Meet your new family favorite recipe – my cheesy curry chicken and rice casserole! The flavors are outstanding. The bone broth-filled cheesy sauce is super comforting. Loads of veggies magically disappear tucked into it with all the hearty chicken and rice. This curry chicken bake has been a family favorite for 9+ years and I don’t see that fact changing anytime soon!
Cheesy curry chicken and rice casserole – a family favorite
In our family of 6, these kids (and adults!) have preferences.
And unfortunately, they don’t always line up perfectly with the meals I plan and make.
I have a kid that doesn’t like potatoes, another that isn’t a fan of onions, and sometimes they all just surprise me and don’t like things they loved yesterday.
Kids.
But then there are those magical moments as a mom when you make a meal, and there’s silence.
Everyone is eating.
No one is complaining.
Then… It’s. All. Gone.
That’s the magic of my cheesy curry chicken and rice casserole!
I’ve been making this exact dish since 2013 when Hunter was just a little guest enjoying his first foods.
For me to keep making this curry chicken bake with no changes is saying something!
You know the saying “why mess with a good thing?”
They were talking about this casserole with that statement!
What makes this chicken and rice casserole special?
There are thousands upon thousands of chicken and rice casseroles out in the world. What makes this one special?
Could it be the cheese sauce?
Or the caramelized veggies?
Or the loads of hearty chicken?
The match of curry spices with creamy cheese sauce?
Yes, yes, yes and yes!
I love this cheese sauce because instead of it being overloaded with a TON of dairy, we swap out milk/cream and instead use bone broth as the liquid.
I am such a fan of this swap because it makes the dish feel less heavy, adds delicious flavor and also gives you an extra nutrition boost!
Curious about bone broth? Here are 10 ways bone broth heals + how to make bone broth in the slow cooker.
Ingredients in cheesy curry chicken and rice casserole
- extra virgin olive oil
- onion
- celery
- carrots
- garlic
- cooked chicken breasts
- cooked rice
- garlic granules
- curry powder
- sea salt
- pepper
- cheddar cheese
- butter
- einkorn flour or whole wheat flour
- chicken bone broth
- sour cream
How to make curry chicken casserole with rice
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots, and cook until softened, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the cooked vegetables from the skillet and add the butter into the pan, allowing it to fully melt. Whisk in the flour, ¼ tsp sea salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the chicken bone broth while continuing to whisk. The liquid should begin to thicken as it gently boils. Stir in the sour cream and 2 cups shredded cheese and whisk until cheese is melted.
- Into the cheese sauce, stir in the diced chicken, cooked rice, curry powder, garlic granules, ½ tsp sea salt, and ½ tsp pepper, along with the cooked vegetables that were set aside. Mix everything together.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish, or a similar size dish. Top with remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted through and the casserole is bubbly along the edges.
Can you prep it in advance?
This is such a great casserole to prep ahead of time! You have a few different options here.
Option 1
Prep the components of the dish in advance.
Chop the veggies, dice the cooked chicken, cook the rice in advance and shred the cheese.
All of these steps will speed up the time it takes to make the dish.
Option 2
Make the recipe up to the final step.
Stop before you complete the final baking.
Keep covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
The casserole may take an extra 10-15 minutes longer in the oven to accommodate for taking the fridge chill off.
Options 3
Make the recipe in its entirety.
If you plan to eat later, let it fully cool then place in the fridge covered.
When you are ready to eat, scoop out individual servings and warm in either the microwave on high for 30-second increments until the serving is heated.
Alternatively, you can heat in the oven at 350 degrees until warm.
Can you freeze this curry chicken bake?
Yes!
I suggest preparing the casserole up to the final step (stopping before you do the final baking).
Cool the casserole fully in the fridge, cover, label and freeze for up to 6 months.
Defrost in the fridge overnight and then place it (uncovered) in the oven for the final bake.
It may take an extra 10-15 minutes longer if the casserole is still pretty cold when it goes into the oven.
Substitions
Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this cheesy curry chicken casserole with rice recipe.
If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
extra virgin olive oil – avocado oil wil work in place of EVOO
cooked chicken breasts – This recipe would work really well with cooked and diced pork tenderloin. You can also used cooked and diced chicken thighs as a substitute.
cooked rice – brown rice, white rice, or even cauliflower rice will work well!
cheddar cheese – What cheese goes with curry chicken? Cheddar is my go to, but a different cheese variety that would pair well in the cheese curry sauce would be colby jack or gouda
butter – ghee is a great alternative!
einkorn flour – In place of einkorn flour, you can substitute in whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, or your favorite gluten free all purpose flour
chicken bone broth – beef bone broth will work as well, along with regular broth
sour cream – plain greek yogurt is a great alternative to sour cream!
More recipes you’ll love
- Hawaiian chicken bake
- Healthy ranch chicken
- Coconut curry chicken with udon noodles and broccoli
- Crockpot coconut green curry basil chicken
- Instant Pot teriyaki chicken and veggies
- Buffalo chicken salad
- Curry chicken salad with grapes and celery
- Chorizo mac and cheese
- Healing chicken turmeric soup
- Mexican pasta bake
Cheesy Curry Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 3 celery stalks finely diced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced small
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cooked chicken breast diced into bite size pieces
- 4 cups cooked rice (brown, white or a mix of both)
- 1.5 tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp garlic granules
- ¾ tsp sea salt divided
- ¾ tsp pepper divided
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup einkorn flour or whole wheat flour
- 1.75 cups chicken bone broth
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook until softened, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the cooked vegetables from the skillet and add the butter into the pan, allowing it to fully melt. Whisk in the flour, ¼ tsp sea salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the chicken bone broth while continuing to whisk. The liquid should begin to thicken as it gently boils. Stir in the sour cream and 2 cups shredded cheese and whisk until cheese is melted.
- Into the cheese sauce, stir in the diced chicken, cooked rice, curry powder, garlic granules, ½ tsp sea salt, and ½ tsp pepper, along with the cooked vegetables that were set aside. Mix everything together.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish, or a similar size dish. Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted through and the casserole is bubbly along the edges.
Nutrition
If you try this curry chicken bake recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
*Originally published in August 2013. Updated March 2022.*
7 comments
Yum! Pinning and making soon! We really like a casserole that’s kind of a version of shepherd’s pie. I typically will make it for others when they’re in need of a meal too because it’s easy, has no problem reheating, and delicious!
yum yum yum! When friends bring meals after you have a baby…its just amazing. I like doing stuffed shells with vegetables
Sounds good. Can’t wait to try it. I also clicked on Lynda’s bookbinding website. It was great to see all the work she does, her beautiful lace, and the gorgeous lake house that I so badly want to come and stay at! Give her a big hug for me.
SO CUTE!! This sounds fantastic. I’m actually making a chicken curry dish in the slow cooker today, and I hope it looks as good as this!
[…] you love curry, be sure to check out this cheesy curry chicken and rice casserole. It’s comforting and a crowd […]
[…] Always have a side of vegetables. Sometimes I get lazy and make a meal like this one. It’s simple and has everything my meal needs – grain, meat and veggie! But when I […]
I made this for dinner tonight and it became our family favorite too! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.