Chicken Poppy Seed and Rice Casserole
By Paula Deen
JUMP TO RECIPE
Featured in:
Cooking with Paula Deen Magazine
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes
Servings: 8 to 10
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted Butter
- 1¼ cups chopped red onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup All-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, room temperature
- 1½ (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2¼ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons packed lemon zest
- ¾ teaspoon ground Black pepper
- 4½ cups shredded cooked chicken
- 4½ cups cooked long-grain white rice
- 3 cups small broccoli florets
- 2 cups crushed round buttery crackers
- 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium- low; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat; whisk in cream cheese, poppy seeds, thyme, mustard, salt, lemon zest, and pepper until smooth. Stir in chicken, rice, and broccoli; transfer to prepared pan.
In a small bowl, stir together crackers and melted butter; sprinkle onto chicken mixture.
Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes, covering with foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.