Save There's something magical about opening the oven to find dinner already waiting for you—no last-minute scrambling, just the smell of melted cheese and basil filling your kitchen. I discovered this chicken pesto rice bake on one of those evenings when I had exactly forty-five minutes between work and a hungry family, and I needed something that looked like I'd spent hours in the kitchen. It's become my go-to when I want to feel like I'm feeding people something special without the stress.
I made this for my friend Sarah on a rainy Sunday, and I'll never forget how she closed her eyes after the first bite and just sat there smiling. She asked me what restaurant I'd ordered from, and when I told her it was a one-dish casserole, she didn't believe me until I showed her the empty baking dish.
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large, about 500 g, diced into 1-inch pieces): Cutting them into smaller pieces helps them cook evenly and tender throughout the rice, which I learned after a few unevenly cooked batches.
- Long-grain white rice (1½ cups/285 g, uncooked): Don't rinse it—you want that starch to help the whole dish come together into something creamy and cohesive.
- Low-sodium chicken broth (2 cups/480 ml): The base of everything, so taste it first to make sure it's flavorful enough to carry the whole dish.
- Whole milk (1 cup/240 ml): This adds richness without overwhelming the fresh pesto flavor.
- Basil pesto (½ cup/120 g, store-bought or homemade): The heart of this dish—don't skip it or use a tiny amount thinking you'll save money, because the pesto is what makes this special.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese (1 cup/120 g): Use whole milk mozzarella if you can; it melts better and tastes fresher than the pre-shredded stuff that has anticaking agents.
- Grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup/60 g): Real Parmesan adds a sharp, salty punch that transforms the whole thing into something restaurant-worthy.
- Minced garlic (2 cloves): Fresh garlic makes a real difference here; jarred garlic tastes tired by comparison.
- Dried Italian herbs (1 tsp): This just fills in the background flavor, so don't stress about it too much.
- Salt (½ tsp) and ground black pepper (¼ tsp): You might need more at the end depending on your broth, so taste before serving.
- Cherry tomatoes (1 cup/150 g, halved): They burst slightly during baking and keep the whole thing from feeling heavy and cheesy.
- Baby spinach (1 cup/150 g, roughly chopped, optional): Add it for color and a quiet vegetable note, or skip it if you prefer a simpler version.
Instructions
- Set up your baking dish:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little butter or oil. This is the only pan you'll need, which is exactly the point.
- Build the rice base:
- Pour the uncooked rice straight into your baking dish, then add the chicken broth, milk, pesto, minced garlic, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together until it looks fairly even—don't worry about the rice being completely submerged because it'll absorb liquid as it cooks.
- Layer in the chicken and vegetables:
- Scatter the diced chicken pieces over the rice, then add your halved cherry tomatoes and spinach if you're using it. Stir gently to distribute everything, being careful not to overwork it because you want the rice to stay in the bottom where it belongs.
- Add the cheese topping:
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly across the top. Don't skimp here—the cheese creates that golden, bubbly finish that makes people stop talking and start eating.
- Covered bake:
- Tightly cover the entire baking dish with aluminum foil and slide it into the oven. Let it bake for 35 minutes without peeking, which I know is hard but the steam inside is doing important work.
- Finish with color:
- Remove the foil and bake for another 10–15 minutes until the rice is tender, the chicken is cooked through, and the cheese turns golden and starts to bubble at the edges. You'll know it's ready when the top looks a little crispy in spots.
- Rest before serving:
- Let the whole dish sit for 5–10 minutes after pulling it from the oven. This gives the rice time to firm up slightly and the flavors time to settle together.
Save My eight-year-old, who usually picks around anything that looks mixed together, asked for seconds and didn't even notice the spinach I'd hidden in there. That's when I knew this dish had crossed from weeknight dinner into actual comfort food.
Why This Works as a Complete Dinner
There's no need for sides here because you've got rice, protein, vegetables, and cheese all in one baking dish. The pesto does the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you're not eating something bland that needs company on the plate. If you absolutely want something alongside it, a simple green salad with lemon dressing cuts through the richness beautifully without making you feel like you're doing extra work.
How to Customize Without Losing the Plot
The beauty of this dish is how forgiving it is with substitutions. Use rotisserie chicken (about 2 cups shredded) if you're in a real time crunch, and subtract about 10 minutes from the baking time since the chicken is already cooked. Brown rice works too if you have it on hand, though you'll need to add an extra ½ cup of liquid and give it about 10–15 minutes longer in the oven. Even adding diced zucchini, bell peppers, or mushrooms works perfectly—just don't go overboard with vegetables or the dish becomes watery.
Making It Ahead and Storage Tips
You can assemble this entire dish in the morning, cover it, and bake it whenever you're ready that evening. If you're planning ahead, prep everything in the baking dish, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and stick it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just add about 5 extra minutes to the baking time if you're pulling it straight from the refrigerator. Leftovers keep in the fridge for about three days and honestly taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to get to know each other.
- If you have leftovers, reheat them gently in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes covered with foil so the cheese doesn't dry out.
- This dish freezes beautifully before you bake it, so assemble and freeze it for up to three months, then bake straight from frozen (just add about 15–20 minutes to the cooking time).
- Let any leftovers come to room temperature before storing so you don't steam the whole fridge.
Save This dish has saved more weeknights than I can count, and it always feels like something you put thought into even when you didn't. That's the real magic of a good recipe.
Recipe FAQ
- → Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breasts?
Yes, substituting shredded rotisserie chicken reduces bake time by about 10 minutes and still delivers great flavor and texture.
- → Is it possible to make this dish gluten-free?
Absolutely. Using certified gluten-free chicken broth and pesto ensures the dish remains gluten-free.
- → Can I add extra vegetables to this casserole?
Yes, diced zucchini, bell peppers, or mushrooms can be added to enhance the vegetable content and flavor.
- → What type of rice works best for this dish?
Long-grain white rice is recommended for even cooking and fluffiness, but brown rice can be used with increased liquid and longer bake time.
- → How should the casserole be baked for best results?
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until cheese is golden and rice is tender.
- → Can I prepare this casserole ahead of time?
Yes, it can be assembled in advance and refrigerated before baking, which is convenient for quick weeknight dinners.