When my friend Mary over at Sweet Little Bluebird shared her Mamaw’s Chicken and Rice, I had to tinker and come up with my own version. Adding broccoli and a few other tweaks resulted in this hearty, filling and delicious dish.

Broccoli Cheese Chicken Casserole

Click here for the original recipe.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 pounds)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained (or about 2½ cups fresh)
• 2 cups instant rice
• 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10.5-ounce) can broccoli cheese soup
• 1 (10.5-ounce) can cheddar cheese soup
• 2 cups water or chicken broth
• 30 butter-flavored crackers, coarsely broken (I used Ritz)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the broccoli, rice, cream of chicken soup, broccoli cheese soup, cheddar cheese soup, and water or broth.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the chicken and stir to combine.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared dish.
• In a small bowl, stir the butter together with the cracker crumbs and sprinkle the crumbs over the casserole.
• Wrap tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 30 minutes or until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
• Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out “The Southern Bite Cookbook.”