Curried Chicken and Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food recipe, made healthy using a homemade cream of chicken soup substitute, brown rice, tender chicken, vegetables and warm curry.
CURRIED CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE
You guys are going to love this Curried Chicken and Rice Casserole. It is a twist on classic chicken and rice using warm, rich curry.
If you are looking for something comforting this casserole is for you.
I don’t know about you guys but I think casseroles are so warming and cozy. I love making this Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole, Sausage and Bean Casserole, Mexican Chicken Casserole and this One Pot Mexican Stuffed Pepper Casserole.
There is also something so warming about the spice curry. I use it a lot in recipes like this Simple Curry Chicken Salad, Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Curried Butternut Squash Soup
I don’t know if it is because it reminds me of my Grandma’s chicken and rice casserole I ate as a child or the way it just sticks to your bones on a cold winter day.
But it doesn’t have to be cold to enjoy this curried chicken dinner.
It makes an easy meal that you can cook for your family, and if everyone doesn’t eat the whole pot then you might just have some leftovers for later.
When Andrew was born I was lucky enough to have my Mom come and stay with me for two weeks.
She was the biggest help during my time of recovery and figuring this whole “Mom of two boys” thing out.
She cooked, cleaned, entertained Will, snuggled with Andrew, gave me time to take naps, oh, and did I say she cooked?! She is an awesome cook.
And really that is an understatement until you have had a seat at her table.
She can whip up a meal with no recipe at all and it becomes a new family favorite!
Imagine recovering from delivery a baby, chasing around a toddler and functioning on little sleep…this requires comfort food, right?!
So I asked my Mom to whip up a batch of chicken and rice.
When she put the dish on the table it had a yellowish color and I could smell the aromatic curry.
At first I wondered if I would like the traditional chicken and rice dish transformed by curry, but I soon learned I loved it even more.
It is a warm, rich spice that adds just the right amount of flavor.
If you aren’t a fan of curry, you can easily leave out that spice and maybe use a little thyme and oregano or basil.
That is the great thing about a casserole with rice, chicken and vegetables–they are very versatile.
My Mom’s chicken and rice casserole recipe calls for a can of condensed cream of chicken soup. If you have hung around here, you know I like to try and make things from scratch as much as I can.
So, I headed over to Karly’s blog Buns in My Oven to learn how to make my homemade condensed cream of chicken soup.
And it is OH SO EASY! I highly suggest you try that as part of the recipe, but feel free to use a can of condensed cream of chicken soup if your heart desires.
Curried Chicken and Rice Casserole
Curried Chicken and Rice Casserole is the ultimate comfort food made healthy using a homemade cream of chicken soup, brown rice, tender chicken, vegetables and warm curry.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice (or white)
- 1 cup broccoli, chopped into small pieces
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts { or 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded if using leftover chicken}
- Cream of chicken soup substitute (or a can of condensed cream of chicken soup)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook rice according to package and set aside.
- Heat a pot of boiling water over medium high heat. Add the broccoli and cook until tender. Set aside.
- Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and place the chicken in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the meat is no longer pink, turning occasionally and the juices run clear (8-10 minutes).
- Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and saute the carrots, celery, sweet onion, garlic, turmeric and curry powder until vegetables are soft {about 12-15 minutes}.
- Once the vegetables are soft add the rice, chicken, vegetables and the cream of chicken soup {or the substitute} mixing well over low heat for two minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon the casserole into a 13x9 glass baking dish or casserole dish and place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- To make this recipe even easier buy a rotisserie chicken and shred two cups.
- This recipe is very customizable. You can add more of less vegetables and chicken depending on your tastes.
- If you want less spice you can leave the curry and turmeric out or just add a small amount to your tastes.
- I like to make my own cream of chicken soup substitute to avoid using the canned soup but you can do either. If you choose to make your own substitute you will want to make that while you are sauteing the vegetables.
- You can omit the turmeric and curry powder if you like and it would still taste great.
Dean Vaccaro
Sunday 8th of December 2024
My family LOVED this dish!! Thank you. I added a tad more curry and turmeric. I also did half curry and half spicy curry, which was perfect. The homemade cream of chicken is key. I wonder what is a good way to infuse some coconut into this dish? Perhaps using coconut milk instead of regular milk? Thank you again. We love this.
Julia
Monday 9th of December 2024
Thank you for the kind words and so glad your family enjoyed it! I love the spicy curry. I think that coconut milk would be a great addition. Maybe just a small amount to infuse some of that flavor.
Trish
Wednesday 13th of November 2024
The recipe says “cooked chicken” but then says to “cook until no longer pink”.
Which is it?
Julia
Thursday 14th of November 2024
Sorry if you are cooking the chicken yourself then cook until no longer pink or 8-10 minutes in a skillet. If you uses leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken then it would already be cooked. That is confusing I will change it. I am actually working on updating this post as it is an older recipe. Hope you like it!
Jayne
Wednesday 23rd of August 2023
I made this but instead of cream soup I used a can of coconut milk. Added 1T of garam masala. Yummy
Julia
Thursday 24th of August 2023
Great ides! I hope you enjoyed it.
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens
Thursday 10th of April 2014
This looks absolutely fantastic! Perfect comfort food for a mom with teeny guys, for sure! I adore curry powder, and you know I'm all about healthier versions of recipes, so I just know I'll love this delicious casserole! Oh - and I so enjoyed the sweet story about your mom and her time at your house after Andrew was born! :D
Julia
Friday 11th of April 2014
Thanks Shelley! It was so nice to have her here when he was born. And yes, you and I both are all about healthier recipes. You would like this one!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
Tuesday 8th of April 2014
It was great! I made it just like yours except I added some chopped parsley and topped it with buttered breadcrumbs and baked it til browned. All plates went back to the kitchen empty!
Julia
Tuesday 8th of April 2014
Sounds perfect! Love the idea of adding parsley! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out. :)