[Recipe Makeover] Skinny Chicken and Rice Casserole to Help You Lose Weight
Yum. Chicken and rice casserole. It’s creamy and delicious…and seems like one of the things you’ll have to take out of your meal rotation if you’re going to lose weight.
Not so! We’ve created a skinny version that keeps the flavor, but loses the guilt. Plus, bonus points: it’s a one-dish meal (can it get any easier?) and it’s sure to please even the pickiest members of your family.
The key to this guilt-free casserole makeover is the addition of high-fiber foods. Full Plate is all about using high-fiber foods to transform unhealthy dishes into delicious meals that will help you lose weight instead of gain it.
And now, the dish that needs no introduction: Skinny Chicken and Rice Casserole.
How to Make Your Own Skinny Chicken and Rice Casserole - From Beginning to End
We’ve done all the hard work of slimming down the typical creamy chicken and rice casserole.
Just follow the step by step directions below--and most importantly, have fun!
Step 1: Add these ingredients to your shopping list
If you don’t have these items on hand, here’s what you’ll need to pick up at the grocery store.
Shopping List
- 1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless (½ pound)
- 1 - (8.5-ounce) bag Uncle Ben’s Ready Brown and Wild Rice Whole Grain Medley
- 1 small bag of carrots (can get already sliced ones if you’d like)
- 1 - (10.5-ounce) can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- 1 - (12- ounce) bag fresh broccoli florets (about 4 cups)
- 1 small bag low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
Step 2: Prepare/prep the chicken
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place oven rack in middle of oven.
While the oven is warming up, start cooking the chicken breast.
Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink, about 15 to 20 minutes.
If it starts to turn to a heavy, rolling boil, turn down to medium heat.
While the chicken is cooking, move to Step 3.
Once the chicken is finished cooking, drain the juice into a pan and let the chicken cool off. Set broth aside for later use.
Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces for the casserole.
Step 3: Heat up the rice
To reduce cooking time, we used Uncle Ben’s precooked rice packs for our casserole. You can choose brown or wild rice, or a mixture of both.
To lower the sodium in this dish, use 1 cup of cooked brown rice instead of the Uncle Ben’s bag. Just prepare according to directions on the package. Boil-in-a-bag brown rice is convenient and easy to cook.
Step 4: Assemble your casserole
Spray a 9 by 13 casserole baking dish with cooking spray.
Cream of chicken is generally high in fat and extremely high in sodium. Using a 98% fat free cream helps to reduce the amount of fat. However, the sodium is still high. So don’t’ use more than one can.
You can reduce the time you spend in the kitchen even more by purchasing pre-sliced carrots.
The soupy texture of the pre-baked casserole is what helps the carrots and broccoli cook to perfection. Though it may seem a little runny, it is in fact just right.
If you’re using pre-chopped florets, simply rinse and add to the top of the casserole.
If you’re using a head of broccoli, chop the florets, remove the big stems, and add the tops to the casserole dish.
Step 5: Bake your casserole
When your timer is down to 5 minutes, uncover the casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for the remaining 5 minutes.
Some ovens may take longer to cook the carrots and broccoli thoroughly, so check them for desired tenderness. If they’re not tender enough for your liking, bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Skinny Chicken & Rice Casserole Recipe
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless (½ pound)
1 - (8.5-ounce) bag Uncle Ben’s Ready Brown and Wild Rice Whole Grain Medley
3/4c chicken stock
1 ½ c carrots, diced
1 - (10.5-ounce) can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
½ t onion powder
½ t garlic powder
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
12 oz broccoli florets (about 4 cups)
½ c low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions:
Place chicken breast in 3 cups of water and boil at medium-high temperature until there is no pink in the middle of breast, approximately 20-25 minutes. Reserve chicken broth to add to casserole later.
Cook rice package according to directions.
Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Combine cream of chicken soup, carrots, rice, and seasonings to the baking dish.
Dice chicken once it is cooled. Add chicken and 3/4 cup of chicken broth to baking dish and mix well. Mixture will be runny. Top with broccoli florets. Place larger florets with stems down to cook better.
Cover baking dish with lid or aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degree for 45 minutes. (Ovens vary, so check tenderness of veggies to see if you need an additional 10 minutes.) With 5 minutes left to bake, remove cover and sprinkle ½ cup of cheese on top.
Makes 4 Servings
1 Serving = 260 calories, 5g fat, 45mg cholesterol, 950mg sodium, 33g carbs, 6g fiber, 24g protein
Full Plate Living is a small-step approach with big health outcomes. It's provided as a free service of Ardmore Institute of Health.