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You are here: Home / Recipes and Cooking Tips / Italian Chicken and Rice Casserole

Italian Chicken and Rice Casserole

October 10, 2024 by Alea Milham 1 Comment

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Italian chicken and rice casserole recipe on white plate
italian chicken casserole recipe in dish

This Italian Chicken and Rice Casserole is an easy one-dish meal.

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Italian chicken and rice casserole recipe on white plate

I often look at recipes to see if there is a way to make them with fewer dishes, especially when I have multiple ingredients that are usually cooked before combining them in the final dish.  I ask myself if there is a way to cook ingredients together or in the same pan at different times. Because who wants to wash any more dishes than you have to? This is where an oven-safe skillet with a lid or a braiser can come in handy! You can cook some items on the stove top, then put it in the oven to finish it off.

How do you cook Italian Chicken Casserole in One Pan?

I made this Italian Chicken Casserole in a brasier, but it can also be made in an oven-safe skillet or a large frying pan. First, I browned the chicken thighs in olive oil. Then I removed the thighs and placed them on the upturned lid, while I added the other ingredients to the pan. Then I placed the chicken on top of the vegetables, put the lid on,  and cooked it in the oven at 425 for 25 minutes.

Can I make Italian Chicken in a Casserole Dish?

If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet to braiser, you can make Italian Chicken and Rice in a traditional casserole dish. Brown your chicken in a skillet while you assemble the rice and vegetables in the casserole dish. Then place the browned thighs on top of the vegetables and cover the dish with foil before placing it in the oven.

Prep-Ahead Tips:

You can cut your vegetables before making the casserole, place them in containers or sandwich bags, and store them in the refrigerator. However, I don’t recommend assembling this casserole ahead of time since it uses uncooked rice and browned meat instead of fully cooked meat.

Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

The combination of chicken thighs, rice, and vegetables makes this a satisfying one-pan meal.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup uncooked Basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
2 Roma tomatoes diced
1 cup carrots thinly sliced
1 cup whole green beans, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup mushrooms diced
2 stalks celery thinly sliced
1/2 cup yellow onion diced
1/4 cup bell peppers
4 cloves garlic minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Add oil to an oven-safe pan with a lid. Place chicken thighs in the pan and sprinkle with seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Brown the chicken on both sides.

browning chicken thighs in a braiser

3. Remove the chicken from the pan. (I like to place it on the upturned lid, so I don’t dirty another dish). Leave the oil and drippings in the pan.

4. Add the broth to the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil. Remove from heat.

5. Add the rice, oregano, basil, and thyme to the pan. Stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, celery, onions, peppers, and garlic.

rice and vegetables in oven-safe skillet pan

6. Place the thighs on top of the vegetables.

browned chicken thighs placed on top of vegetables and rice

7. Cover the pan with the lid and bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

Italian Chicken and Rice Casserole in braiser

What do you serve with Italian Chicken Casserole?

This is a pretty balanced meal on its own, so can feel comfortable serving this casserole without any additional sides on busy nights. However, if you wish to add a side it goes well with a salad, sauteed vegetables, or garlic bread.

Variations for Italian Chicken and Rice Casserole:

Top with Cheese: Mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese make delicious additions.

Substitute the vegetables: Use a can of diced tomatoes instead of the Roma tomatoes. Swap out the vegetables for what you have on hand such as replacing the green beans with a cup of diced zucchini, yellow squash, or eggplant.

Broth Substitutes: The rice needs 1 3/4 cup of broth, stock, or water to cook properly in this dish. You can use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth.

Add more spices: If you don’t have onion or garlic on hand, add a teaspoon of onion powder or garlic powder as a replacement.

Storage Tips:

I like to make individual chicken and rice bowls with the leftovers. Place individual servings in lidded containers. This can be kept in the refrigerator for 5 days or the freezer for 3 months.

Thaw frozen servings overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat for 1 minute on high in the microwave.

italian chicken casserole recipe in dish

Printable Recipe for Italian Chicken and Rice Casserole

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Italian Chicken and Rice Casserole

This Italian Chicken and Rice Casserole is an easy one dish dinner recipe.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose
Keyword Italian Chicken and Rice Casserole, Italian Chicken Casserole Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
Total Time 40 minutes minutes
Servings 6
Calories 438kcal
Author Alea

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 chicken thighs
  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup uncooked Basmati rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 2 Roma tomatoes diced
  • 1 cup carrots thinly sliced
  • 1 cup green beans
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms diced
  • 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion diced
  • 1/4 cup bell peppers
  • 4 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Add oil to an oven-safe pan with a lid. Place chicken thighs in pan and sprinkle with seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides.
  • Remove the chicken from pan. (I like to place it the upturned lid, so I don't dirty another dish).
  • Add the broth to the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil. Remove from heat.
  • Add the rice, oregano, basil, and thyme to the pan. Stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, celery, onions, peppers, and garlic.
  • Place the thighs on top of the vegetables. Cover with the lid and bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 517mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4176IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg

More Casserole Recipes

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About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Swathi says

    June 14, 2012 at 1:33 pm

    You are now inventing lot of chicken casserole recipe, nice one.

    Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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