Chicken Casserole

Method

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F and butter a 23 x 33 cm baking dish. Boil the rice in plenty of salted water for 8 minutes, until it is about two-thirds cooked, and drain well.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the chicken for 6 minutes. Add the onion, mushrooms and garlic and cook for 6 minutes, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid. Spoon into the baking dish with the rice and broccoli.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

3. For the sauce, melt the 40 g of butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and stock a little at a time, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until thick.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

4. Take the sauce off the heat and stir in 150 g of the cheddar, the mustard, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour it over the rice and chicken and stir to combine.

   Mark done

5. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

   Mark done Start 30 min timer

6. Mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and the remaining cheddar. Uncover the casserole, scatter over the crumbs and bake for 15 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Boil the rice for a few minutes first. Raw rice in a baked casserole is often still hard when the chicken is done.
• Cut the broccoli into small florets. Large pieces stay raw in the middle while the sauce bakes.
• If the rice is still firm after the covered bake, stir in 100 ml of hot stock, cover again and bake for 10 minutes more.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Panko gives the crunchiest crust here, but ordinary dried breadcrumbs will still fry crisp if that's what's in the cupboard.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• A green salad
• Garlic bread
• Roasted carrots

Storage & Reheating

Keep in the fridge up to 4 days and reheat covered in a 180°C oven for 25 minutes. Assemble up to a day ahead, without the crumbs, and add them before baking.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.