Experience ultimate comfort in a bowl with our Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole. Tender chunks of chicken, wholesome broccoli, and gooey cheese come together seamlessly in the Instant Pot for a quick and hearty meal.
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Enjoy This Chicken Broccoli Rice Dish
I absolutely love this casserole and so does my whole family. Here are some of the reasons you’ll love it too!
- Simple ingredients. Every ingredient can be easily found at your local grocery store.
- Perfect for picky eaters. If you have a picky eater that isn’t fond of veggies, the cheesy goodness makes eating broccoli so much easier.
- Packed with flavor. This chicken broccoli cheese casserole is packed with a delicious ranch and cheesy flavor that everyone is sure to love.
- Perfect quick meal. If you’re tired and don’t feel like cooking, this meal comes together in about half an hour. Most of which you can sit down and wait for.
Recipe Ingredients
For this chicken broccoli cheese casserole, you’ll need a few things:
- Chicken breasts: The main protein source in the casserole, chicken breasts provide a tender and juicy texture to the dish.
- Ranch Dressing Mix: Adds a burst of tangy and herby flavor to the chicken, enhancing its taste profile.
- Onion: Adds a mild sweetness and depth of flavor to the casserole, complementing the other ingredients.
- Worcestershire sauce: Brings a savory and umami taste to the dish, adding richness and complexity.
- Chicken broth: Provides moisture and helps to infuse the flavors into the chicken and rice.
- Rice: Serves as the base ingredient, absorbing the flavors of the other ingredients and giving the casserole a hearty and comforting texture.
- Fresh Broccoli florets: Adds a vibrant green color and a fresh crunch to the casserole, balancing out the richness of the cheese and chicken.
- Shredded cheese: Creates a creamy and gooey texture when melted, adding a delightful cheesiness to the casserole. We like to use sharp cheddar cheese.
- Seasonings: Used to enhance the overall taste and bring balance to the dish.
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole?
The best part about this recipe is that it’s so easy to make! Just follow the simple steps below to have dinner ready in a jiffy!
Step One: You will have to cook the chicken before the rice. First, place the chicken on a trivet and season it with salt and pepper. Add a cup of water to the inner pot and seal the lid. Press the pressure cook or manual button and set the time for 9 minutes.
Step Two: Manually release the pressure. This is called a QPR or quick pressure release. Remove the chicken from the inner pot and shred it.
Step Three: Set the Instant Pot to Saute and saute the onion and garlic for about 2 minutes. Once they are cooked, turn off the saute, add broth and worcestershire sauce, and deglaze the bottom of the pot.
Step Four: Leaving the veggies in the inner pot, add the rice and ranch mix, and seal the lid on the Instant Pot. Pressure cook for 7 minutes. Next, manually release the pressure. Once the rice is done, add the broccoli and cheese and stir. Then, place your shredded chicken back in and stir. Serve and Enjoy!
Substitutions
- Chicken Thighs: You may switch the chicken breast for boneless skinless chicken thighs if this is your preference. Either chicken type results in a delicious meal.
- Brown Rice: If you wish to switch from white rice rice to brown rice you’ll need to add a further 5 minutes to the pressure cooking time as Long grain white rice cooks faster than brown rice.
How To Store This Chicken Broccoli Dish?
- Storage: Once your Instant Pot magic has cooled down, tuck that delightful chicken broccoli cheese casserole into an airtight fortress or wrap it up snugly with plastic wrap – treat it like the cheesy royalty it is.
- Freezing: Slap a fun label on your frozen broccoli rice dish. Freeze it for 2-3 months, and when you rescue it, it’ll thank you with a warm, gooey hug.
- Reheating: If your casserole has been taking a nap in the freezer, let it thaw in the fridge, and then bring it back to life in the Instant Pot or oven. Your taste buds are in for a cheesy symphony!
What Goes With Chicken Broccoli Casserole?
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Transform Brussels sprouts into a delectable side dish by oven-roasting them with garlic and Parmesan, creating a crispy and savory complement to the creamy casserole.
- Steamed Asparagus: Elevate the dish with tender steamed asparagus drizzled in a sweet balsamic glaze for flavor.
- Crispy Garlic Breadsticks: Bake golden-brown garlic breadsticks for a crunchy side that is perfect for sopping up the delicious cheese sauce.
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Roast sweet potatoes with fragrant rosemary for a sweet and savory side that complements the casserole’s richness.
FAQ’S
What Does Deglaze the Pot Mean?
Whenever you saute anything in your Instant Pot, you want to pour some kind of liquid such as broth or water into it and deglaze it. This simply means using a spoon or spatula and the liquid to scrape any particles off the bottom of your pot. If you leave the sauteed particles on the bottom of your inner pot, you will most likely get the burn notice when trying to pressure cook your rice.
What Rice Do I Use?
You can add any type of rice to this dish. We use Jasmine rice at a ratio of 1:1 cups of water per cup of rice. If using Brown rice use the same ratio but add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Why Do I Need to Cook the Rice and Chicken Separate?
The chicken takes 9 minutes to pressure cook whereas the rice only takes 7. If you attempt to cook them together, one will either be not done, or one will be overdone.
Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 Onion Diced
- 2 tablespoons Minced Garlic
- 1 Packet Ranch Dressing
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Cups Reduced Salt Chicken Broth
- 2 Cups Rice
- 10 oz Broccoli Florets Frozen
- 2 Cups Cheese sHREDDED
Instructions
- Place chicken on a trivet inside the instant pot, season with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add a cup of water and seal the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 9 minutes and manually release pressure.
- Remove chicken and shred.
- Set the instant pot to sauté and sauté the onion and garlic.
- Once onions are cooked, add broth and Worcestershire sauce in the instant pot to deglaze the bottom.
- Add the rice and ranch mix and seal the lid. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Manually release pressure.
- Add the broccoli and cheese and stir
Nutrition
Notes
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