A couple of years ago, I discovered that my kids LOVE Stouffer’s Grandma’s Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bake from the frozen foods section of the grocery store. It was a super easy meal to make on busy nights with protein and veggies all-in-one. Even though it’s made with “tender white meat chicken” and contains no preservatives, I still wanted to make a homemade version of my own. After just a couple tries, I came up with this chicken and rice casserole I thought was pretty dang good. I was happy that my girls agreed, too! Except for when I try to substitute brown rice for white rice. Somehow, they just know – lol.
Grandma’s Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bake
by happyvballgirl @ My Epicurean Adventures
Ingredients
Casserole
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken, cooked and cubed (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided (3 cups for rice, 1 cup for cheese sauce)
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots, diced
- 1 cup onions, finely diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup panko crumbs
- 1 Tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
-
In a large pot, bring combine 3 cups broth, water, rice, carrots and onions and bring to boil. Simmer for 35-45 minutes over low heat, stirring regularly, until broth is completely absorbed and rice and veggies are tender.
-
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
-
While rice is cooking, start making cheese sauce. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and add flour, salt and pepper. Whisk constantly, working mixture into a thick paste.
-
Add 1 cup broth very slowly while whisking mixture until broth is fully incorporated, leaving no chunks.
-
Bring to boil for a several minutes. Reduce heat and mix in shredded cheese until mixture is thick and smooth.
-
Add chicken and peas into rice and fold in cheese sauce until well-combined. Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish.
-
In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs with melted butter and mix well. Sprinkle evenly over chicken and rice mixture.
-
Bake, covered, for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes more or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Since you’re already going through the trouble of making one, why not double the recipe to put in the freezer to have later?! Or if your family doesn’t need 8 servings, simply freeze half of it. You can freeze it with or without the breadcrumb topping.
When re-heating, either thaw in the fridge over night and bake according to the directions above or bake, covered, at 375 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until heated throughout. Remove cover, and bake for additional 5-10 minutes. If you froze it without breadcrumbs, add them in when you remove the cover.
Here, I’m bringing the liquids, rice, carrots and onions to a boil for a few minutes. Lower the heat and then simmer until rice is cooked.
While the rice is cooking, make the cheese sauce. Mmmmmm, cheese sauce.
Once the rice is cooked, add in the chicken and peas. Doesn’t it look so good already?
Pour the cheese sauce into the mixture.
Mix carefully and it’s ready to go into your baking dish!
And finally the chicken and rice casserole aka Grandma’s Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bake, with a few scoops taken out because we just couldn’t wait!
Even though it’s an all-in-one meal, it would look so lonely on a plate all by itself, so here it is, served with more carrots and steamed broccoli. No such thing as too many veggies, right? And I just realized I was a little skimpy with this serving, but they are always welcome to get more. Waste not, want not!
Lastly, this recipe makes about 8 servings. For those of you who just don’t need that much for one meal, you can try splitting this dish in half. Make some for dinner tonight and freeze the other half to save for another night! At baking time, just add the breadcrumb topping.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to make my day by leaving me a comment, following my blog via email, on Facebook or on Instagram – the more the merrier!
Christine, aka happyvballgirl 🙂
To check out some of the items used in this post or see a full list of my favorites, simply visit the “Products I Love” page. Any purchases made through these links earns me a little extra cash to support my bento habit, which my hubby would really appreciate. Haha! So, THANK YOU, should you choose to purchase any of ’em!
- Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven, 5.5 qt., Flame
- John Boos Boos Block CB Series Large Reversible Wood Cutting Board with Juice Groove, 1.5-Inch Thickness, 20″ x 15″ x 1 1/2″, Maple
- OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Scraper & Chopper,Silver/Black
- OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Flat Whisk
Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links. 🙂
A couple of years ago, I discovered that my kids LOVE Stouffer’s Grandma’s Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bake from the frozen foods section of the grocery store. It was a super easy meal to make on busy nights with protein and veggies all-in-one. Even though it’s made with “tender white meat chicken” and contains no preservatives, I still wanted to make a homemade version of my own. After just a couple tries, I came up with this chicken and rice casserole I thought was pretty dang good. I was happy that my girls agreed, too! Except for when I try to substitute brown rice for white rice. Somehow, they just know – lol.
Grandma's Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bake
by happyvballgirl @ My Epicurean Adventures
Ingredients
Casserole
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken, cooked and cubed (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided (3 cups for rice, 1 cup for cheese sauce)
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots, diced
- 1 cup onions, finely diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup panko crumbs
- 1 Tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
-
In a large pot, bring combine 3 cups broth, water, rice, carrots and onions and bring to boil. Simmer for 35-45 minutes over low heat, stirring regularly, until broth is completely absorbed and rice and veggies are tender.
-
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
-
While rice is cooking, start making cheese sauce. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and add flour, salt and pepper. Whisk constantly, working mixture into a thick paste.
-
Add 1 cup broth very slowly while whisking mixture until broth is fully incorporated, leaving no chunks.
-
Bring to boil for a several minutes. Reduce heat and mix in shredded cheese until mixture is thick and smooth.
-
Add chicken and peas into rice and fold in cheese sauce until well-combined. Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish.
-
In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs with melted butter and mix well. Sprinkle evenly over chicken and rice mixture.
-
Bake, covered, for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes more or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Since you're already going through the trouble of making one, why not double the recipe to put in the freezer to have later?! Or if your family doesn't need 8 servings, simply freeze half of it. You can freeze it with or without the breadcrumb topping.
When re-heating, either thaw in the fridge over night and bake according to the directions above or bake, covered, at 375 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until heated throughout. Remove cover, and bake for additional 5-10 minutes. If you froze it without breadcrumbs, add them in when you remove the cover.
Here, I’m bringing the liquids, rice, carrots and onions to a boil for a few minutes. Lower the heat and then simmer until rice is cooked.
While the rice is cooking, make the cheese sauce. Mmmmmm, cheese sauce.
Once the rice is cooked, add in the chicken and peas. Doesn’t it look so good already?
Pour the cheese sauce into the mixture.
Mix carefully and it’s ready to go into your baking dish!
And finally the chicken and rice casserole aka Grandma’s Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bake, with a few scoops taken out because we just couldn’t wait!
Even though it’s an all-in-one meal, it would look so lonely on a plate all by itself, so here it is, served with more carrots and steamed broccoli. No such thing as too many veggies, right? And I just realized I was a little skimpy with this serving, but they are always welcome to get more. Waste not, want not!
Lastly, this recipe makes about 8 servings. For those of you who just don’t need that much for one meal, you can try splitting this dish in half. Make some for dinner tonight and freeze the other half to save for another night! At baking time, just add the breadcrumb topping.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to make my day by leaving me a comment, following my blog via email, on Facebook or on Instagram – the more the merrier!
Christine, aka happyvballgirl 🙂
To check out some of the items used in this post or see a full list of my favorites, simply visit the “Products I Love” page. Any purchases made through these links earns me a little extra cash to support my bento habit, which my hubby would really appreciate. Haha! So, THANK YOU, should you choose to purchase any of ’em!
Hubby said it’s a keeper! I did double the cheese sauce however. My Panko bread topping was seasoned, next time I’ll try plain Panko. Yum!
Yay!!! I’m so glad your hubby deemed it a keeper! Makes me so happy! 🙂 Thanks for letting us know what variations you made! and thanks for stopping by to leave a comment, Christie!!
I used to eat this from granny’s freez meal when I was living in Missouri for 6 months,.. that was 10 years ago and do this day I still had cravings do this specific recipe! Thanks from the bottom of my heart that I can now, this evening fulfill my craving all the way from the Netherlands! I made sure to make a lot so I can freeze it!
Hi Kim! LOVE LOVE LOVE this!! So glad you were able to fulfill that craving after so many years! Thanks a bunch for stopping by and putting a smile on my face today! <3
Thanks for this! During the food supply disruptions, it has been nearly impossible to find.. and for $11, we weren’t really missing not being able to find it. My kids loved this recipe!
Hi Laura! It makes me so happy to hear that your kids loved this recipe! They are among the toughest food critics! haha. Thanks for stopping by and making my day! 🙂
I added some dried celery flakes and I don’t think it was needed. The original doesn’t have a celery flavor to it. I agree that there isn’t enough sauce. I made a double batch and added a can of condensed cheddar cheese soup to increase the sauce and it was still less saucy than the store bought stuff. I definitely think doubling the sauce would be needed to get it like Stouffers. Chicken and rice bake is one of the few meals my very picky toddler actually eats and is one of the only ways he will eat rice or peas, so getting it as close to store bought as possible as my objective. He didn’t like what I made quite as well (I did, and the hubby did, though), so I think no celery and way more sauce is the way to go for us.
Hey Angela! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go! Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of celery flavor myself so I don’t usually cook with it (except for in coleslaw!), but some do love that flavor! I guess I’m like your toddler. lol. And yes, definitely add more sauce if it’s not saucy enough for you. I’d try making 1.5 x the sauce recipe to start, but if you love saucy, just go ahead and double it. 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts about this recipe! 🙂
I made this tonight and must say it is very good and tastes very much like Stouffer’s. I used canned chicken and a can of peas, since I was out of frozen peas. i also finely diced one stalk of celery. This was easy to put together and I love that it can be frozen too!
Gina! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave me a comment. I LOVE that! and I love that you liked the recipe and that you made it your own. Happy cooking! 🙂
I love that you took the time to make this recipe! My family loves the frozen meal and I’m so glad I found this to make it homemade. I saved myself time by pre cooking some stuff by using microwave rice, and carrots. The consistency of it stayed the same. I also only put it in the oven long enough to crisp the breadcrumbs since everything else was already heated through. I used corn instead of peas, Jasmine rice instead of plain white rice and added extra cheese. I have 2 babies so I try to have a nice homemade dinner that I can make in 45 minutes. Hope these tips help.
Savanna, thanks so much for your sweet comment and sharing your tips! Those are some great time-saving tricks. I hope it turned out great and that your babies loved it!
What if you’re using like a box of the quick brown rice? Will the peas and carrots still come out right adding them to the minute rice when it cools?
Hi Laura,
I’ve never tried using quick brown rice but I believe the peas would be fine. And if you’re using matchstick carrots chopped up further, I think they would cook fine in the oven as well or perhaps be only slightly crunchy. If you’re using bigger pieces of raw carrots, I feel like they might not soften very much in the oven, so maybe give them a quick 5-10 boil before putting the casserole in the oven? Good luck and let me know how it turns out! Thanks so much for stopping by! Christine 🙂
The only thing missing is finely diced celery I think I’ll add a 3/4 cup. Big flavor boost.
I bet celery would be a great addition to this dish! Let me know how it turns out, Teresa! 🙂
Made this for the first time. It didn’t seem as saucey as the frozen version from the store. 🤷🏻♀️ Could I just double the sauce portion? My family likes dishes to be saucey!! Lol Otherwise quite good!!!!
Hi Melissa! First of all, thanks so much for stopping by my blog and giving this recipe a try! I appreciate it! To make it more saucy , you could either use a little less rice than the recipe calls for or maybe instead of doubling it, try x 1.5. I feel like doubling the sauce would make it tooooooo saucy, unless your family reaaaaaaaaaalllly likes saucy! haha. Take care and good luck!
Love this recipe…. Thank you for sharing! One quick question…. If I have a frozen bag of peas and carrots combined, will that change the recipe too much to add them together instead of cooking the carrots with the rice?
Hi Kim! First of all, thanks so much for stopping by, following my blog and leaving me your sweet comment! It made my day! And in answer to your question, if you’re using a frozen bag of peas and carrots, just add them when you add the peas. I only cook the carrots with the rice since they are so hard when raw. I bet it’ll turn out great using those instead. Good luck and hope you like the recipe! Christine 🙂
I love this recipe. It was a big hit! We are usually big eaters so I cooked the whole recipe. However, I didn’t realize how filling it would be! Can I freeze it after cooking it?
Hi Jessica! Thanks so much for the sweet comment and I’m SO happy to hear you love the recipe! Yes, you can totally freeze it after cooking. When you’re ready to re-heat it, just add a little water, like maybe a few tablespoons depending on how much you have left, so it doesn’t dry out, and cover it. Have a great day because you totally made mine! 🙂