I’m such a super-fan of one-pan meals. They are easy to make and easy to clean-up. This one is great too because even the rice is cooked in the same pan. All you’re doing when you make it is layering upon layering flavors – first the onions, then the chicken and garlic, then the rice… it keeps on getting better from there with broth, broccoli and of course, cheese.
I’ll say though, that when I went to the supermarket yesterday, I didn’t know what I wanted to make. I just happened to look at the ingredients I bought and realized it would make the perfect dish. Lucky really…
While I normally meal plan during the week in the school year, I tend to relax more in the summers. We’re out more, we aren’t on a strict schedule and there’s not as much time to plan and cook. You know what, that’s ok. It’s what makes summer even more fun.
This is really an easy dish. I hope you enjoy it!
One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup uncooked extra long grain white rice
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a large skillet or pan, sauté onions in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Once onions soften, increase the heat to medium high and add chicken to the pan.
- Brown the chicken pieces and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 more minute.
- Push chicken to one side of the pan and add additional tablespoon of olive oil to other side. Add the uncooked rice in the olive oil and saute it for a couple of minutes.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid. Cook chicken and rice mixture covered for about 12 minutes.
- Sprinkle the broccoli evenly over the chicken and rice mixture and stir to combine. Continue to cook covered another 8 minutes on low, or until broccoli and rice are both tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in half a cup of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover with a lid, letting it sit for 1-2 minutes or until cheese has melted. Enjoy!
