Description
Crack Chicken and Rice brings together creamy, cheesy comfort that’ll make your family beg for seconds. Weeknight dinners just got way more delicious with this simple, crowd-pleasing casserole that comes together fast.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 package ranch dressing mix
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 cup milk
- Turkey bacon
Instructions
- Salt and pepper two pounds of chicken breasts. Sear them in a skillet over medium-high heat at 375°F for 6-8 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove chicken from skillet. Shred with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a separate plate.
- Cook turkey bacon in the same skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until crispy. Chop into small fragments.
- Pour one 10.5-ounce can of cream of chicken soup and one cup of whole milk into the skillet. Whisk in entire package of ranch dressing mix until sauce becomes smooth.
- Add 1½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice directly into the sauce. Stir thoroughly to coat rice evenly.
- Simmer rice mixture on low heat at 250°F for 18-20 minutes, covering skillet with lid to steam rice properly.
- Fold two cups of shredded cheddar cheese into the rice mixture. Stir gently to distribute cheese throughout.
- Mix shredded chicken back into skillet. Ensure all ingredients are well combined and heated through.
- Sprinkle crispy bacon pieces across the top of your completed dish. Serve immediately while hot and cheese remains melted.
Notes
- Choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the most tender and easy-to-shred meat.
- Let the ranch dressing mix season the entire dish, creating a rich and creamy flavor profile.
- For a lighter version, swap regular bacon for turkey bacon and use low-fat cream of chicken soup.
- Experiment with different cheese varieties like pepper jack or monterey jack to add extra kick to your dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 540 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg