This post may contain references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Oh Sweet Basil may receive compensation when you click on links to such products.
This chicken and rice casserole is creamy, cheesy and loaded with tender chicken and fluffy rice, with cream cheese and Italian dressing mix adding loads of flavor. It’s ready in just 45 minutes and is the perfect way to turn leftover or rotisserie chicken into an easy family dinner.
Table of Contents
- Quick Look
- Ingredients for Chicken and Rice Casserole
- How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Tips for the Best Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Variations
- Chicken and Rice Casserole FAQs
- What to Serve with Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Troubleshooting Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
- More Comforting Casseroles to Try
- Watch This Video Tutorial
- Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
Growing up, my mom made—and still makes—the best casseroles. I don’t care that it’s 2026 and people are worried more about kale pureed into overnight oats. Casseroles feel like home, and I’m always a fan of an easy chicken and rice recipe for dinner.
We call this one angel chicken casserole in our house. It was inspired by two longtime favorites—our crockpot chicken and rice and Mom’s famous Busy Day Casserole—with the creamy, flavorful sauce from classic angel chicken.
Traditional angel chicken is served over angel hair pasta, but I couldn’t resist turning all that creamy goodness into a chicken and rice casserole. It’s cheesy, rich, ridiculously comforting and full of those homey flavors I love. There’s a reason they call it “angel chicken”…it tastes like heaven!
If you would prefer a pasta version of this recipe, try our cream cheese chicken noodle casserole!
Quick Look
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Bake: 25 minutes
- Total: 45 minutes
- Serves: 12
- Serving Size: About 1 cup
- Pan: 9×13-inch
- Shortcut: Use rotisserie or leftover chicken
- Make Ahead: Yes
- Freezer Friendly: Yes
Ingredients for Chicken and Rice Casserole
If you have leftover chicken or grabbed a rotisserie chicken at Costco, this casserole is the perfect way to use it! From there, you just need a handful of simple ingredients to make it extra creamy and flavorful:
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat or 1/3-less-fat cream cheese for the creamiest texture. I don’t recommend fat-free.
- Butter: Adds richness to the creamy sauce.
- Cooked Chicken: Shredded or diced chicken both work. Rotisserie chicken is my favorite shortcut.
- Cooked Rice: I love using about 1/3 wild rice and 2/3 white rice for extra flavor and texture.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Homemade or canned both work. Cream of mushroom or cream of celery can also be substituted.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds another layer of savory flavor.
- Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing Mix: The secret ingredient! Add the seasoning mix directly from the packet—don’t prepare the dressing first.
- Chicken Broth: Loosens the creamy sauce and keeps the casserole moist.
- Colby Jack Cheese: Melts beautifully into the casserole and over the top.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to taste, keeping in mind that the soup, broth and dressing mix already contain salt.
- Fresh Parsley: Don’t skip it! This is a rich casserole, and parsley adds just enough freshness to balance everything out.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole
Casseroles sometimes get a bad rap, but this chicken and rice casserole could make a casserole lover out of anyone! Best of all, it’s so easy to make.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the sauce: Whisk the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth together until smooth, then stir in the dry Italian dressing mix.
- Make it creamy: Add the softened cream cheese and butter and stir until well combined.
- Combine: In a large bowl, mix the cooked chicken, cooked rice, creamy sauce, garlic, half of the shredded cheese, and salt and pepper until evenly combined.
- Assemble: Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Cover: Spray a sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and gently cover the casserole.
- Bake: Bake for about 25 minutes, removing the foil halfway through.
- Rest: Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes, then garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Tips for the Best Chicken and Rice Casserole
Use cooked chicken AND cooked rice. This recipe doesn’t contain enough liquid or bake long enough to cook either from raw.
Soften the cream cheese and butter. They’ll blend much more smoothly into the casserole.
Use the seasoning packet dry. Don’t prepare the Italian dressing first.
Don’t skip the broth. It keeps the rice from drying out while the casserole bakes.
Cover it at first. The foil holds in moisture; removing it halfway through lets the cheese finish melting.
Don’t overbake. Everything is already cooked, so you’re essentially heating the casserole through and melting the cheese.
Variations
This casserole is easy to customize with what you have on hand, as long as you keep the basic chicken, rice and liquid ratios the same.
- Add vegetables: Try peas, carrots, broccoli, green beans or mushrooms.
- Change the cheese: Monterey Jack, cheddar, Swiss or pepper Jack can be substituted for the Colby Jack.
- Change the rice: White, brown, jasmine, basmati or wild rice all work as long as they’re cooked first.
- Change the soup: Cream of mushroom or cream of celery can replace the cream of chicken soup.
Chicken and Rice Casserole FAQs
This recipe is especially flexible because the rice is cooked before it goes into the casserole. White rice, jasmine rice, basmati, brown rice and wild rice can all work.
My favorite combination is about 1/3 wild rice and 2/3 white rice because the wild rice adds a little extra texture and flavor without taking over the casserole.
Avoid using dry, uncooked rice in this recipe. It won’t have enough liquid or baking time to cook properly.
Absolutely! Rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite shortcuts for this casserole.
You need 3 cups of cooked chicken, either shredded or diced. Leftover grilled, baked or slow cooker chicken works too, and you can use either chicken breasts or thighs.
The dry Italian dressing packet adds more than herbs—it also adds salt, garlic, onion and a little sweetness—so it gives this casserole a lot of its signature flavor.
If you don’t have a packet, 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning can work in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be exactly the same. You may need to add a little extra salt, garlic powder and onion powder to taste.
What to Serve with Chicken and Rice Casserole
I always like to balance out a rich and heavy casserole with a couple of light side dishes. A salad or vegetable side dish is a great option. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Spinach Berry Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Roasted Veggies
- Grilled Vegetables
- Air Fryer Crispy Broccoli
Troubleshooting Chicken and Rice Casserole
It may have baked too long or there wasn’t enough liquid. Be sure to add the full cup of chicken broth, cover the casserole for the first half of baking and remember that all the main ingredients are already cooked. It only needs about 25 minutes in the oven.
Let it rest for about 5 minutes after baking. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. Also make sure you’re using condensed cream of chicken soup rather than prepared soup.
The cream cheese and butter were probably too cold. Let both soften to room temperature and whisk them together until smooth before adding the remaining ingredients.
No. Use fully cooked chicken. The short baking time isn’t enough to safely and evenly cook raw chicken.
The cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, cheese and dressing mix can all contribute salt. Use low-sodium broth if needed and wait until everything is combined before adding additional salt.
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
Make Ahead: Assemble the casserole, cover tightly and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Since it will be cold, it may need a few extra minutes in the oven.
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat the whole casserole covered with foil at 300°F until warmed through, or microwave individual portions. If the rice seems dry, add a splash of chicken broth before reheating.
Freeze: This casserole freezes beautifully! For best results, assemble it without the cheese topping, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, add the cheese and bake as directed. You can also freeze leftover casserole in individual portions for easy meals.
Creamy, cheesy and packed with tender chicken and fluffy rice, this chicken and rice casserole is exactly why I’ll never stop loving a good casserole. It’s easy, comforting and perfect for using leftover chicken or grabbing a rotisserie chicken on a busy night. Add that cream cheese and Italian dressing mix and you’ve got one of those dinners that just tastes like home!
More Comforting Casseroles to Try
- Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
- Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
- Creamy Zucchini Sausage Casserole
- Cheesy Ham Potato Bacon Casserole
- Teriyaki Beef Casserole
- Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole
Watch This Video Tutorial
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ Cup Cream of Chicken Soup, 1 can
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- 0.7 ounce Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing Mix
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened and cubed
- 1/2 Cup Butter, softened and cubed
- 3 Cups Cooked Chicken, diced or shredded (I use rotisserie from Costco)
- 3 Cups Cooked Rice, I use 1/3 wild rice and the rest white rice.
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 ½ Cups Colby Jack Cheese, shredded, divided
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Fresh Parsley, for garnish (don't skip the parsley! This is a creamy and cheesy dish and the parsley adds the tiniest bit of brightness I think the casserole needs)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and generously spray a 9×13” casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Whisk the cream of chicken soup and broth together until smooth.1 ¼ Cup Cream of Chicken Soup, 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- Mix in the Italian dressing mix. Then add the softened cream cheese and butter and stir to combine.0.7 ounce Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing Mix, 8 ounces Cream Cheese, 1/2 Cup Butter
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, rice, butter and cream cheese mixture, garlic, half of the shredded cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix well until evenly combined.3 Cups Cooked Chicken, 3 Cups Cooked Rice, 3 Cloves Garlic, 2 ½ Cups Colby Jack Cheese, Salt and Pepper
- Transfer the chicken and rice mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Spray foil with nonstick spray and gently cover the dish.2 ½ Cups Colby Jack Cheese
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, removing the foil halfway through baking.
- Remove from oven, and allow the casserole to cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy.Fresh Parsley
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yum! I wonder if I could sub the rice for spaghetti noodles if I don’t have rice on hand?
Hi Emily! We have a noodle version on the blog! https://ohsweetbasil.com/cheesy-cream-cheese-chicken-noodle-casserole-recipe/
It turned out great, even though I had to “make do” just a wee bit on the ingredients to use what I had on hand. I would make this again, and I’m hoping I can freeze in individual portions as well. 🙂
Yay! Thank you for the feedback Lori! So glad you enjoyed it!
If I don’t have the seasoning packet can I replicate it somehow? Thank you!
Hi Emily! You could use 2 Tablespoons of store bought Italian seasoning. Another option, I haven’t tested if this is an accurate substitute, but here is a recipe for a copycat:
Homemade Copycat Recipe
Mix these dried ingredients together to equal one single store packet:
Oregano: 2 tablespoons
Garlic powder: 1 tablespoon
Onion powder: 1 tablespoon
Parsley: 1 tablespoon
Sugar: 1 tablespoon
Salt: 1.5 to 2 tablespoons (reduce if you prefer less salt)
Basil: 1 teaspoon
Black pepper: 1 teaspoon
Thyme: 1/4 teaspoon
Celery salt (or celery seed): 1/4 teaspoon
Over the years, i’ve tried many different recipe combinations, but this is by far the best chicken and rice casserole dish I’ve ever had. I followed the recipe and your directions to a T. Mmmmm good!!
Yay!! Thank you Todd!!
This has become one of my husband’s favorites!! I use basmati rice and have omitted the Italian seasoning in favor of Rotel. So Yummy!!!!
Ooh, that sounds yummy! Thank you so much Katrina! I’ll have to try your version next time I make this!
Delicious!
Thank you Tina!
This is delicious! I’m 3 weeks postpartum plus have a toddler. I needed something easy to make for dinner, and this was a hit. I love that it’s different than other chicken and rice casseroles with the addition of butter, cream cheese, and Italian dressing packet. This will be on rotation for us!
Yay! I love to hear this Sarah! Bless your heart…I remember those days all too well! A quick and easy dinner can save the day! Congrats on the new baby!
Yummy. I only used one cup of jasmine rice. It was amazing the rest of the recipe I kept the exact same.
Thank you so much Sasha!!