Cajun Chicken and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Cajun Chicken and Rice Casserole, an easy jambalaya variation with tons of flavor!
The end of the school year and graduation are just around the corner. Can you believe it?
This year has flown by in our family. Both of my kids are in middle school, so with advanced homework, sports, and extra curricular activities we have all been extremely busy the last nine months.
We are ready for a break, and definitely ready to celebrate the end of the school year!
Although my kids aren’t graduating high school yet, there are graduation parties happening all around us.
It’s bitter-sweet to watch our friends help their babies get ready for college. And knowing that they are just a couple months away from leaving the house (possibly for good) has to be hard.
Thankfully I have a few more years to keep my babies at home, and I plan to make the very most of it!
Today’s cheesy Cajun Chicken and Rice Casserole is a marvelous meal to serve at graduation parties and at the end of the school year celebrations.
It’s comforting, zesty, packed with protein, and each bite is kissed by hot molten Borden® Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Plus, our Cajun Chicken and Rice Casserole is easy to make and large enough to feed a crowd!
This jambalaya variation is a favorite in our house. It’s takes much less hands-on cooking time, because it is baked in the oven. The addition of andouille sausage and cajun seasoning give it depth and a bit of spice.
Yet best of all, adding Borden® Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese makes the entire dish more dazzling than ever. Creamy Borden® Cheese transforms this classic cajun dish into a memorable summertime feast, creating special moments for your family!
Borden® Cheese offers a wide array of cheeses to satisfy any craving, including: Mozzarella, Mexican Style, Swiss, Colby, Jack, and a variety of Cheddars.
However, it’s sharp cheddar cheese shreds that really pull this whole dish together.
The culmination of the chicken, spicy sausage, aromatic rice, and sharp cheddar gives the Cajun Chicken and Rice Casserole a note of rustic decadence.
Jambalaya is good on its own, but with Borden® Cheese… Exceptional! This is a new summertime party dish we will make for years to come.
If you are planning an end of school party this spring, add Cajun Chicken and Rice Casserole to your menu plan. It’s a hearty meal that is hard to resist.
Discover more about Borden® Cheese on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Borden® Cheese. All opinions are my own.
Cajun Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cup dried long grain rice
- 1 large boneless chicken breast, 1/2 – 3/4 pounds
- 14 ounces andouille sausage
- 14 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups Borden® Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shreds
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, chopped onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes to soften.
- Chop the chicken breast into 3/4-inch chunks and slice the andouille sausage into 1/2-inch rounds.
- In a 3-quart baking dish, combine the rice, sauteed veggies, chicken, sausage, canned tomatoes, cajun seasoning, and 1 cup Borden® Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shreds. Stir and pour the broth over the top. Gently shake the pan to make sure all the rice is submerged in the broth. Then cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 60+ minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Remove the foil and fluff the rice with a fork. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and chopped scallions over the top. Bake uncovered another 3-5 minutes to melt the cheese.
Nutrition
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This is such a great recipe to feed a crowd. I made two pans – one with andouille and another with smoked sausage (for those who don’t like as much heat). Everyone loved it. This is a keeper, for sure.
I’ve made this 4 times! My family absolutely loves it! It has so much flavor! I always use a green bell pepper and then add an additional either yellow or orange pepper. I also always add two stalks of celery. I bake for 70-75 minutes. After I remove the foil and add the cheese and scallions I broil for about 3 minutes. It always comes out perfect! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This is the second time I’ve made this, both times it turned out great. I slightly expanded the recipe and used cheddar jack cheese as well as green and red pepper. I will definitely do this again.
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I never leave comments but came to say this came out perfect! I did leave it in for 70 minutes and then uncovered it, added the cheese,and left it for another 10 or so minutes. Rice, chicken, everything was perfect. I didn’t disturb the dish for those 70 min so if yours riding cook correctly maybe that’s why (releasing the heat). Will make it again!
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I am getting ready to make this recipe today. I hope you see this. I am curious as to how much you call 1 serving? 1 Cup? 1.5 cup? Please let me know so I can keep track. I am also modifying it for a lower carb meal. Along with half the rice called for it will have that much riced cauliflower. Cannot wait to try this!
Hi Michelle,
A serving here is approximately 1 cup. Hope this helps! Let me know how your low carb swaps turn out. :)
I just made this and the chicken came out rubbery. Any thoughts on why? I did 400/65 min, then 8 without the lid. I left the breasts whole because I intended to shred.
I did alter a bit because my family is more into spicy stuff and meat so I added an extra breast, got spicy sausage, two cans (20 oz) hot rotel tomatoes, and finally I browned the sausage because we usually like some bark on it. Other than those tiny changes it was terrific. I listened to the 400/70 min idea and that worked great.
The flavor was great, and it’s an easy way to use up leftovers.
For some reason, the rice in my casserole cooked unevenly. The dish was brimming with broth when I put it in the oven, but rice that shifted to the top cooked fully, while rice in the middle was crunchy. No idea why.
I’d say it might be better to layer the casserole with rice at the bottom, then add broth, then top with all the other ingredients mixed up together. Or maybe add broth last over all of it, but while I’ll make it again, I’ll put the rice on the bottom first. It really doesn’t “shake down” if you mix everything.
Hi DCK,
My guess is that the foil wasn’t tightly fitted over the dish, so some of the moisture escaped. Hope this helps!
Can the rice be replaced with cauliflower rice? And if so, what modifications to the recipe?
Hi Tracy,
Probably… But unfortunately, I haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure. If you give it a try, please report back!
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I made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing! I have to admit I didn’t think the 1tbsp of Cajun seasoning was going to be enough and yes it was! After reading some of the reviews I decided to bake mine at 400 covered for 70 mins, then topped with cheese and baked an additional 5 mins uncovered. I didn’t have a problem with the rice not being cooked.
Could this be done in a crockpot?
Hi Andrea!
In theory, yes. I have a chicken and rice recipe that works well for me in the crockpot. https://www.aspicyperspective.com/bistro-slow-cooker-chicken-and-rice/
However, all slow cookers vary and therefore some people report back that they struggle with the rice getting too mushy, or not cooking enough in the slow cooker. So yes, but it’s more fool-proof in the oven. Does that make sense?
DEL icious ! Yummy! I made this for the first time for company since the rating were good. This did not disappoint and everyone had seconds.
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All in all it was a great dish. The only misleading element is the cook time of this dish. It took almost 2 hours to cook completely. So plan ahead.
I made this tonight for dinner, while it was absolutely delicious and worth the wait, it took mine nearly 2 hours to fully cook so the rice wasn’t crunchy. I kept referencing the recipe to make sure I had everything right and I did.
Same here, I thought for sure I had misread something! Tasted good, but glad I wasn’t on a time crunch!
Has anybody tried this using quinoa? It looks divine!!!!!!
Can you prepare this dish in the morning and put it in the fridge till its time to cook for supper?
Hi Dora, Absolutely! :)
saw this recently on foodiecrush featuring great comfort food recipes, I like these flavors, have not ever broken down a jambalaya recipe before, just ordered it in a restaurant, so appreciate your sharing this recipe. thank you!
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This meal was simple and delicious ! I am a stay at home
Mom and was able to prep this in no time then pop it in the oven when the husband was on his way home.
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This sounds like something my hubby will love! Do you think I could make this up the night before or in the morning before work and then refrigerate it until it’s time to bake it?
Would this work using riced cauliflower, instead of long grain rice?
Hi Paula! I haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why if wouldn’t work. Please report back if you make it with cauliflower. I’d love to hear about your results. :)
I made this tonight and it was fabulous! Super easy & we all liked it. A home run in this family of five!
This looks scrumptious and I hope to make it soon! It looks like you put the raw chicken directly into the casserole. Will it pick up enough flavor that way without seasoning directly beforehand? I haven’t made very many casseroles with chicken so I wasn’t sure. Thank you!
Hi Oreo,
Yes, there is enough seasoning in the casserole to flavor the chicken. Enjoy!
Love this!!
josh will love a that meat!
Looks like a hearty & delicious casserole!!
I love hearty meals and I can see why it is hard to resist this one! :) It looks delicious!