Using fresh & premade ingredients, this classic recipe gets an update & Shortcut Chicken Ranch Casserole’s flavor stays completely the same.
Tired of your kids turning their noses up at dinner? This Shortcut Chicken Ranch Casserole should do the trick. It’s not only a crowd pleaser, but double bonus: it takes all of 10 minutes to throw together. Comfort food made ridiculously easy.
In fact, it’s so easy–you (or your “I don’t know how to boil water” partner) could whip this dish of yum up after work tonight. Yep, even without breaking a sweat.
The key to this dish is taking every shortcut possible without sacrificing the fresh & good-for-you parts. Keep reading to find out the secrets behind Shortcut Chicken Ranch Casserole.
CHEESY CHICKEN & BROCCOLI RANCH FOR BUSY WEEKNIGHTS
When it comes to shortcuts we don’t mess around here at Freaking Delish. We’re gonna take them all day everyday (and twice on Tuesday).
Shortcuts abound in this dish. They hit the three main ingredients: protein, carb & veg.
#1 – ROTISSERIE CHICKEN
#2 – READY RICE
#3 – STEAM IN THE BAG BROCCOLI
Add in a few other key ingredients, and you’ve got yourself a super delicious dinner that can be whipped up on the busiest of weeknights.
SHORTCHUT CHICKEN RANCH CASSEROLE
Comfort food at it's finest! Cheesy casserole packed with chicken and veggies.
Ingredients
- 2 Packs pre-cooked rice (any flavor: wild, white, brown)
- 2c. Cooked Pulled (or Rotisserie chicken)
- 2c. Steam-in-the-bag broccoli florets
- 1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup
- 1 can condensed cheddar soup
- 2c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 pack Dry Ranch Mix
- 1/2 can (1/2 c.) milk
- 1/2 c. plain yogurt (or sour cream)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Steam broccoli in the bag for about half the suggested cooking time.
- Remove two cups of the broccoli and give a rough chop. Put chopped broccoli in casserole dish.
- Add chicken, condensed soups, milk, yogurt (or sour cream) rice, the ranch packet. Also, mix in about 1c. of the shredded cheddar. Stir to combine.
- Top with remaining cheddar. (And add topping if desired.)
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until casserole is bubbly & cheese is golden.
Notes
You can add crushed Cheese-Itz, Goldfish, or crispy fried onions as a topping if you want but not required.
Any flavor of ready-to-eat rice will work here--white, brown, wild, etc.
You can use frozen broccoli florets here, but make sure to drain ALL of the water before adding to the dish.
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OLD SCHOOL CHICKEN & RICE
My mom used to make a casserole that was so simple, but so delicious. Chicken breasts, rice & a creamy sauce. That’s what this dish reminds me of–but kicked up a notch.
And, it doesn’t ever fail you….I can’t count how many times I used to wing-it with my mom’s dish and ended up undercooking the rice.
That’s not gonna happen here.
Plus, you can tweak the ingredients (as always!) & make it your own.
Shortcut Chicken & Ranch Casserole uses cream of broccoli & cream of cheddar, but you do you. Cream of mushroom? Sure. Cream of Chicken? Yep!
And, don’t get me started on the toppings: crushed cheeze-its, fried jalapenos or onions, extra cheese, etc.
Your kids aren’t gonna be the only ones that devour this tonight.
Post a comment in the link with a pic! I’d love to see how this turned out for you.
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