This Cheesy Baked Chicken with Cream of Chicken soup is the ultimate comfort food! Chicken (thighs or breasts) is seasoned perfectly then cooked with rice in a cheesy, creamy sauce and topped with crisp, fried onions! There is no chopping in this recipe and it all comes together in one pan! Dinner=DONE!
Prep: Spray a 9x9 baking dish (or similar) with cooking spray or coat with olive oil; set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.
Season: Mix together garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, smoked paprika and ground pepper. Season both sides of the chicken with generously with spice mixture. Set aside.
Mix: In your baking dish, combine rice, canned soup, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Use a spoon or whisk to mix until everything is well combined.
Bake: Place chicken on top of the soup mixture. Bake, COVERED with foil on the middle rack, for 55-60 minutes until rice is almost tender. Cooking time may depend a bit on your oven. Start checking the rice at about the 50-55 minute mark.
Uncover: Uncover the dish, add remaining cheese and french fried onions. Bake another 10 minutes more until cheese is melted and onions are crisp and toasty! Optional: Broil for the last 2-3 minutes.
Rest: Remove dish from the oven and let it rest 5-10 minutes. Remove chicken, give the rice a big stir, then add chicken back on top (See Note 2).
Serve: Top with more smoked paprika and fresh ground pepper, if you like! A squeeze of lemon juice is also a delicious little addition!
Notes
Note 1: Sharp cheddar is my fave but you can use a combo of your favorite cheeses, too! Parmesan cheese, mozzarella and fontina all work well!Note 2: If your rice seem too "soupy" when it comes out of the oven, NO WORRIES! As long as the rice is tender, you are good to go! The sauce will thicken up as it rests. Then, you'll give everything a big stir and you'll have perfect, creamy rice!*Boneless, skinless chicken thighs should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.Nutrition is only an estimate based on the Very Well Fit Nutrition Calculator