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Chicken, Zucchini, Rice Casserole in a skillet on the counter with wood spoon. Skillet has mushrooms, onion, zucchini, chicken, and rice.

Stovetop Chicken, Zucchini, Rice Casserole

Stovetop Chicken, Zucchini, Rice Casserole is a creamy and flavorful recipe filled with earthy mushrooms, aromatic onions, fresh and bright zucchini, hearty chicken, and rice. It's incredibly easy to make as it all comes together in one skillet.  The cream sauce is light and creamy,  but has no heavy cream at all.  This is a summer recipe that's a gluten free, easy recipe, and a one pan meal!  

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken, chicken dinner, dinner, easy dinner, mushrooms, zucchini
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Optional: make chicken ahead 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 429 kcal
Author Carrie Tyler

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces Cremini Mushrooms, sliced (white button are fine too)
  • 1 Zucchini, Medium
  • 1 Onion, Small (yellow or white)
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Salt (to be added to taste at various steps)
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ground Pepper (to be added to taste at various steps)
  • 3 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 cup White Long Grain Rice, uncooked
  • 10 ounces Chicken Breast
  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1 cup Plain Unsweetened Almond Milk you can substitute regular milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • 3 Tablespoons Italian Parsley, Chopped

Instructions

Prep Ahead Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

  2. Dice the zucchini by cutting it in half lengthwise, then into quarters. Slice into ½ inch sliced triangles. 

  3. Dice the onion.  Mince the garlic.  Rough chop the parsley to get 3 Tbls.  

  4. Pre-Cook the Chicken: Put the chicken breast on a baking sheet and rub with a drizzle of Olive Oil and dash of salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. When the chicken is done, dice it into bite-size pieces.

Cooking Steps

  1. Make the rice according to package instructions.  NOTE: You could do this step in advance and just reheat at this point.

  2. Preheat a large frying pan on high heat.  Add 2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil to coat the bottom and then add the sliced mushrooms with a dash of salt and pepper.  Spread the mushrooms into one layer and cook for 5 minutes to get a brown sear on the bottom.  Then stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes until reduced in size by half.  Transfer the muschooms to a plate.

    Zucchini and Chicken Rice Skillet is a creamy and flavorful recipe filled with different textures from the mushrooms, onion, zucchini, chicken, and rice. It's also incredibly easy to make as it all comes together in one skillet.

  3. Add another teaspoon of olive oil to the pan and add the Onions to cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring every few minutes so that the onions don't burn.  Then add the Garlic to the onions and cook for another 1 minute.

  4. Turn the heat back up to high heat and add the diced zucchini with a dash of salt and pepper.  Cook just until you get a sear (just a few minutes), no further.  Then add the mushrooms back to the pan.

    Chicken, Zucchini, Rice Casserole is a creamy and flavorful recipe filled with different textures from the mushrooms, onion, zucchini, chicken, and rice. It's also incredibly easy to make as it all comes together in one skillet.

  5. Add the cornstarch to 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk and whisk until fully dissolved.

  6. To the veggies in the skillet, add 1 cup of chicken broth.  Then add the Milk and Cornstarch mixture and bring to a simmer in the skillet, stirring as it starts to thicken. 

    Chicken, Zucchini, Rice Casserole is a creamy and flavorful recipe filled with different textures from the mushrooms, onion, zucchini, chicken, and rice. It's also incredibly easy to make as it all comes together in one skillet.

  7. Add the diced chicken, the parmesan cheese, and some of the parsley to taste (save some for garnish).  Mix to combine.  Finally, mix in the warm rice.  NOTE: If all of your rice does not fit into the skillet, you can place some of the rice into the servings bowls/plates and pour the Zucchini & Chicken Rice mixture on top.

    Zucchini and Chicken Rice Skillet is a creamy and flavorful recipe filled with different textures from the mushrooms, onion, zucchini, chicken, and rice. It's also incredibly easy to make as it all comes together in one skillet.

  8. Serve, garnish with fresh parsley, and ENJOY!

    Chicken, Zucchini, Rice Casserole in a skillet on the counter with wood spoon. Skillet has mushrooms, onion, zucchini, chicken, and rice.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  1. Do I have to use Almond Milk?  This recipe uses Almond Milk, but you can use any milk that you prefer, as long as it is unsweetened. 
  2. Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?  Yes, you can use chicken thighs, but I recommend sticking with boneless skinless thighs for easy prep and cooking. Consider the amount of thighs that you will need as well. Generally, I estimate 16 ounces or 1 pound of chicken for 4 servings. That will likely mean 5-6 boneless skinless thighs, depending on their size. The recipe instructions will be the same for thighs as the breasts.
  3. This recipe Gluten Free