Healthy Crack Chicken Casserole with Rice
This Healthy Crack Chicken Casserole with Rice can be made in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stove. This simple recipe is a cheesy gluten free dinner recipe.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 552kcal
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Sealing Rings
- Kitchen Knife
Ingredients
- 8 slices turkey bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breast (frozen for Instant Pot method because it takes extra time to cook the dry rice)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dill dried
- 1 tsp parsley dried
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup brown rice dry
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium, 2 cups if cooking on the stove top
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt plain, 2%
- ⅔ cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Instant Pot:
- Lightly spray your pot insert with cooking spray olive oil and set to sauté.
- Place your bacon in a single layer. Fry on one side for 3-5 minutes. Flip your bacon and fry 3-5 more minutes, or until fully cooked and the edges have begun to curl. Transfer your bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess grease. Once your bacon is cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.8 slices turkey bacon
- Clean pot out, if desired, and place your frozen chicken in the bottom of your pot. 1 ½ lbs chicken breast
- Sprinkle the ingredients for the ranch seasoning mix on top of your chicken: garlic, onion powder, dried dill, parsley, and black pepper. 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dill, 1 tsp parsley, ½ tsp black pepper
- Push the frozen chicken breast to one side of your pot, and then add your brown rice to the other side. 1 cup brown rice
- Add the chicken broth (or 1 cup of water) on top of the brown rice. 1 cup chicken broth
- Close the lid and turn the pressure valve handle to Sealing. Set your cook time to 25 minutes on high pressure.
- When the cook time is done, turn off your "keep warm" button if it's on.
- Allow the pressure to naturally release in the pot.
- When the pressure valve drops, or after 15 minutes, remove the lid of your Instant pot.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred using two forks (or shred chicken with a stand mixer).
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and stir to combine chicken and rice.
- Allow a few minutes for the contents of the pot to cool and add Greek yogurt, cheese, and cooked turkey bacon. ¾ cup Greek yogurt, ⅔ cup cheddar cheese
- Stir well to combine all of the ingredients. Top with green onions and additional cheddar cheese, as desired. Serve warm.
Stove Top:
- You will need to defrost your chicken first to make this on the stovetop. 1 ½ lbs chicken breast
- Cook bacon according to package directions and chop into small pieces after it's cooled. 8 slices turkey bacon
- Heat a large skillet on high heat on the stove. Add the chicken, garlic, onion powder, dill, parsley, and black pepper. 1 ½ lbs chicken breast, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dill, 1 tsp parsley, ½ tsp black pepper
- Add in 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring the broth to a boil and stir in your brown rice.
- Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Let the chicken and rice simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
- When the chicken is cooked (internal temperature reaches 165°F), shred with two forks or using a stand mixer.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. While the chicken and rice are still hot, mix in the cheese, bacon, and Greek yogurt. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving. ⅔ cup cheddar cheese, 8 slices turkey bacon, ¾ cup Greek yogurt
Slow cooker:
- You will need to thaw your chicken first to make this in a slow cooker.
- Cook bacon according to package directions and chop into small pieces after it's cooled. 8 slices turkey bacon
- Add the chicken, garlic, onion powder, pepper, dill, and parsley to your slow cooker insert. 1 ½ lbs chicken breast, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dill, 1 tsp parsley
- Pour the brown rice next to the chicken, and then cover with 1 1/2 cup chicken broth. 1 cup brown rice, 1 cup chicken broth
- Cover your slow cooker and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours until your rice and chicken are cooked.
- Remove the lid, break apart the chicken using two forks or a stand mixer. Then, mix in the cheese, bacon, and Greek yogurt. ⅔ cup cheddar cheese, 8 slices turkey bacon, ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- Let your casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Serves 4 | Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup (3/4 cup meat and 1/2 cup rice)
Healthy Eating Plans
Weight Watchers: Each 1 ¼ cup serving (using fat free yogurt and fat free cheddar cheese) of this Weight Watchers recipe has 8 2025 Points | 8 2023 Points | 8 Blue Plan Points | 11 Green Plan Point | 3 Purple Plan Point.
21 Day Fix: For the entire recipe of 21 Day Fix chicken and rice casserole: 9 Red Containers, 4 Yellow Containers, and 2 Blue Containers. (Per 1 ¼ cup serving) 2 ¼ Red Container, 1 Yellow Container, and ½ Blue Container.
2B Mindset: This recipe counts as a protein and FFC. Fill your plate with 50% vegetables for a perfect lunch.
Recipe Tips
- For Instant Pot cooking - Only use frozen chicken and dry, uncooked rice. This recipe will not work in the Instant Pot if you substitute with thawed chicken or minute rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 990mg | Potassium: 945mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 2mg