Freshly made is best, as the rice will absorb liquid during storage. Prepare and store covered in the baking dish for several hours before baking. Add 5 to 10 minutes to your initial covered baking time.

Will brown rice work?

I would not use brown rice in this recipe. Brown rice needs more water and a longer cooking time than long-grain white rice. It would take different amounts of water and different cooking times to prepare brown rice, which are not indicated in this recipe.

Can I use cooked chicken?

Add about 2 to 3 cups of cooked and shredded or diced chicken. Stir in the chicken and cheese during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking. The chicken should be fully heated by the time the rice finishes cooking without a lid.

How should I reheat it?

Microwave individual servings. The whole casserole can be served by transferring it to a heat-safe dish, covering with foil, and warming in a 350°F (175°C) oven.

How long do leftovers keep?

Store leftover baked goods in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To add spice, you could add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper to the first mixture and add a cup of frozen peas or cooked fresh broccoli florets when you add cheese to the mixture during the final 10 minutes of cooking. Adding cooked, crushed cooked bacon bits to the top of the casserole along with cheese is another option.

Dump-and-Bake Chicken Alfredo Rice Casserole with Mozzarella

By Miles CarrNov 10, 2026

Prep

10 min

Cook

60 min

Total

70 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

This chicken Alfredo rice casserole includes a tight foil cover to steam long-grain rice in the same casserole dish as chicken. I bake the casserole in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish so that the rice is completely covered by liquid and fully cooked in Alfredo sauce.

Dump-and-Bake Chicken Alfredo Rice Casserole with Mozzarella

Start with uncooked long-grain white rice and stir it well with the broth and other sauce ingredients before adding the chicken. Place the chicken in the rice to coat it almost entirely; uncoated rice will remain hard after baking. Stir everything with a spoon, being careful to stir the sides of the dish, which always dry out for me. Ensure that the foil covers the entire dish for 45 minutes. Don't let the foil pull away from the dish.

When you take off the foil, most of the rice and liquid will have cooked off. Add both cheeses to the top and bake, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheeses are melted and golden brown and bubbling around the edge. I start to take the casserole out after 10 to 15 minutes to keep the top from drying out while the inside of the casserole continues to cook.

Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. It will thicken, and individual servings will be easier to remove and place on serving plates. This is one of the types of casseroles I make on days when I don't have time to make rice or other dishes separately or stir them at the end of cooking.

Why you'll love this recipe

1The aluminum foil cover helps keep the broth and Alfredo sauce inside to season the rice during cooking.
2Raw chicken can be cooked with the rice in the same container, saving you the trouble of washing another pan or container.
3A 9-by-13-inch baking pan is used to prepare a family-size dish with a cheese topping.
4The unfilled side allows top-layer mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses to melt during a second baking period when the pizza is uncovered.
5A 5- to 10-minute rest makes the sauce set and easier to present.
6Choose a brand of Alfredo sauce that you like to eat on its own, as Alfredo sauce is the primary ingredient in the dish.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Add the uncooked rice, chicken broth, Alfredo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to the prepared dish. Stir until well mixed.

Press the cubed chicken into the rice mixture until it is mostly covered by the liquid.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the casserole.

Bake uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Rest the casserole for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

FAQ

If the cooked rice is crunchy, the steam may have escaped or some of the rice was not exposed to enough water. Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil, sealing all edges, and stir the mixture well before baking to make sure all rice is exposed to enough water. During a 45-minute baking period with a covered dish, the rice will absorb some water. Without tightly sealed foil, some of the rice, especially near the edges of the casserole dish, will be crunchy.

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Dinner Casseroles Chicken Italian Quick Meals