Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Bacon Bake
School is just around the corner and that means it’s time for some quick-fix meals at night that are filling, yet easy to prepare.
For me, that often means a crockpot meal, or something I won’t have to battle the kids to eat (seriously, is there anything more exhausting than trying to convince your kids to eat?).
This Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Bacon Bake is straight-up homestyle cooking. It’s comfort food that’s tasty, and the kids will eat it without fighting. Even my picky eater ate it and liked it. Plus, it has bacon. So, win!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb. bacon
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 C. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can chicken broth
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 C. cooked chicken, shredded
2 C. white rice
1 C. shredded mozzarella
PREPARATION
- Place the rice in a rice cooker and cook until done.
- Boil the chicken and shred.
- Lay the bacon strips on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Flip each strip and bake for another 5 minutes, or until bacon becomes crispy. Remove and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- Prepare the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in the flour until the sauce becomes smooth. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cayenne. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and whisk until the sauce thickens.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese until well combined.
- Spray a glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Add the shredded chicken and rice to the baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce and mix to combine. Add the mozzarella cheese and crumble the bacon to top it off.
- Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Bacon Bake
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. bacon
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 C. flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 can chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 C. cooked chicken shredded
- 2 C. white rice
- 1 C. shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Place the rice in a rice cooker and cook until done.
- Boil the chicken and shred.
- Lay the bacon strips on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Flip each strip and bake for another 5 minutes, or until bacon becomes crispy. Remove and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- Prepare the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in the flour until the sauce becomes smooth. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cayenne. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and whisk until the sauce thickens.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese until well combined.
- Spray a glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Add the shredded chicken and rice to the baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce and mix to combine. Add the mozzarella cheese and crumble the bacon to top it off.
- Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
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That looks so good. i have never had rice with cheese and bacon before.
Michelle F.
That sounds awesome. I can't wait to try this.
You had me at bacon! I have to put this on my menu plan for next week looks delish!
This is probably the most un-American thing to say lol, but I've never been a huge fan of bacon. Sometimes I'll eat a BLT and on rare occasions might have some on my burger, but otherwise I just don't really eat it.
I can't wait to try that recipe. Sounce like a nice addition to the meal rotation.
You had me at 'even my picky eater ate it,' lol. I do have one of those in the house. 😉
I'm not a big sauce lover but I do love cheese so maybe this dish I would love. I might or might not add the bacon—Shredded chicken, rice with a cheese sauce all hot and bubbly from the oven–Yummy!
I avoided bacon for years because of all the ugly preservatives they put in, but then one day I discovered an all-natural brand at Whole Foods and so now I occasionally cook with it. The recent success was wrapping bacon around meatloaf before baking it. The most flavorful meatloaf ever!
Looks like a delicious recipe. I am sure my kids would love this and it would make a great weeknight dinner. Thanks for sharing!
I know that my kids would LOVE this recipe! Bacon and cheese?!?! yum! Making this one for sure!
This looks great! Simple but yummy!
I am a vegetarian but I can still appreciate your culinary skill!http://www.fadedspring.co.uk
I love your recipe! Can't wait to try it! Bacon and cheese! Yummy
I don't eat bacon. My family would love this though, they love bacon.
Sounds like a great meal for a weeknight – quick and easy! Oh, and I totally hear you about fighting the kids to eat – so much fun 🙂
You had me at Bacon, but cheese too? Count me in!
This sounds really good! Hubby isn't much for bacon, so I might have to take that out but it seems like a recipe worth trying!
Sounds wonderful! I love that it has good, real ingredients unlike most casseroles. Thanks for sharing.
There is nothing better than bacon and cheese! I love this and will be pinning. Thanks so much for sharing at #HomeMattersParty