Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole with Crisp Topping

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups pulled cooked chicken (425 g)
• 3 cups cooked brown rice (585 g)
• 4 cups small broccoli florets (360 g)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28 g)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30 g)
• 2 1/2 cups lower-sodium chicken stock (600 g)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (120 g)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup crushed butter crackers (70 g)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

1. Prepare the components. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Blanch broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain, and spread it on a towel. Pat it dry. Grease a 9-by-13-inch dish. Loosen the cooled brown rice.
2. Build the thyme sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add stock slowly while whisking. Simmer until the sauce coats a spoon and a finger-drawn line stays.
3. Finish without splitting. Whisk sour cream, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into the warm sauce. Do not return it to a hard boil. The finished sauce should pour in a broad stream while clinging to.
4. Fold the filling. Combine rice, chicken, broccoli, and sauce in a wide bowl. Fold from the bottom until every grain looks lightly coated and the florets remain whole. Transfer to the dish and spread gently. Do.
5. Scatter the top. Mix crushed crackers with olive oil, rubbing lightly until their surfaces look damp. Scatter them in an uneven layer over the casserole, leaving some small gaps. Fine crumbs burn before the center heats.
6. Bake and rest. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the perimeter bubbles and the cracker peaks turn golden. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes within the cook time. The pause allows the light sauce.

Notes

• Use the visual texture cues in the instructions instead of relying on the timer alone for every stage.
• Refrigerate leftovers for 4 days, and freeze only the suitable components for up to 2 months.
• Measure wet additions carefully because extra liquid changes how the finished filling, sauce, or coating holds.

Nutrition Facts