calories
- Total Fat: 3.8g
- Cholesterol: 23.2mg
- Carbohydrates: 35.1g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Sugar: 3.2g
- Protein: 11g
Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
Looking forward to trying this! Do you cook the soup before putting it in? I assume the soup will cook in the oven.
Hi! You don’t cook the soup first. 🙂
Thanks! I tried this but unfortunately it did not turn out as expected! It was very dry and the rice did not cook properly. 🙁 I may try it again but we’ll see!
Hi Cait, how interesting it was dry. Your oven may have cooked it a little too fast. Next time, try tenting with foil to lock in the steam and give it a stir halfway through so you can see how much longer it should cook. Then, if needed just pull it out early. 🙂
Hey, I have a question, please. Why does this have to bake for so long, since the chicken and vegetables are all ready cooked? Does it take that long for the soup to absorb? Thanks.
Hi Kathy,
Yes, it takes so long because the rice needs time to absorb the liquid. 🙂
It’s so true that some of the most basic comfort food recipes are the ones best received by my readers. And I have a feeling that your readers are going to love this one, Carrian!
Thanks Dara!
Stores near be don’t seem to carry Zimagine soups… Any ideas of a substitution?
Oh, what a bummer Karen. You could really use any variety of soup or make your own cream, we just like to use this brand.
I would have never thought to use the potato leek soup like this. What a delicious sounding dish!
Thanks, girl!