Easy One Pan Chicken Delight Casserole

Chicken Delight is a simple comforting casserole that should be easy to make and something the kids will enjoy.  A lot of chicken and rice casserole recipes can be overly complicated and unnecessarily unhealthy.  To me Chicken Delight should be simple, easy and delicious.

Why I love chicken delight casserole

I love this Chicken Delight Casserole recipe because it is so simple.  By using precooked rice and canned soup it is easy to get this dinner on the table in under 45 minutes from start to finish and half that time is the casserole cooking in the oven.

I also appreciate how this recipe has a deceiving amount of vegetables in it.  Between the carrots, celery, onion and red peppers the dish is almost half veggies!  But from the kiddos perspective they don’t even notice.  To them it just tastes like yummy chicken soup.

Ingredients in Chicken and Rice Casserole

This recipe is super simple and can be made with only 10 ingredients, many of which you probably already have on hand.  This chicken delight casserole recipe is also very flexible and many of the ingredients can be substituted or omitted based on your personal preferences or what you have in your fridge or pantry.

• Celery: the use of celery in the dish helps add flavor but also some nice crunch.  To me the combination of celery and chicken always reminds me of homemade chicken soup
• Onion: the onion adds more flavor to the dish but is not overwhelming
• Carrot: the carrots add some nice sweetness and flavor but because they are grated/shredded they do not overwhelm
• Red Pepper: the red pepper is a great addition of extra vegetable that completely blends into the dish.  You can use a whole pepper, half or omit it if you like.
• Chicken Breast: I use boneless skinless chicken breast because it is nice and lean.  The casserole is very moist so you do not need to worry about the chicken being dry.  You can always substitute chicken tenders or thighs if you prefer.
• Brown Rice: Because this casserole is saucy and full of flavor I use brown rice instead of white rice and my kids can’t tell the difference. I also use an instant or  “ready rice” to save having to cook rice. If you have leftover rice you can always use that or substitute another grain like quinoa, barley or even pasta.
• Cream of Chicken Soup: this is the base of the casserole and really gives it the chicken soup flavor.  I use Cambell’s Cream of Chicken Soup but any brand is fine.
• Cream of Mushroom Soup: the cream of mushroom helps just make the casserole a little creamier but you can use just cream of chicken or just cream of mushroom.  I personally like to use 1 can of each.  I have also used a can of cream of broccoli soup and broccoli cheddar soup.  All options are great!
• Lemon Juice: Lemon juice makes the dish a little brighter and helps the flavors shine
• Tabasco: the tabasco hot sauce gives a very subtle flavor but you can always add more to give it more kick.
• Ritz Crackers: the Ritz crackers make for a very easy and tasty topping to the casserole.  I find them to be better than using store bought breadcrumbs.

How to Make One Pan Chicken Delight Casserole

This recipe can be done very quickly and you do not need to worry if you speed things up by cooking all the vegetables together.  I like to make it all in the same pan and then bake it in the pan to save dishes but it can also be transferred to a small casserole dish.  It might seem like a lot of steps but it is really quick and easy to make.

1. Dice the onion, celery and red peppers and shred the carrots using a box grater (this is one of the most underrated but essential cooking tools).  You can keep the vegetables separate or combine all in one bowl.
2. Dice the chicken
3. Cook the chicken with a little olive or vegetable oil, about 1 tablespoon over medium heat.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.  Remove the chicken from the pan and place in bowl with any liquid from the pan
4. Cook the vegetables in the same pan you used for the chicken with a little oil, about 1 tablespoon.  You can start with the onions and then add the celery, carrots and peppers or cook all together.  Cook the vegetables until they are soft.  If the onions color or caramelize that is ok.
5. Add the cooked brown rice to the vegetables in the pan
6. Stir in the can of Cream of Chicken Soup and Cream of Mushroom Soup to the pan
7. Add the cooked chicken back into the pan
8. Season the casserole with lemon juice and tabasco or other hot sauce
9. Top with crushed ritz crackers.  Be sure to evenly sprinkle them across the entire pan
10. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Make it even easier with these tricks

• You can substitute using raw chicken breast with leftover rotisserie chicken or even canned chicken.  Just remember that 1 pound of raw chicken is the same as about 3 cups of cooked diced chicken.
• You can cook all the vegetables together at once to speed things up

Make your casserole even tastier with these tricks

• Mix in some chopped parsley, sage, lemon zest and garlic with the crushed ritz crackers for the topping for an extra pop of flavor.  I know it is a few extra ingredients and extra work but it really takes the dish to the next level
• If you want an even richer casserole you can add 1 cup of shredded cheddar or ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese.  Just mix in the cheese right before adding the cracker topping and baking the casserole.
• Add a cup of cooked broccoli or frozen peas for an extra serving of vegetables.

Ingredient substitutions for easy Chicken Delight Casserole

• Cream of Chicken Soup can be substituted for Cream of Mushroom Soup, Cream of Broccoli Soup or Broccoli Cheddar Soup depending on your personal preferences.
• Ritz Crackers can be substituted for Saltine Crackers.  If you use Saltines I recommended mixing in 2-3 Tablespoons of melted butter to the saltine mix
• Tabasco hot sauce can be substituted with any other hot sauce

Watch the Quick Video Recipe

Here is a quick video recipe for the chicken delight casserole that helps you see just how easy this recipe is. With only 10 minutes of prep time, you will have this tasty, healthy dinner ready in no time.

As you can see from the video this is a perfect weeknight dinner and very family friendly. And since it has lots of carrots, celery, onion, and peppers, it is a complete dinner in just one pan.

Chicken Delight Casserole

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Chicken Delight is a simple, comforting, one-pan chicken and rice casserole that the whole family can enjoy.

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

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• 2 ribs of celery, diced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ red pepper, diced
• 2 pounds of chicken breast, diced
• 1 package of brown “ready rice” or 2 cups of cooked brown rice
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or juice from ½ lemon
• 3 dashes of tabasco
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Dice the onion, celery and red peppers and shred the carrots using a box grater.  You can keep the vegetables separate or combine all in one bowl.
3. Dice the chicken
4. Cook the chicken with a little olive or vegetable oil, about 1 tablespoon over medium heat.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.  Remove the chicken from the pan and place in bowl with any liquid from the pan
5. Cook the vegetables over medium heat in the same pan you used for the chicken with a little oil, about 1 tablespoon.  You can start with the onions and then add the celery, carrots and peppers or cook all together.   Cook the vegetables until they are soft, about 3 minutes.  If the onions color or caramelize that is ok.
6. Add the cooked brown rice to the vegetables in the pan
7. Stir in the can of Cream of Chicken Soup and Cream of Mushroom Soup to the pan
8. Add the cooked chicken pan
9. Season with lemon juice and tabasco or other hot sauce
10. Top with crushed Ritz crackers.  Be sure to evenly sprinkle them across the entire pan
11. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

• Author: anthony
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 30
• Category: Casseroles
• Method: Stove and Oven
• Cuisine: American

What to serve with Chicken and Rice Casseroles?

If you are looking to have an additional side dish with your chicken delight casserole I recommend serving a vegetable or a salad. Because the casserole has brown rice and a cracker topping I like to have something a little lighter on the side. Some of my favorite side dishes are:

• Broccoli with Garlic and Parmesan Cheese
• A simple salad of mixed greens, romaine or iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing
• Roasted brussels sprouts or a Brussels sprouts salad
• Peas
• Coleslaw