Cheesy Cream Cheese Chicken and Rice Casserole

If you’re craving a creamy and indulgent chicken casserole, then this cheesy chicken and rice casserole is a must-try! Made with juicy chicken, fluffy rice and lots of cheese, it’s a family favorite!

Growing up my mom made, and still does make, the best casseroles. I don’t care that it’s 2025 and people are worried more about kale pureed into overnight oats, casseroles feel like home and I’m always a fan of an easy chicken and rice recipe for dinner. We call this one angel chicken casserole in our house and it’s based off of two recipes, the crockpot chicken and rice recipe and Mom’s famous Busy Day Casserole recipe.

Typical angel chicken is a creamy sauce with chicken served over angel hair pasta, but I decided to transform the flavorful saucy chicken into a casserole by combining it with rice. It is total comfort food and full of delicious homey flavors! It’s called “angel chicken” for a reason…it tastes like heaven!

Ingredients for Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

If you have some leftover chicken or bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco but aren’t sure how to use it, this recipe is a great option. You only need a few pantry staples to make this hearty and irresistible casserole recipe:

• Cream Cheese: I recommend using full fat or possibly 1/3 less fat but avoid fat free for the best texture and flavor.
• Butter: adds richness and flavor
• Cooked Chicken: diced or shredded (I use rotisserie from Costco)
• Cooked Rice: I use 1/3 wild rice and the rest white rice.
• Cream of Chicken Soup: I use my homemade recipe, but feel free to use a can of condensed soup if you want.
  • NOTE: You can swap for cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup if needed.
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Good Seasons Dry Italian Dressing Mix: You can find this at the grocery store on the salad dressing aisle next to the other salad dressing packets.
• Chicken Broth: helps keep the casserole moist as it bakes
• Colby Jack Cheese: Some goes in the casserole and the rest gets sprinkled on top for extra cheesiness.
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
• Fresh Parsley: Don’t skip this! This is a creamy, cheesy and rich dish and the parsley adds the tiniest bit of brightness I think the casserole needs.

The measurements needed for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Healthy Harvest Chicken Casserole

Healthy Harvest Chicken Casserole is a comforting and nutritious dish that combines tender, lean chicken with an array of colorful vegetables, wild rice, and a light, creamy honey mustard sauce.

This casserole recipe was inspired by a salad I had a few years ago up in Park City, UT. I haven’t been able to get the flavors out of my head since, so I converted it into a casserole and I’m obsessed!

This hearty casserole offers a wholesome balance of flavors, from the savory chicken to the sweetness of seasonal vegetables. Perfectly baked to golden perfection, it’s a satisfying meal that the whole family will enjoy!

Ingredients for Healthy Harvest Chicken Casserole

There is nothing complicated about the ingredients for this healthy chicken recipe. You’ll need a few seasonal vegetables and some seasonings. Here is everything you’ll need:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: used to sauté the potatoes and vegetables
• Sweet Potatoes: adds heartiness and a touch of sweetness to the dish
• Brussels Sprouts: If you aren’t a brussel sprouts fan, use broccoli instead.
• Red Onion: adds flavor
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Chicken Broth: helps cook all the vegetables and chicken completely
• Seasonings: Dried Thyme, Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Kosher Salt and Pepper
• Chicken Breasts: use boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Honey Mustard Dressing: adds flavor, moisture
• Wild Rice: I love the flavor of wild rice with the recipe, but you can use any type of rice you like.
• Toppings: Sliced Almonds, Pepitas and Dried Cranberries (all optional but I love the texture and flavors they add)

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Harvest Chicken Casserole

This delicious casserole is packed with protein and healthy vegetables, making it the perfect meal for a cozy night in. Here are the steps for making it…

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉.
2. Sauté: Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat then add the oil. Add the sweet potatoes, brussels and red onion and season them with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes and then reduce the heat to medium. Once everything starts browning, add the garlic and cookie it for 30 seconds.
3. Cook the Vegetables: Add half of the chicken and all the seasonings and stir everything together. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes then place in a casserole dish.
4. Cook the Chicken: Return the heat to medium-high, add a little oil to the

Southern Tomato Pie [+Video]

This Southern Tomato Pie is what you make when dinner feels impossible but you still want something special—something that says “home.” Juicy summer tomatoes, 3 kinds of cheese, and fresh basil all tucked into a homemade flaky crust that tastes like comfort on a plate.

Watch How to Make This Southern Tomato Pie Recipe

If there was one recipe that totally caught me by surprise it would be this one! Even kids love, love, love this tomato pie! Think margherita pizza meets pie and that’s what you get here! All the flavors of homemade pizza but in the form of a savory pie. I find that it’s best made with farm fresh tomatoes as they pack in so much more flavor and remind me of the rows and rows of beautiful, shiny red globes of tomatoes planted along the perimeter of Mom and Dad’s garden. It’s fresh and tasty with a flaky crust, what more could you want?!

Southern Tomato Pie Ingredients

This easy tomato pie recipe features a homemade crust and a cheesy tomato filling. Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

For the Crust

• Flour: Just regular all-purpose flour is all you need.
• Sugar: Helps balance out the flavor of the crust.
• Salt: Adds flavor to the crust.
• Butter: Use unsalted butter so that the crust doesn’t become too salty. Butter gives the crust its rich flavor and flaky texture.
• Ice Water: Helps bind all the ingredients together while keeping the butter and shortening cold so the crust is extra flaky.

For the Filling

• Fresh Tomatoes: Vine ripe tomatoes are my favorite for this recipe. Roma tomatoes also work great!
• Cheeses: Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Cheddar
• Herbs and Spices: Salt, Garlic Powder, Oregano, Black Pepper and Fresh Basil Leaves (store-bought or fresh from the garden)
• Mayonnaise: Duke’s is our preferred brand but you can use any mayo you want!

The measurements needed for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Our Favorite Classic Meatloaf Recipe [+Video]

A good classic meatloaf recipe should never be over-mixed, should always include a glaze, and the secret? Well, that’s in a combination of ground meat you don’t want to miss!

It seems like meatloaf is a divisive dish. You either love it or you hate it. I think it all depends on if you’ve had an amazingly awesome meatloaf like this one, or if you’ve only had mediocre meatloaf. We are making everyone into meatloaf lovers with this recipe!

Does it even matter who is coming to dinner if Mom’s meatloaf is on the menu? The flavor reminds me of home and it tastes just like mom made it! This is our favorite homemade meatloaf recipe plus every frequently asked question to help it turn out perfect every single time!

What Ingredients Do You Need for Classic Meatloaf?

Let’s start by talking about the ingredients you will need. I mentioned the combination of meat that makes the most outrageously delicious meatloaf, so here it is:

• Meat combination:
  • Beef Chuck (ground)
  • Pork (ground)
  • Veal (ground)

It is seriously the best! But if you want to keep it simple, you can use all lean ground beef chuck and it will be still be delicious.

These are the other ingredients you will need:

• Vegetable Oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Carrot
• Thyme
• Eggs
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• Dijon Mustard
• Ketchup
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Milk
• Ritz Crackers (or breadcrumbs)
• Fresh Parsley

Then we absolutely cannot forget about the glaze! It is my favorite part!! It is the perfect way to top this meatloaf:

• Ketchup
• Chili Sauce
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Brown Sugar
• Garlic
• Salt

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make the Best Meatloaf:

Now that we know all the ingredients, let’s walk through each step of how to make this traditional meatloaf recipe. We are going to include a photo of each step as well. Here we go!

1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place a skillet on your stove top and heat the oil over medium high heat.
2. Sauté: Add the onion, carrots, and garlic to the skillet and cook until it soft. It should take about 5 minutes then set them aside to cool.
3. Glaze: While the veggies are cooking, I like to whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze so that it’s ready when I need it.
4. Whisk: Add the eggs, thyme, salt, pepper, and milk to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
5. Add: Then add in the mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce and whisk everything together.

The Flakiest Savory Beef Pot Pie

Savory indulgent beef pot pie that is loaded with vegetables and topped with flaky, golden puff pastry! It’s pure comfort food!

I mean, it was bound to happen. Our readers are in love with our chicken pot pie, and in fact it’s one of the most popular recipes on our site. But with all of you requesting a few more beef recipes I couldn’t resist a savory beef pot pie recipe. Is it possible to have too many pot pies?

I think not!

What started out one way ended up an entirely different way and I’m ridiculously pleased with the results. And no one is happier than Cade, he says it’s one of his new favorite dinners. 🙂

Ingredients for Beef Pot Pie

You’ll start by pulling your puff pastry sheet out of the freezer and letting it thaw slightly. The rest of the ingredients you will need are here:

• Puff Pastry – found in the freezer section of the grocery store by the pie crusts
• Beef Roast – chuck roast is my preferred cut, but a top sirloin or round roast would also work, you could even use ground beef for a budget friendly option
• Salt – flavor
• Pepper – flavor
• Yellow Onion – adds so much to the depth of flavor, see section below for using onions if you are not a fan of onions
• Garlic – flavor
• Carrots – go with real carrots that you peel and slice, no baby carrots
• Celery – flavor and texture
• Peas – I love these bright pops of flavor and color. They get added right before adding the filling to the baking dish so they don’t get too mushy.
• Flour – thickens the filling
• Rosemary – fresh is best, but you can use dried if you need to, 1 sprig fresh = 1 teaspoon dried
• Bay Leaf – adds so much flavor, remove it before adding the filling to the baking dish
• Thyme – fresh is preferred, but if you need to use dried, 1 teaspoon fresh = 1/3 teaspoon dried
• Beef Broth – the base of the gravy that the meat and veggies will simmer in and become the delicious filling
• Balsamic Vinegar – add sweetness and tanginess to the gravy
• Worcestershire Sauce – our preferred brand is Lea & Perrins and it is essential! It adds great umami flavor!
• Dijon Mustard – adds to the depth of flavor in the gravy
• Whole Milk – used for the egg wash
• Egg – used for the egg wash that will make crust beautifully golden

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down below.

What If You Hate Onions?

I heard you all loud and clear on instagram, you either love or absolutely hate onions and there’s not really any who are in between. So can you substitute onions in a recipe? Well, in my personal opinion, no.