This is a great recipe if you have some leftover rice and chicken that needs a little life. This is also a great make-ahead meal. Most of the time, I make this from scratch and that’s how I wrote the recipe but if you already have parts of this made, it’ll cut your time by a lot.
This is one of those “happy kid = happy mommy” meals. I’m pretty lucky because my little human isn’t very picky and he actually enjoys eating veggies, but if you do struggle to get your little ones (or big ones) to eat anything green, try this! The cheese will make them forget about all about it!
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli
- 1 Cup Frozen Broccoli
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheese
Rice
- 1 ½ Cups Wild Rice (3 cups cooked)
- ½ Medium Onion (diced)
- 3 Cloves Garlic (diced)
Chicken
- 1 lb. Bone-in Chicken Thighs
- Table Blend (to taste)
- Salt (to taste)
Cheese Sauce
- 2 tbsp Butter
- ½ Medium Onion
- 1 ½ tbsp Flour
- ¾ Cup Milk
- ½ Cup Cubed Velveeta
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Preheat your oven to 400° F. Season your chicken with table blend and salt. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until done. You can also boil your chicken but roasting it gives it so much more flavor. Let it rest 5-10 minutes before shredding.
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Follow the cooking directions for your rice and add half of an onion and all 3 cloves of garlic to the pot.
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If you roasted your chicken, use some of the drippings to heat your broccoli. Just add some to a pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.
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To make the cheese sauce, heat a skillet to medium-high and add your butter and half of an onion. Turn your heat down to medium and cook until the onions are softened but not brown.
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Add your flour and stir. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add your milk and stir until thickened, then add your Velveeta. Add salt and table blend to taste.
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Turn your oven down to 350° F. Combine your chicken, rice, broccoli, and cheese sauce and add to your baking dish. Cover with shredded cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Finish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is slightly brown.