Chicken Kiev Casserole
Comfort Food Reminiscent Of The Freezer Aisle
This Chicken Kiev Casserole takes the essence of those crispy, golden frozen dinners of childhood and layers it over fluffy rice before everything is drenched in a buttery garlic and parsley sauce made with cream of chicken soup, a touch of paprika, and onion and garlic powder. It all bakes under a blanket of melty Swiss cheese as the butter sauce seeps down into the rice and pools around the chicken so that when you scoop into it, you get savory and indulgent comfort in every bite.
I actually thought of this recipe because my best friend, who some of you know on Facebook as Friday Foods a.k.a. Kristen, told me she picked up a couple of those frozen Chicken Kievs from Jewel. She made them for dinner and said they were good… but not nearly as magical as we remembered.
I hadn’t thought about those in years but If you’re a child of the freezer aisle like I am, you’ll remember the classic butter and parsley version. There was also the ham and Swiss, and even the broccoli and cheese versions as well.
That got my wheels turning and I started thinking about how to pull all those nostalgic flavors into one cozy casserole. I layered the components, built a rich garlic butter sauce, added melty Swiss, and created this version.
I’m telling you, it turned out absolutely fantastic
Nuggets Or Breasts
I went back and forth about using fresh chicken breasts since I really wanted this casserole to taste like those classic frozen Chicken Kievs from the freezer aisle. Call me weird but I loved the ones with that crispy, golden coating and slightly flat, pressed shape wrapped around the buttery filling.
Chicken nuggets ended up being the perfect shortcut because they mimic that texture so well and give you that nostalgic freezer aisle flavor. I made sure to bake them first so they were nice and crispy before layering them into the casserole.
If you throw them in frozen they’ll steam and turn soggy and nobody wants a saggy Kiev situation. If you prefer to use real chicken, you absolutely can, just bread and crisp it up first so you still get that crunch in every bite.
It’s Always About The Sauce
The sauce in this casserole had a little more kick than I expected, which we actually loved. When we reheated it the next day we all agreed we wished there had been just a bit more of it.
Next time I’ll stir in an extra can of cream of chicken soup along with another half cup of heavy cream or whole milk to make it extra luscious. I’ll keep the butter amount the same because it was perfectly rich as is.
If you want to add more butter, you know I am not the one who will judge you! There was enough sauce fresh out of the oven, but once it settled and reheated it needed just a little more to keep everything creamy and spoonable.
8 Days Until Payday
The beauty of this recipe is that almost everything came straight from Dollar Tree. This honestly makes it even more charming.
I grabbed the chicken nuggets from the frozen section, picked up cream of chicken soup, rice, and even spices from their little aisle of seasonings. They do sell butter too, though I had some at home.
I used Havarti that I already had in my fridge, but they also carried Swiss cheese. You truly can make this entire nostalgic, cozy casserole on a serious budget without sacrificing flavor.
It’s delicious and really affordable!
Other Options For Flavor
If you wanted to take this casserole in another nostalgic direction, you absolutely could. Diced ham sprinkled over the top around the crispy chicken nuggets would give you that classic ham and Swiss vibe.
You could also fold in some lightly steamed broccoli and swap in cheddar cheese to mimic that old-school broccoli and cheddar stuffed breast. It’s really a choose-your-own freezer aisle adventure situation. Any of the variations fit right into that cozy, retro flavor profile.
This recipe also reminded me of my Grandma’s Swiss Chicken Bake. It’s a slightly different flavor profile but equally as delicious.
If you are a fan of that Swiss Chicken Bake, you will love this recipe as well.
Chicken Kiev Casserole Recipe
This cozy Chicken Kiev Casserole layers tender rice with crispy baked chicken nuggets and a creamy butter sauce made with garlic, parsley, cream of chicken soup, and a sprinkle of paprika. Finished with melty Swiss cheese on top, it bakes into a nostalgic, cut-into-it-and-watch-the-buttery-goodness-run kind of comfort dish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup milk or half and half
- 1 stick butter
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can cream of chicken soup, plus 1 additional can if you want extra sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk, plus an additional 1/2 cup if making extra sauce
- 1 bag frozen crispy chicken nuggets or chicken tenders (20 ounce bag) *approximately 30 nuggets
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss or sliced Havarti cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a saucepan combine the rice, chicken broth, and milk or half and half. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
- While the rice cooks, bake the frozen chicken nuggets or tenders according to package directions until golden and crispy. Do not add them to the casserole frozen or they will become soggy.
- In another saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about one minute until fragrant. Stir in the parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the cream of chicken soup and heavy cream or milk and simmer until slightly thickened. If you prefer extra sauce, add the second can of soup and additional half cup of cream or milk at this stage.
- Lightly grease a 9 by 13 baking dish. Spread the cooked rice evenly in the bottom of the dish and spoon about half of the sauce over the rice. Arrange the crispy chicken pieces over the rice layer. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the shredded or sliced cheese over the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted and lightly golden. Let rest for a few minutes before serving so the sauce settles and spoon into bowls while warm and creamy