September 1, 2020

Dairy Free Chicken and Rice Casserole

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Hearty, cozy and comforting, this dairy free chicken and rice casserole is a delicious easy dinner! Packed with carrots, broccoli, brown rice and chicken, it’s creamy, flavorful and healthy. The whole family will flip over this weeknight dish. Gluten free and soy free.

Two plates of Dairy Free Chicken and Rice Casserole.

Winner winner chicken dinner!

That’s exactly what we have here today with this delightful dairy free chicken and rice casserole.

Creamy, flavorful and packed with cozy goodness, you won’t even miss the milk, butter and cheese in this delicious dish.

Not to mention that there’s no cream of anything soup involved.

Which, let’s be real, can either A) – be a real challenge to find when you’re dairy free, or B) – you just plain ol’ don’t like.  

So instead we have a few simple, wholesome ingredients.

Colorful fresh veggies. Brown rice, cooked chicken, plenty of spices. And a bit of dairy free sour cream + chicken broth for that perfect final texture.

It’s comfort food meets healthy food meets good-for-the-soul food. ♡♡♡

Ingredients in glass bowls and then an unbaked casserole.

How To Make Dairy Free Chicken and Rice Casserole

So, let’s talk about how this simple dish goes down:

Soften veggies. First up, we’ll cook some onion, carrot and broccoli florets in a skillet until crisp tender. 

Mix everything together. Next, we’ll add the veggies to a large bowl, along with some cooked chicken, rice, dairy free sour cream and seasonings. 

Make the topping. We’ll quickly add some cashews, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder to a food processor and pulse until combined. 

Assemble casserole. The rice mixture gets spread in a baking dish and then we’ll sprinkle the cashew parmesan over the top. 

Bake for 15 minutes. Finally, we’ll pop the casserole in the oven and bake until just warmed through. 

Cashews and spices blended in a food processor.

Let’s Talk Substitutions

  • Not feeling the brown rice? Try white rice or a wild rice blend.
  • As far as the chicken, either chicken breasts or thighs will work. To make it even easier, use a rotisserie chicken. 
  • And finally, if you don’t want to make the cashew parmesan topping, you can use a dairy free cheese of choice. Just sprinkle over the top and bake as directed.

A Dairy Free Chicken Casserole in a white baking dish.

Tips & Tricks

  1. First things first. The recipe time does NOT include time to cook the rice and chicken.
  2. Now, about 1 cup dry long grain brown rice will give you the 3 cups cooked.
  3. And about 1 to 1 ¼ pounds chicken breast will give you the 3 cups once cooked and shredded.
  4. Finally, if you are making the chicken and rice in advance, it’s important to let them come back to room temperature (or warm them up slightly) before using in the recipe. This is because you DO NOT want to bake the casserole for longer than the listed 15 minutes or it will dry out (and it won’t warm all the way through if the chicken / rice are cold). 

How To Store

Fridge: Let the casserole cool completely then transfer to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for about 4 days. 

A Non Dairy Chicken and Rice Casserole with a spoon in the dish.

Additional Dairy Free Dinner Recipes:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Two plates of Dairy Free Chicken and Rice Casserole.

Dairy Free Chicken and Rice Casserole

Yield: about 5 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Hearty, cozy and comforting, this dairy free chicken and rice casserole is a delicious easy dinner! Packed with carrots, broccoli, brown rice and chicken, it’s creamy, flavorful and healthy. The whole family will flip over this weeknight dish.

Ingredients

For the casserole:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
  • 3 cups cooked brown rice
  • 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken    
  • 1 batch dairy free sour cream*
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

For the topping:

  • ½ cup raw cashews 
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
  • ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, to taste

Instructions

For the casserole:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish with nonstick or olive oil spray. Set aside.
  2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add in the onion and carrots and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. 
  3. Add in the broccoli and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp tender. Remove from the heat and add to a large bowl. 
  4. To the bowl, add the rice, chicken, sour cream, mustard, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined, then taste and season with additional salt / pepper as needed (I usually add a bit more salt but this will depend on your sour cream).
  5. Stir in the ½ cup broth then transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.

For the topping:

  1. In a small food processor, add all the ingredients for the topping. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped and resembles coarse crumbs or coarse sand. 
  2. Sprinkle some evenly over the top of the casserole (I usually use just under half of the mixture - any extra can be stored in a container in the fridge for several weeks. It's great on salads, other dishes, whatever you can think up!).
  3. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until warmed through. Let the casserole stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

*I haven’t tested it myself, but it should be just fine to substitute 1 cup store-bought dairy free sour cream (if you don’t want to make your own). 

See the tips & tricks section in the post above for important info if you’re planning on cooking the chicken and rice in advance. 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 628mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 33g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: American / Category: Main Dish
Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes (ALL), Soy Free, Weeknight
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