Why it works: Chicken and rice are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,769 recipes. Both carry (e,e)-2,4-decadienal, which smells fatty, deep fried. The science ↓
Smoky Mountain Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Lightly grease a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish.
Make and bake the casserole
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, soup, chipotles, salt and black pepper.
Stir in rice, chicken and cheese.
Spoon into prepared dish.
Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until edges of casserole are bubbly.
Turn oven to broil setting and lightly brown casserole.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 11 ingredients. The other 2 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 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | 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.
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.
-
Chicken + ricetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,769 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
-
Cream + saucetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,787 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Pepper + ricetop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,379 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Chicken + cheddar cheesetop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,312 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
-
Cream + cheddar cheesetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,036 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sour cream
- Adds moisture and tang, keeping the rice and chicken creamy as the casserole bakes.
- Cream of chicken soup
- Provides a thick, creamy base that binds the rice, chicken and cheese together.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Supplies smoky heat and aroma that flavour the whole casserole.
- Cooked long-grain rice
- Forms the bulk of the dish and absorbs some of the creamy sauce as it bakes.
- Shredded cooked chicken
- Adds protein and substance, giving the casserole its main body.
- Shredded smoked cheddar cheese
- Melts into the sauce and browns under the broiler, adding richness and smoky flavour.
The step that matters
Broil only briefly. Browning under the broiler happens fast, and the cheese and edges can scorch within moments. Watch closely so the top turns golden rather than burnt.
“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.
You might also like
Rice and Cheese Casserole23 recipes
Cheese Rice12 recipes
Chicken Broth257 recipes
Chicken Soup156 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.