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This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole from Crystal has been a staple recipe at my house for many years! It’s such a great way to use up leftover chicken (or turkey) as well as leftover rice. She has instructions on how to make it as freezer meals, but I often just make it with leftovers and make a half batch of the recipe (which fits in a 9×13 pan) and we eat it the same night.
I follow her recipe (although let’s be honest, I mostly dump and don’t really measure), except I use only cream of chicken soup (my husband would literally find and pick out the teeniest pieces of mushrooms if I used cream of mushroom, haha). If you’re working with leftover rice and leftover chicken, you can throw this casserole together and have it in the oven in less than 10 minutes (seriously!).
Tonight I served this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole with Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins, another oldie but goodie from this website. I buy blueberries in bulk at a reduced price from a warehouse by me, so I almost always have plenty of blueberries in my freezer.
This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Dinner Menu:
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (I made half of this recipe)
- Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients for Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:
- 5 cups cooked rice (Aldi – $2.95 for 3-lbs) — $0.98
- 2 cups cooked, diced chicken (Aldi – $2.49/lb) — $2
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (Aldi) — $1.98
- 1 10-oz bag broccoli florets, steamed and chopped (Aldi) — $1.09
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Bargain City – $15 for 10lbs) — $0.75
- Salt and pepper to taste
Total for Chicken Broccoli Casserole: $6.80 (serves 6-8)
Ingredients for Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins:
- 2 eggs (I used 3 because they were super tiny eggs from our friend’s chickens) — $0
- 1/4 cup applesauce (I used 1 pouch – Bargain City – $1 for 20 pouches) — $0.05
- 1/4 cup oil (Aldi – $2.89 for 96 Tablespoons) — $0.12
- 3/4 cup sugar (Aldi – $2.86 for 4 lbs) — $0.23
- 4 cups whole wheat flour (Lidl – $2.99 for 5lbs) — $0.64
- 3 Tablespoons baking powder (Aldi – $2.05 for 8 ounces) — $0.38
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk (Aldi – $2.78 per gallon) — $0.30
- 3 cups blueberries (Bargain City) — $1.25
Total for Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins: $2.97 (makes 24+ muffins)
Total Cost for Dinner: $9.77 (makes 6+ servings)
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Follow the directions here (or below) for making the casserole. I halved the original recipe (as shown on the recipe card below) and put it in a greased 9×13 pan. (My only substitution was to use 2 cans of cream of chicken soup instead of the original 1 can of cream of mushroom plus 1 can cream of chicken). Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until heated through and beginning to brown.
2. While casserole is cooking, follow the directions here (or below) for making Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins. I used regular oil in place of coconut oil and only 3 Tablespoons total of baking powder.
3. Pour into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until done. (Note: It’s fine for the casserole to bake at 400 degrees while the muffins are in the oven).
4. If you’ve timed it right, the casserole and the muffins will both be finished baking at the same time, haha!
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole with Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins ($10 Family Dinner)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:
- 5 cups cooked rice Aldi – $2.95 for 3-lbs — $0.98
- 2 cups cooked diced chicken (Aldi – $2.49/lb) — $2
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup Aldi — $1.98
- 1 10- oz bag broccoli florets steamed and chopped (Aldi) — $1.09
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Bargain City – $15 for 10lbs — $0.75
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins:
- 2 eggs I used 3 because they were super tiny eggs from our friend’s chickens — $0
- 1/4 cup applesauce I used 1 pouch – Bargain City – $1 for 20 pouches — $0.05
- 1/4 cup oil Aldi – $2.89 for 96 Tablespoons — $0.12
- 3/4 cup sugar Aldi – $2.86 for 4 lbs — $0.23
- 4 cups whole wheat flour Lidl – $2.99 for 5lbs — $0.64
- 3 Tablespoons baking powder Aldi – $2.05 for 8 ounces — $0.38
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk Aldi – $2.78 per gallon — $0.30
- 3 cups blueberries Bargain City — $1.25
Instructions
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the casserole ingredients, reserving some cheese for the top.
- Put the mixture in a greased 9×13 pan. Top with additional shredded cheese, if desired.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until heated through and beginning to brown.
How to Make Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins:
- While the casserole is baking, make the muffins. First, grease two 12-cup muffin tins.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, applesauce, vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil), and sugar and mix well.
- Add a cup of flour, followed by baking powder and salt.
- Next, alternate adding milk and the remaining three cups of flour, being sure not to overload your mixer while mixing together on a low setting.
- Fold in the blueberries, taking care to not over-mix as you want to keep the blueberries intact.
- Pour into greased muffin tins, filling each about ¾ full.
- Turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until done. (Note: It’s fine for the casserole to bake at 400 degrees while the muffins are in the oven).
- If you’ve timed it right, the casserole and the muffins will both be finished baking at the same time, haha!
Nutrition
FAQs about Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:
If you’re using frozen broccoli, you don’t need to cook it before adding it to the casserole. Since fresh broccoli takes longer to cook, you’ll want to steam it before adding it.
These whole wheat blueberry muffins pair deliciously with the casserole! You could also serve it with a simple salad, applesauce, 30-minute yeast rolls, or fresh fruit.
Yes! To freeze this casserole, mix the ingredients together and freeze them in a gallon freezer bag before baking. To bake, thaw in the fridge overnight, dump into a greased casserole dish, top with extra cheese, and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
More Ideas for Family Dinners Under $10:
- Sloppy Joes and Simple Coleslaw
- Chinese Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables
- Cheesy Baked Tortellini and Green Bean Fries
- Bubble Pizza
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet
- French Toast Casserole and Baked Scrambled Eggs
- Easy Baked Chicken
- Biscuits and Gravy
- Quick & Easy Mini Calzones
- Mexican Lasagna
- Easy Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta Skillet
- Chicken Alfredo Pizza
And, be sure to check out all our easy dinner recipes here!
If you make this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole and Whole Wheat Muffins family dinner, we’d love for you to leave a review and let us know how it turned out!
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