No-peek chicken and rice
The old-school, dump-and-bake casserole where raw rice turns creamy under the chicken while you do literally anything else.
- 115 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 6
- About $1.95 a serving
- 460 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 lb boneless chicken thighs, about 8 thighs
- 1 onion soup mix, 1 envelope
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 460 calories, 35 g protein, 48 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $1.95 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 350°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
the rice, both cans of soup and the broth together in a 9x13 baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Dolly’s tip: Use the rice straight from the bag, uncooked. It cooks in the soup.Lay the chicken over the rice in one layer, then sprinkle the onion soup mix, paprika and pepper over the top.
Dolly’s tip: No extra salt. The soup mix and the canned soups bring plenty.Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Cover the dish tightly with foil, pressing it down around the edges.
Dolly’s tip: The tight seal is the whole trick. Steam trapped under the foil is what cooks the rice.1 hour 30 minutes without lifting the foil.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 90 min
Dolly’s tip: Hence the name. Every peek lets out the steam the rice needs.back one corner of foil, away from your face, and check that the rice is tender and the thickest thigh reads 165°F.
Peel. Peeling means removing the skin with a vegetable peeler or a small knife. It takes off tough or bitter skins, though potato and carrot skins are fine to leave on unless the recipe insists.
How you’ll know: The color underneath is even all over, with no patches of skin left behind.
Dolly’s tip: If the rice is still firm, cover it again and bake 10 minutes more.Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff the rice around the chicken and scatter the parsley over.
Timer: 10 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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High-protein dinners ›Pantry dinners ›What to make with chicken and rice ›