Amish Chicken Casserole Recipe
Dinner doesn't get any easier than this Amish chicken and rice casserole. It's a quick meal to put together that requires only one pan and a few simple ingredients.
This easy chicken and rice bake is a kid-approved, amazingly delicious, and comforting dish that's perfect for any day of the week.
It requires only a few minutes of hands-on time. And you could even prepare it the night before, place it in the refrigerator overnight, and pop it into the oven when it's close to dinnertime.
It's also a great dish for Sunday lunch since you can bake it at a lower temperature for two hours. Place it into the oven before you leave for church, and lunch will be ready when you get home.
Chicken and Rice Bake with Cream of Mushroom Soup
I like to make this chicken and rice recipe with cream of mushroom soup. But it's also good with cream of chicken soup or you could even use cream of celery. You can use whichever you prefer or have on hand.
And in case you were thinking that the Amish make all their food from scratch, they also take shortcuts and use store-bought canned goods.
But if you'd rather not use store-bought cream soup, you can easily make homemade cream of mushroom soup.
Variations for this Amish Chicken Casserole
Not only is this oven-baked chicken and rice dish easy to make, but it's also easily adaptable. So make it however your family likes it.
We already addressed the fact that you can use any kind of cream soup. But what about some other variations?
Chicken:
Can I use different kinds of chicken for this dish?
Yes, you certainly can. Some people like to use bone-in chicken thighs or legs, and that's perfectly great. I just prefer to not have to deal with bones when I'm eating a casserole.
Chicken breast works great too, although I recommend using thick breasts so they don't dry out too much by the time the rice is finished baking.
I love chicken breast and use it in many chicken recipes, but for this recipe, I typically use boneless thighs.
Rice:
What kind of rice should I use? We eat lots of rice, so I buy 20 lb. bags of basmati rice because it's our favorite.
But you can use plain white rice, Jasmine, or basmati rice. I don't recommend using minute rice or brown rice, as both of those would require different cooking times.
Cheese:
Maybe your family loves cheesy dishes. Feel free to uncover and sprinkle a layer of cheese over the top when it's almost finished baking.
Veggies:
I'd like to make this a complete one-dish meal, can I add veggies to Amish chicken and rice casserole?
Yes, that is another option. Broccoli goes great with chicken and rice. Just scatter some fresh or frozen florets over the rice along with the chicken.
Chopped kale or spinach would be great. And you could always add sliced mushrooms as well.
Herbs and Seasonings:
For an extra depth of flavor, feel free to add fresh herbs to the dish before serving. Chopped fresh thyme, basil, rosemary, or parsley would all be great additions.
And this chicken and rice dish gets most of its flavor from the onion soup mix. But that's not something I keep stocked in my pantry all the time. So what if I want to make this recipe, and I don't have any onion soup mix? You can easily add a mixture of seasonings to create your own flavor profile.
Water, Chicken Broth, or Milk:
This Amish chicken recipe uses water, but adding some chicken broth will also add a greater depth of flavor.
You can add chicken bouillon to the water, or use a mixture of water, broth, and milk.
Grandma's Chicken and Rice
This is an old-fashioned chicken and rice recipe that may very well be something like your grandma made. It's one of those traditional recipes that stands the test of time.
And for many of us, this dish could be considered comfort food.
What is comfort food? Comfort food is often foods that are high in carbs and tend to be associated with our childhood or home cooking.
I hope you enjoy this Amish chicken and rice casserole. If you try this recipe, I would love it if you let me know in the comments below.
More Amish Chicken Recipes you may want to try...
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Pyrex Deep 9x13-Inch Glass Baking Dish with Lid, Deep Casserole Dish
Amish Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 c. raw rice
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lb.)
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 2 c. water (or chicken broth)
- 1 - 2 minced garlic cloves (optional)
- 1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
- 1/2 tsp. paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Spread the raw rice into a heavily buttered 9x13" baking dish.1 c. raw rice
- Lay the pieces of raw chicken on top of the rice.6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lb.)
- In a bowl, whisk together the cream soup, water, and minced garlic. And pour this mixture over top of the chicken.1 can cream of mushroom soup, 2 c. water (or chicken broth), 1 - 2 minced garlic cloves (optional)
- Sprinkle the packet of soup mix over the top. And then sprinkle with paprika.1 packet Lipton onion soup mix, 1/2 tsp. paprika (optional)
- Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 5 - 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
- Refrigerate and reheat any leftovers.
rhetta gavi
great
Anna
Thank you!
Michelle
Hi Anna, I’m brand new to your site & this dish caught my eye & has my taste buds working over-time!
I do have a question tho, do you think I could use smoked paprika in place of plain paprika in this dish? I love the smoked variety, but have found it doesn’t always blend well with other seasonings. I would be dismayed to put together this wonderful sounding casserole, then ruin it by changing that 1 thing…
Thank you so much, in advance!
Anna
I don't see any problem with that. I also like the smoked paprika and I use it interchangeably in many dishes.
~Chrissie O.
Hi, Anna!! This recipe is a family favorite (though we use cream/celery if I'm not making my own cream base - which I do frequently when my daughter is visiting, as she's dairy-free)!!! I haven't tried it at the lower temp, but your cooking times for us, as well as water ratio have *always* been on point!!
Question for you: I had a similar dish a while ago at a Plain schoolhouse fundraiser, only it was like this: Chicken on the bottom, stuffing mix on top, and maybe the cream soup with water/milk poured over it??? Is that a recipe with which you're familiar? It was a potluck, so no good way to find the gal who brought it, and I suppose I could play with it and figure it out. But, if it were another classic staple, boy would I sure appreciate a post about it!!! 🙂
Thank you so much; I love getting the notifications that I've got another post to read. I've mentioned in my comments, before, that all of my neighbors are Plain, and I've truly appreciated the bit of insight you've shared. I feel it helps me be more respectful when interacting with them, which is frequently.
Yours very sincerely, ~Chrissie
Anna
I'm glad that you're enjoying my posts!! I do have a recipe for the chicken with stuffing on top, and I was thinking about posting it soon. Maybe I'll put a rush on it for you. 🙂