Name: Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms; 1 tablespoon butter or margarine; 2 cups hot cooked rice; 2 cups cooked chicken breast cubes; 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli, steamed*; 1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup; 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

Why it works: Mushroom and chicken are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,172 recipes. Both carry 1-butyl acetate, which smells fruity, banana. The science ↓

Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole

Oven350 degrees

Time20 to 25 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 cups hot cooked rice
2 cups cooked chicken breast cubes
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli, steamed*
1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Prepare

Cook onion and mushrooms in butter in large skillet until tender.
Stir in rice, chicken, broccoli and condensed soup.

Bake

Pour into buttered shallow 1-1/2-quart baking dish; top with cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

766Calories

52 gProtein

31 gFat

71 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Chicken	100g cooked	165
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Broccoli	1 cup chopped (156g)	55
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Mushrooms	1/2 cup sliced (35g)	15
Mushroom	1/2 cup sliced (35g)	15
Soup	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Mushroom + chickentop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,172 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-butyl acetate (fruity, banana).
Rice + chickentop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,769 recipes

Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Onion + broccolitop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,294 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Mushroom + buttertop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together12,525 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
Rice + broccolitop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together684 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream of mushroom soup: Binds the rice, chicken and broccoli together with a creamy, moist sauce.
Cooked rice: Adds bulk and body, absorbing some of the sauce as the casserole bakes.
Cheddar cheese: Melts over the top and browns lightly in the oven, adding richness and flavor.
Chicken breast: Provides the main protein, staying tender in the moist sauce during baking.
Broccoli: Adds vegetable substance and a mild, fresh flavor to the casserole.

Swap the broccoli

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, mushroom, butter, rice, chicken, cream, cheddar cheese):

Potatofits better
Chivefits better
Asparagusfits better
Broccolithe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, mushroom, butter, rice, chicken, cream, cheddar cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.