Alright folks, gather ’round! Today, I’m spilling the beans on my kitchen adventure: Angel Chicken and Rice Casserole. Let me tell you, it was a journey, but the destination? Oh, so worth it.
First things first, I preheated the oven to 350°F (about 175°C for my metric friends). You gotta get that oven nice and toasty before the magic happens. While that was heating up, I wrestled out a baking dish – a good ol’ 9×13 inch one. Gave it a quick spray with cooking spray, just to be safe. No one wants a sticky casserole disaster.
Next up: the chicken. I had about 2 cups of cooked chicken, diced. I used leftover rotisserie chicken, because, let’s be real, who has time to cook chicken just for a casserole? If you don’t have leftover chicken, grilled or baked chicken works great too. Just dice it up into bite-sized pieces.
Then came the rice. I cooked up a batch of rice beforehand – about 2 cups cooked. You can use white rice, brown rice, whatever your heart desires. I went with white rice this time because that’s what I had on hand. Make sure it’s cooked and cooled a bit before you add it to the mix.
Now for the creamy goodness. In a big bowl, I whisked together one can (10.75 ounces) of condensed cream of chicken soup, half a cup of sour cream, and a quarter cup of milk. Gave it a good whisk until it was smooth and creamy. Then, I stirred in half a packet of dry Ranch dressing mix. That Ranch seasoning? It’s the secret weapon, trust me.
I dumped the cooked chicken and rice into the bowl with the creamy sauce. Stirred it all together until everything was nicely coated. Made sure no stray pieces of chicken or rice were left behind. This is where things start getting serious.
Poured the whole mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread it out evenly, so everyone gets a fair share of the good stuff. Now for the topping! This is where the “angel” part comes in.
I crumbled up about a cup of butter-flavored crackers (like Ritz) and sprinkled them evenly over the top of the casserole. Then, I drizzled about two tablespoons of melted butter over the cracker crumbs. This is what makes the topping golden brown and crispy. Don’t skip this step!
Into the oven it went! Baked for about 30 minutes, or until the casserole was bubbly and the topping was golden brown. Keep an eye on it, ovens can be finicky. If the topping starts to get too brown, you can loosely cover the dish with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
Once it was done, I pulled it out of the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before digging in. Patience is a virtue, my friends. It needs a little time to set up.
And there you have it! Angel Chicken and Rice Casserole. Creamy, comforting, and ridiculously easy to make. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a potluck. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Pro Tip: You can easily customize this casserole to your liking. Add some veggies like peas, carrots, or broccoli. Swap out the cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom. Use different types of crackers for the topping. The possibilities are endless!
