I love broccoli cheddar soup and a good chicken and rice dish. This dish combines the best of both! As an added bonus, it's easy to make in one pot (dutch oven recommended), and it reheats well to have for lunch the next day. This is a great dish to have on its own, so it doesn't really need a side. A light side salad (like this Fresh Mixed Green Salad by Plays Well With Butter) would be a good choice. If you're feeling like extra carbs, dinner rolls are also a good choice. I like making these Homemade Dinner Rolls and freezing them to use later.
If you're looking for more dinner recipes, check out my Main Dish Collection.
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken & Rice Recipe Notes and Tips
Can I use yellow cheddar instead of white? Yes! I've also used a blend of white and yellow cheddar to make this.
Why do you recommend hand grating the cheese? Store-bought pre-shredded cheese contain caking agents that can inhibit the melting. But, if you don't feel like grating, store-bought will be fine.
Do I have to use Jasmine rice? What other types can I use? Basmati rice or another long-grain white rice would be fine to use instead of Jasmine.
What if I don't have a dutch oven? A dutch oven is really the best for this recipe, but you can use another large pot. Just keep in mind that the size of your pot can affect cooking times. For example, a pot that isn't as wide as a dutch oven might result in chicken needing to be cooked longer or in batches.
Do not disturb the rice once covered to simmer. It needs the steam to stay in the pot to cook properly.
How do I reheat? The microwave reheats this dish best, though it can also be reheated covered in the oven. If it binds together too much while cooking in the oven, try adding a small amount of chicken stock or veggie stock.
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken & Rice
Equipment
- Dutch oven or other large pot
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1½ to 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoon olive oil for seasoning chicken
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt use ¼ teaspoon if substituting regular table salt
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking chicken
Broccoli Cheddar Rice
- 3 cups broccoli florets cut very small
- 1¼ cups grated carrots
- 1 medium onion diced, about ¾ cup
- 1 cup Jasmine rice
- 2½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2¼ cups shredded white cheddar cheese hand-grated recommended
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Prepare the veggies and set aside. (Prepping veggies first means you can use the same cutting board for the chicken next.)3 cups broccoli florets, 1¼ cups grated carrots, 1 medium onion
- Combine 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and parsley in a medium to large mixing bowl. Set aside.2 teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1½ teaspoon dried parsley
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the bowl with the olive oil seasoning blend and stir to coat.1½ to 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a dutch oven or other large pot over medium-high heat.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add chicken and onions to dutch oven. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through. (About 8 to 10 minutes, though cooking times will vary based on your stove and size of chicken pieces.)
- Remove chicken and onions and set aside. (It's fine if there are a few stray onion pieces left behind.)
- Add chicken or vegetable stock to the dutch oven along with the carrots, broccoli, and rice.2½ cups chicken or vegetable stock, 1 cup Jasmine rice
- Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stir, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in cheese until melted, then stir in heavy cream and Dijon. Return chicken and onions to the pot and stir until chicken is evenly distributed. Remove from heat.2¼ cups shredded white cheddar cheese, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
