Grab one rotisserie chicken and re-purpose it into THREE different meals that all use similar ingredients. Today: Creamy Chicken, Broccoli, & Rice Casserole, Creamy Chicken Hawaiian Haystacks, & Chicken, Rice, & Veggie Soup. Video tutorial and printable shopping list included.
Hey everyone! Welcome to INSTALLMENT #2 of the new-ish series on Chelsea’s Messy Apron: “3 Meals with 1 Rotisserie Chicken”. In case you missed the overview of this series (or the first installment of three different recipes using 1 rotisserie chicken), click here.
Last month we focused on BBQ Chicken and made salad, tacos, & a flatbread pizza. This month we are doing “Comfort Food Inspired” with a creamy chicken & rice casserole, creamy chicken Hawaiian haystacks, and a chicken & rice soup.
These three meals are super comforting and perfect as the weather is cooling down. They also don’t use any “cream of x” soups (but don’t worry they also don’t require a ton of extra prep time)! But the best part of this series? With a few extra minutes prep on one of the days you can completely assemble TWO meals at once — the casserole and the Haystacks. We like to eat the Haystacks first (make the creamy chicken sauce which will go on both meals + some extra rice) and then I quickly assemble the casserole at the same time. Cover that casserole with foil and you’ve literally got no prep time the next day! If you’re making a big batch of rice for the haystacks and the chicken broccoli casserole, you can also make some for the soup if you want to avoid using the rice sides packet. That said, a lot of seasoning are included in that packet, so you’ll want to compensate with adding some additional seasonings.
If you get a colossal-sized rotisserie chicken and grab every piece of meat off of it you should have around 5-6 cups total of shredded rotisserie chicken. You’ll use about 2 cups per meal 🙂
EASY CHICKEN, BROCCOLI, & RICE CASSEROLE
Broccoli, Cheese, & Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup milk 1%, 2%, or whole
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 1/4 cup sour cream (I use fat free)
- 2 cups prepared rotisserie chicken, shredded/chopped
- 2 cups prepared white (or brown) rice*
- 2 cup broccoli, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4ths of 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package instructions.
- If baking the casserole right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small sauce pan over low heat, melt the butter. Slowly whisk in the flour until completely combined with no chunks (a thick dough will form). Stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock or broth, salt (to taste, add more as desired), garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Allow to thicken and then gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly.
- Stir over low heat until thickened. Stir in the freshly grated (pre-grated tends to get greasy) cheddar cheese and mix until melted and smooth. Add in the sour cream and shredded chicken. Stir until chicken is warmed through.
- Cover the bottom of an 8 x 8 (or 2 quart) baking dish with the cooked and cooled rice. Add the chopped broccoli on top in an evenly layer. Place the cheesy chicken mixture on top and cover with tin foil. If not cooking right now, place in the fridge.
- If cooking now, crush the Ritz crackers and mix with the melted butter. Top the casserole evenly with this mixture.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes and, if desired, broil under high for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully. Enjoy immediately.
Video
Recipe Notes
CREAMY CHICKEN HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS
Creamy Chicken Hawaiian Haystacks
Ingredients
- 1 cup white or brown rice + water
- 2 cups prepared rotisserie chicken shredded/chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup 1%, 2%, or whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon EACH: freshly cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup sour cream (I use fat free)
- 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Toppings of choice such as: shredded/flaked coconut, black olives crispy chow mein noodles, drained chunk pineapple, cheddar cheese, green onions, chopped red pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan over low heat, melt the butter. Slowly whisk in the flour until completely combined with no chunks (a thick dough will form). Stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Gradually add in the chicken stock or broth, whisking constantly. Add in the pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. Allow to thicken and then gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly.
- Stir over low heat until thickened. Stir in the freshly grated (pre-grated tends to get greasy) cheddar cheese and mix until melted and smooth. Add in the sour cream and shredded chicken. Stir until chicken is warmed through.
- Prepare your haystacks! Top each place with even amounts of rice and then even amounts of the cheesy creamy chicken!
- Top the chicken with your favorite toppings: shredded coconut, olives, chunked pineapple chow mein noodles, a chopped red pepper, green onions, extra cheddar cheese, etc.!
- Enjoy immediately!
CHICKEN, RICE, & VEGGIE SOUP
Chicken Rice Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 of 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 2 large stalks celery, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 (32 ounces) carton reduced-sodium chicken stock (or chicken broth)
- 1 and 1/2 cup water
- 1 package Knorr Rice Sides - Chicken Flavor Broccoli
- 2 cups prepared rotisserie chicken, chopped or shredded
- Salt and freshly cracked pepper
- Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- Optional: fresh parsley, fresh thyme
Instructions
- Heat butter and olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped pepper, diced onion, diced carrot, diced celery, and thyme. Stir occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add broth or stock, water, and the package of rice sides. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook covered 10 minutes or until rice is tender.
- Meanwhile, shred or chop the rotisserie chicken.
- Stir in chicken and serve immediately. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add parmesan cheese to each bowl. Top with fresh parsley and fresh thyme if desired.
- Best enjoyed the same day it is made or the rice tends to bloat.
PRINTABLE SHOPPING LIST:
Chicken Rice Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
Meat
- 1 Colossal-Sized Rotisserie Chicken (or 2 smaller/regular sized rotisserie chickens)
Produce
- 2 medium red bell peppers (1 for Haystacks, 1 for soup)
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 large carrot
- 2 stalks celery
- Fresh parlsey/thyme Optional for soup
- 1 large head of broccoli
Dairy
- 1 package (4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 package (16 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese
- 1%, 2%, or Whole Milk
- 1 container (16 ounces) sour cream (full fat or low fat or fat free)
Canned Goods/Herbs
- Dried Thyme, Dried Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder
- 2 cups White or Brown Rice
- 1 package Knorr Rice Sides -- Chicken Flavor Broccoli
- 2 (32 ounces EACH) cartons Chicken Broth or Stock (1 carton for the soup, 2 cups total for the other two dishes
- 1/2 cup white all-purpose flour
Random Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Crispy Chow Mein Noodles (see optional toppings under Creamy Chicken Hawaiian Haystacks to decide which you want to buy)
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
The casserole dish is delicious and will definitely make it again.. My husband said it was like pot pie and i was like “what?” All the ingredients went together so nicely and we all loved it very much… Thanx Chelsea!!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Hello, your broccoli, cheese, rice casserole I get using a rotisserie chicken is a lot faster and easy to use. But, I wanted to know can I use skinless chicken breast? If I cut and brown it on the stove could that work just as well. What would you season it with? I thought Salt, Pepper and maybe garlic salt.. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Love that you used flavored rice in the chicken soup for extra oomph! I never would have thought of that. And thank you for the shopping list! Super helpful 🙂