Grandma’s Chicken and Rice Casserole

Grandma’s Chicken and Rice Casserole is one of those dishes the entire family will eat. This casserole is a perfect way to take leftover chicken, cooked rice – and even hard-boiled eggs – and turn them into a whole new dish.

Grandma’s Chicken and Rice Casserole

Barbara found this recipe in our Grandma’s wooden recipe box.  It looks like exactly what Grandma might make to use up leftovers in her refrigerator such as leftover cooked white rice and diced chicken. Grandma was the queen of frugal and she did not like to waste anything.  Barbara also loves the idea of taking leftovers and making them into a completely new meal.

One evening, Barbara just so happened to have some cooked white rice and leftover rotisserie chicken in her refrigerator, so she decided to re-create this chicken and rice casserole for the blog.  The rest of the ingredients are pantry and refrigerator staples, including mayonnaise, lemon juice, mushroom soup, eggs, onions and celery.

Notes About Leftover Chicken and Rice Casserole with corn flakes:

• Use canned chicken, poached chicken, rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken – whatever type of leftover chicken is available for this easy chicken and rice casserole.
• Leftover turkey would also be great in this casserole, especially after Thanksgiving when you may have some leftover hard boiled eggs in your refrigerator too.
• Substitute bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or crushed potato chips for corn flakes, if desired.
• Mayonnaise makes for a creamy casserole, but Miracle Whip would work as a substitute, if needed.
• Be sure to use rice that has already been cooked.

How to make Grandma’s Chicken and Rice Casserole

Scroll to the bottom for the complete recipe for chicken and rice casserole with cream of mushroom soup.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook onion and celery in the butter until tender; do not brown. Once the onion and celery are cooked, mix all ingredients together except cornflakes.  (Your chicken and rice should already be cooked!) Pour into a 2-quart baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle crushed cornflakes over top. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

This old school chicken and rice casserole was completely kid-friendly, right down to Barbara’s two-year-old. Her personal favorite part is the crunchy topping from the cornflakes.  What a vintage throwback from breadcrumbs. Grandma for the win!

 

What is the best type of chicken for a casserole recipe?

This is a trick question.  The best part of a casserole is it’s versatility. Use whatever you have on hand for this leftover chicken and rice casserole (or any casserole for that matter).  Rotisserie chicken, poached chicken, grilled chicken or even simple canned chicken work great.

Can you put raw chicken in a casserole?

You could use raw chicken in a casserole; however, it would need to be cooked for a longer amount of time  to reach the proper internal temperature set by the FDA.  Starting with cooked chicken results in a quicker cooking time.

Do you cook rice before adding to casserole?

The answer to this question depends on the casserole recipe you are making.  For example, this chicken and rice casserole from scratch calls for pre-cooked rice.  All the measurements of the other ingredients and the cooking method work best with cooked rice.  Some recipes call for raw rice, and these recipes will have more liquids and will usually have the casserole dish covered with foil before cooking.

What can be substituted for corn flakes?

This chicken and rice casserole with corn flakes is vintage.  Corn flakes give the casserole a crunchy topping, but there are plenty of alternatives to corn flakes if needed or desired.

• Crushed crackers
• Breadcrumbs
• Panko
• Crumbled potato chips
• Slivered almonds

Recipes Using Canned Chicken Breast:

Enchilada Biscuit Bake

Chicken Crescents

3 Ingredient Chicken Salad

Linking up to Weekend Potluck.