This Corn Casserole with Chicken and Rice is delicious, healthy and easy to make even on a busy weeknight!
I've created a super easy Corn Casserole with Chicken and Rice recipe that was inspired by one my mom made often when I was young. You can even assemble the corn casserole the day or night before then just throw it in the oven when you're ready. I love nights like this when dinner is already prepared yet I know it was my own hands that put it all together.
This the perfect leftover chicken recipe or make it a leftover turkey casserole!
Chicken Corn Casserole Ingredients
- Fresh or frozen corn (or canned)
- Cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (or turkey)
- Uncooked brown rice, white if preferred
- Shredded Mexican-style four cheese blend
- Fire-roasted canned diced tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Sweet onion, chopped
- Cilantro, chopped
- Green onions, chopped
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Chili powder
- Ancho chili powder
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Sour cream, for topping
How to Make Chicken Corn Casserole
This dish is perfect for making ahead or as another meal to serve a few days later!
- Cook rice according to package directions
- Sautée onions, garlic and chili powders
- Add all ingredients to casserole dish, mix and season
- Bake at 350F and then garnish with cilantro and green onions
Recipe Tips
- The chicken should be cooked before putting into the casserole.
- Rotisserie and leftover chicken are our favorites but boiled, pulled, grilled and canned will all work. Breast or thigh are chef's too.
- Add jalapenos, or my favorite Hatch chiles, for a little extra spice.
- Substitute cheddar cheese for pepper jack cheese.
- You can easily substitute equal amounts turkey with this recipe for a leftover turkey casserole.
Corn Casserole Storage
Store the leftover chicken casserole in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. A covered baking dish will last up to a couple of days.
Make Ahead & Reheat
This dish can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the casserole to cool and then cover in plastic wrap and double cover with foil if storing in the freezer. The garnish should be added after reheating.
To reheat let the dish sit a room temperature for about 30 minutes and reheat in the oven at 350°F for 20-30 minutes. If frozen, allow the casserole to thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.
A microwave will work, especially for individual servings, but for best flavor use an oven to reheat. Reheat in a microwave on a micro-wave safe dish for 1 minute at medium power. Check and continue to reheat with 30 second bursts until warmed through.
More Tasty Casserole Recipes
- Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken
- Chili Relleno Casserole
- Dorito Casserole
- Dorito Taco Casserole with Black Beans and Corn
- Egg Casserole
- Green Bean Casserole
- Hash Brown Casserole
- Mexican Quinoa Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Walking Taco Casserole
Check out our list of easy family dinner ideas!
Corn Casserole with Chicken and Rice
An easy, chicken corn casserole with rice that can be made days ahead!
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice, can use white if preferred
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ medium sweet onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 2 - 3 cups frozen corn, thawed (fresh corn right off the cob is best in the summertime!)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (I like leftover chicken or turkey, or rotisserie chicken)
- 1 - 2 cups shredded Mexican-style four cheese blend
- 1 14 ½ ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, no need to drain
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Sour cream, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften, about five minutes. Add garlic and both chili powders; cook about one more minute.
- Add corn, chicken, ½ of the cheese, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, rice and onion mixture to a greased casserole dish; mix well then add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through. Garnish with cilantro and chopped green onions; serve with sour cream on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 470Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 588mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 27g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
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David Reason says
I did this up last night and it was terrific. A keeper.
I did this as a "kitchen dinner", meaning I made it with ingredients that were already in the kitchen, so:
I had only one chili powder, and I used a tbls, I used a 14 oz can of spiced tomatoes instead of fire roasted. I used cheddar instead of the Mexican mix of cheese.
I served it in big wide bowls with the suggested scallions and cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream on the side.
It looked great and it got rave reviews!
Kristy Bernardo says
That's fantastic, David! Your changes sound delicious. Thanks for letting me know!
Nancy at I Made this dish says
Hi Kristy, I love this recipe! One pot dish for dinner during busy weeknights is awesome!
Especially if it has everyone's favorite: chicken, rice, cheese... I am all in! 😀 Thanks again!
Kristy Bernardo says
Thanks so much, Nancy!
Des @ Life's Ambrosia says
I love the idea of reclaiming the kitchen and I love this post. We always have dinner around the kitchen table. I think it is super important. And I too like to cook things that will work for multiple meals. My favorite thing is pulled pork. I take an inexpensive cut of meat and make 3 -4 meals out of it. It makes it so we can enjoy home cooked meals at home and its a lot easier on me with two little ones running around 🙂
Kristy Bernardo says
That's a fantastic suggestions, Des! You can make so many different things with pulled pork, even pizza or nachos or soup! Thanks for the great idea and the thoughtful comment.
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
Kristy, My family's story is very much like yours. Although we come from different parts of the country and 3 of my 4 grandparents were immigrants, the way our kids are being raised has very little in common with the privations of previous generations. They are lucky and so are we. I appreciate your philosophy about cooking weeknight dinners too - so practical.
Kristy Bernardo says
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment, Laura!
Kristy Bernardo says
Thanks, heather! I agree, I love our family meal time - even those times when the kids are bickering 🙂 I love the idea of using leftover chicken for a taco salad - I always forget about making those and they're sooo good!
Stephanie Stuart says
Love the way you drizzled the sour cream over this corn casserole. Casseroles are something I want to make more of because I can freeze them! This is now on the list <3
Kristy Bernardo says
Awesome! Thanks, Stephanie 🙂
Nutmeg Nanny says
What an amazing looking casserole! It's the perfect hot family meal 🙂
Kristy Bernardo says
Thank you, NN!
heather @french press says
I absolutely love a meal that I can prepare ahead of time, and I usually do roast two chickens at once so we have shredded chicken for tacos salads or a great casserole like this one.
family meal time is so important to us, even if the kids do nothing but pick on each other or whine about the meal, it's the only time of the day wherewe are all together, and I would not trade it for anything!!
Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says
This is such a beautiful, touching, and inspiring post. I love listening to my grandparents' talk about growing up during the Great Depression, so this definitely struck a personal chord for me.
I also try to meal plan so that I can knock out two meals at once, and rotisserie chicken is basically my best friend. This casserole is gorgeous!
Kristy Bernardo says
Hi Faith, I couldn't agree more! Listening to my dad talk about his days growing up on his farm still captivates me and it's such an important part of my family's history. And I definitely agree about rotisserie chicken being a best friend! Thanks 🙂