Dump Chicken Rice Casserole

Dump cooking is its own genre, and this chicken and rice casserole is the platonic ideal of the form. No browning, no sauteing, no precooking anything. Everything goes in raw, the oven does all the work, and three hours later you’ve got a complete dinner.

The magic is in the three soup cans. Cream of mushroom, cream of celery, and cream of chicken each contribute a different savory note (earthy, herbal, and meaty respectively) so the sauce reads more complex than any single can would. The water and uncooked rice absorb all that creamy liquid as the casserole bakes, leaving the grains plump and tender.

The long, low bake at 300F (150C) is intentional. A higher temperature would dry out the chicken breasts before the rice cooked through. Three hours at low heat poaches the chicken in the soup mixture, leaving it juicy and shreddable.

Use bone-in skin-on chicken if you have it. The bones add flavor to the rice as it cooks and the skin renders fat that enriches the sauce. Boneless skinless works fine if that’s what you have.

Kitchen Tips

• Use long-grain white rice. Brown rice needs more liquid and a longer bake.
• Cover tightly with foil for the first 2 hours so the rice can fully absorb the liquid.
• Sprinkle with paprika before baking for color and a hint of warmth on the surface.
• Let it rest covered for 10 minutes before serving so the rice finishes absorbing any excess liquid.

Variations

• Stir 1 cup of frozen peas or mixed vegetables into the rice mixture before baking.
• Top with crushed Ritz crackers tossed with melted butter for the last 20 minutes for a crunchy finish.
• Substitute wild rice blend (with adjusted liquid per package) for a heartier version.