Forgotten Chicken is a classic casserole made with chicken, rice, and onion soup mix. It’s a quick, easy, and almost completely hands-off comfort food dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Forgotten chicken, aka no peek chicken and rice, gets it name from the fact that once you pop it in the oven, you can forget about it for an hour or so. There’s nothing to stir, nothing to watch, nothing to do besides let the oven do it’s thing. In fact, peeking under the foil can cause the steam to escape and impact the end result, so it’s really a “do nothing” recipe!
This is definitely a comfort food recipe, think along the lines of chicken noodle casserole and Ritz chicken casserole in terms of coziness. I love that it’s a complete dinner in one pan, with no need for sides or anything else (though sometimes I do add some steamed broccoli or a side salad). It’s easy enough for even the busiest of weeknights.
Why This Forgotten Chicken Casserole Is So Good
- Minimal prep. It literally takes less than 10 minutes to assemble this casserole and get it ready to pop into the oven. Just mix a few ingredients, season the chicken, and add everything to the baking dish.
- Juicy chicken, tender rice. Since all the steam is locked in the baking dish by the foil, the chicken becomes super juicy while the rice cooks to perfectly tender without becoming mushy.
- Lots of flavor. Two different cream soups and garlic season the rice while a packet of onion soup mix sprinkled on top brings the flavor to a whole new level. It’s savory, it’s oniony, and it’s just so good.
Key Ingredients
This casserole is made with easy to find ingredients and pantry staples. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Rice – It’s important to use Minute rice for this recipe as regular rice has a different cook time and requires more water. White or brown Minute rice both work.
- Cream of soup – I use a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of cream of chicken soup. You can use two cans of one type, swap one for cream of celery, cream of cheddar, or another flavor.
- Chicken broth – I like to use low sodium as the soups can be quite salty.
- Butter – I also use unsalted butter to control the sodium level. Salted would be fine as well, you just may want to add less salt.
- Garlic – Minced garlic adds flavor to the rice. I like to use fresh garlic but jarred is fine.
- Onion powder – A bit of extra onion powder adds enhances the onion soup mix.
- Chicken – I like to use chicken breast but boneless, skinless chicken thighs work too.
- Onion soup mix – Sprinkled on top of everything for a bit of crunch and infuses the entire dish with onion flavor.
- Salt & pepper
How To Make Forgotten Chicken
This no peek chicken and rice casserole is so incredibly easy to make. It takes just 10 minutes to prep. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the baking dish.
- Make the rice mixture. Combine the rice, both soups, the chicken broth, butter, garlic, and onion powder in a bowl. Spread evenly in the baking dish.
- Season the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place on top of the rice mixture.
- Add the soup mix. Sprinkle the onion soup mix evenly over the entire dish.
- Bake. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes to brown the top, if desired.
- Enjoy. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes then serve and enjoy.
Recipe Tips & Variations
Here are a few important things to remember when making this forgotten chicken casserole, as well as a few ways to customize it.
- Use minute rice. It’s very important to use minute rice for this recipe. Regular rice requires a different cooking time and a different amount of liquid, so it won’t cook fully in this recipe.
- No peeking! Put this casserole in the oven and forget about it until 10 minutes before it’s ready. The foil helps keep the moisture inside the baking dish to cook the chicken and rice. If the steam escapes, it won’t cook properly.
- Add some veggies. Add sliced mushrooms, diced onions, or even frozen peas to the rice mixture for extra flavor and texture.
- Make it cheesy. Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese can be added to the casserole during the last 10 minutes of cooking for a cheesy twist.
- Spice it up. Add a pinch of cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes for added heat.
- Add a garnish. Fresh parsley or fresh thyme make great garnishes for this dish.
How To Store Leftovers
- Fridge. Store leftover forgotten chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best enjoyed within 3 days.
- Reheat. Reheat in the microwave or oven, adding a splash of chicken broth to re-hydrate the rice. .
Forgotten Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 cups Minute white rice
- 10 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 10 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 10 ounces chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 chicken breasts about 1.5-2 pounds
- 2 ounces onion soup mix
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix the rice, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, melted butter, garlic, and onion powder. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then place them on top of the rice mixture.
- Sprinkle the onion soup mix evenly over the chicken and rice.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, removing the foil during the last 10 minutes for browning, if desired.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Last Step:
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