Cheesy chicken green bean bake is a delicious and easy dinner option that is perfect for busy weeknights. This dish is made with chicken breast, green beans, and a creamy cheese sauce that is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
I know I've posted this recipe before, but this is an upgrade to one of my most favorite recipes ever! Chicken Cheese Hotdish!
My Dad has this hot dish that my whole family loves. It has chicken, green beans, cheese, and rice in it. It takes a while to prepare because you have to brown the chicken and boil the rice, then bake it in the oven for 30 minutes.
I was watching one of those videos on Tasty's facebook page the other day ago, and they had this recipe called Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Bake. The video showed everything including the rice being cooked in one dish. How brilliant! I can use that idea to make my Dad's casserole dish and sure enough, it worked! It was still the same creamy cheesy casserole that everyone loves and I saved a couple of dishes and steps doing it that way. I'll be using that method from now on.
If you're looking for more easy Weight Watcher dinner recipes to try check out Instant Pot BBQ Chicken or 30 Weight Watcher Recipes for Dinner.
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Ingredients Needed
- Chicken breasts - They’re lean and quick-cooking and always come out juicy and tender. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure that the chicken is not over cooked. When reading labels for chicken breasts try to find ones that say Organic or Free Range.
- White instant rice or brown instant rice - I've tested this recipe with other types of whole grain rice and it takes longer to bake in the oven. Not sure what the time would be for cauliflower rice.
- Onion powder is dehydrated, ground onion that is commonly used as a seasoning. Some people do not like the taste of freshly chopped onion so onion powder is a great substitute if you have a picky eater like that in your h
- Cream of chicken - Condensed chicken soup is a highly concentrated form of chicken soup that has had most of its water removed.
- Low-fat cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese , shredded
- French-style green beans, drained
- Chicken broth - The best type of chicken stock to use is one that is homemade. For canned stock, I look for ones that say reduced sodium or fat free.
- Extra cheddar cheese for topping
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Chicken Green Bean Casserole
Step 1: Heat oven to 375°F/190°C. In a bowl large enough, combine rice, pepper, onion powder, cream of chicken, cheese, green beans and chicken stock. Mix until everything is combined.
Step 2: Pour the mixture into a 9X13 casserole dish. Then lay chicken on top of the rice mixture. Space evenly. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
Step 3: Take off cover and top the chicken with more cheese. Bake uncovered for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Divide casserole into 8 equal portions. Serving size one portion or piece.
Recipe Tip: You can cube the chicken into smaller pieces or leave the chicken whole.
Pro Tips for Chicken Salad
- Use cooked chicken: This recipe is a great way to use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Shredded or chopped chicken both work well.
- Don't overcook the green beans: If you're using fresh green beans, cook them just until tender before adding them to the casserole. They will continue cooking in the oven.
- Use cooked rice: Leftover rice works especially well in this recipe and makes assembly quick and easy.
- Mix everything well: Make sure the creamy sauce is evenly distributed throughout the chicken, green beans, and rice so every bite is flavorful.
- Don't skimp on the cheese: Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top so you get plenty of gooey, melted cheese in every serving.
- Let it rest: Allow the casserole to sit for about 5 minutes after baking. This gives the creamy filling a chance to settle and makes it easier to serve.
- Make it your own: You can swap the green beans for broccoli or another favorite vegetable if you prefer.
Serving Suggestions
Cheesy Chicken Green Bean Rice Bake is a hearty meal all on its own, but you can easily add a side if you're serving a crowd.
- A crisp green salad adds some freshness alongside the creamy casserole.
- Steamed broccoli, carrots, or roasted vegetables make an easy side dish.
- Warm rolls are perfect for scooping up any creamy sauce left on your plate.
- A little chopped parsley adds a pop of color and freshness.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover Cheesy Chicken Green Bean Rice Bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. You can also cover the baking dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap if you plan to eat the leftovers within a few days.
Can you freeze Cheesy Chicken Green Bean Rice Bake? Yes! This casserole can be frozen, making it a great make-ahead meal. Let the casserole cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2 to 3 months.
Other Recipes to Try
If you’ve tried this Cheesy Chicken Green Bean Bake or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. Snap a picture and upload it to share on Pinterest
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Cheesy Chicken Green Bean Bake
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 50 min
- Total Time: 60 min
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
My Dad has this hot dish that my whole family loves. It has chicken, green beans, cheese, and rice in it. It takes a while to prepare because you have to brown the chicken and boil the rice, then bake it in the oven for 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white instant rice or brown instant rice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 10oz can cream of chicken
- 1 cup low fat cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese , shredded
- 1 can of French style green beans, drained
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- Extra cheddar cheese for topping
- 3 small chicken breasts, cubed into tiny pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Lightly spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Cube the chicken breasts into small, bite-size pieces if not already prepared.
- Add the instant rice, black pepper, onion powder, cream of chicken soup, shredded cheese, drained green beans, and chicken broth to the casserole dish. Stir well until everything is fully combined and evenly spread.
- Place the cubed chicken evenly over the top of the rice mixture. Gently press the pieces slightly into the mixture so they cook evenly.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake covered for 50 minutes.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle extra cheese over the top.
- Return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving so it can set.
- Cut into equal portions and serve.
Notes
myWW points: Blue 4; Green 5; Purple 4 (points recently updated 4/20/21)
My WW Personal Points: 4 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
Let the casserole sit for 5 to 10 minutes so that it gets a chance to thicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 259
- Sugar: 1
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 14
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 27
Deb says
Are there any changes I need to make if I use cauliflower rice?
Denielle Neily says
made this tonight. cut up the chicken and stirred into the other ingredients. also the last 5 minutes of cooking added the French fried onion rings to the top for some crisp. very good my husband loved it
Jenna says
You are over thinking this. Just do the recipe how you like. If you want to cut up the chicken breasts then by all means go for it.
kazy says
How do you divide 3 small breasts between 8 people? It would seem more practical to cube the chicken into bite size pieces and throw it in with everything else.
kazy says
Is the 1-1/2 chicken broth for the rice? I ask, because I will be using cauliflower rice which does not require water to cook like rice does. Thanks.
Jenna says
Yes, I mentioned in the notes section to let the casserole sit out for a while in order for it to thicken.
Pam M says
Made this today and tasted good. However, we ate it as a soup. Was it supposed to thicken?
Jenna says
Not sure what to tell you. Other people have had success with this recipe and some people don't so I'm guessing it's your oven. Not all of them work the same. Might want to check and see if it's calibrated correctly. How often did you open the oven? That lets out all the heat.