French Onion Chicken And Rice Casserole Recipe
French onion soup is a popular and comforting menu item in many restaurants, but it's one of those dishes that many would never attempt at home. The soup tastes complicated because of the rich layers of flavor coming from slowly caramelized onions encased under a toasty crouton and bubbly golden-brown cheese. Yet, it is surprisingly easy to make if you have a bit of patience. This recipe for French onion chicken and rice casserole comes to us from recipe developer Julie Kinnaird, and it captures all of the savory and succulent flavors of classic French onion soup in a sophisticated casserole recreation. The key to the recipe is slowly caramelizing the onions in butter and olive oil until they are fragrant and sweet, then layering them over a pilaf-style preparation of white rice, pre-cooked chicken, fresh spinach, and the woodsy flavors of thyme and tarragon. The casserole is finished with a thick layer of Gruyère cheese, cooked to golden perfection.
Taking the time to slowly cook the onions yields a deep, rich flavor and buttery texture. Cooking the onions too fast over too much heat can cause them to scorch, which leads to bitterness. Not cooking long enough won't give you that classic French onion taste. In the end, it is worth the patient cooking and stirring. When the whole dish comes together, each bite is a perfect combination of chewy, creamy, and umami-laden satisfaction.
Gather the French onion chicken and rice casserole ingredients
The namesake of French onion soup is the onion component, so find the best quality onions you can for the best flavor and texture. Kinnaird prefers using yellow onions for caramelizing, as they have just the right amount of sweetness without being too sharp in flavor. You will need olive oil and unsalted butter for cooking the onions, as well as for toasting the rice. Cooking the rice briefly in the fats before adding fresh spinach and chicken stock helps to keep the grains separate in the finished dish and infuses them with flavor. Once the onions have become caramelized with a deep brown color, you will deglaze your pan with both French white wine and balsamic vinegar to loosen up all of the charred onion bits. The chicken used in this recipe should be pre-cooked, such as a handy rotisserie chicken, as the casserole has a short cooking time. Fresh thyme, tarragon, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper are used for seasoning. The casserole is topped with a generous amount of shredded Gruyère cheese.
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat an oven to 425 F.
Step 2: Oil a baking dish
Brush the inside of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Step 3: Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet
In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Step 4: Add the onions
Add the onions, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper, and cook for about 30 minutes until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Add the wine and balsamic vinegar
Deglaze the pan with the wine and balsamic vinegar and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set the pan aside.
Step 6: Rinse the rice
Rinse and drain the rice in a fine mesh strainer to remove some of the starch.
Step 7: Heat the remaining butter and oil
Heat the remaining olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven.
Step 8: Add the rice
Add the rice and cook and stir for 1 minute to toast the grains.
Step 9: Add the spinach
Add the spinach and cook and stir just until wilted.
Step 10: Add the chicken stock
Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture back to a simmer.
Step 11: Cover the pot and simmer
Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 12: Add the chicken, herbs, and remaining salt
Add the chicken, thyme, tarragon, and remaining salt. Stir to combine.
Step 13: Transfer the rice mixture to the baking dish
Transfer the chicken and rice to the prepared baking dish.
Step 14: Layer on the onions
Layer on the caramelized onions.
Step 15: Top with the cheese
Top with the shredded Gruyère.
Step 16: Bake the casserole
Bake the French onion chicken and rice casserole for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Step 17: Broil the top of the casserole
Switch the oven to broil and continue to bake until the cheese is browned.
Step 18: Let the casserole rest before serving
Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving.
What can I serve with French onion casserole?
French Onion Chicken And Rice Casserole Recipe
Our recipe for French onion chicken and rice casserole captures all of the savory and succulent flavors of classic French onion soup in a comforting casserole.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 pounds yellow onions, peeled, halved, and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry French white wine
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 425 F.
- Brush the inside of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
- Add the onions, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper, and cook for about 30 minutes until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine and balsamic vinegar and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set the pan aside.
- Rinse and drain the rice in a fine mesh strainer to remove some of the starch.
- Heat the remaining olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven.
- Add the rice and cook and stir for 1 minute to toast the grains.
- Add the spinach and cook and stir just until wilted.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture back to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
- Add the chicken, thyme, tarragon, and remaining salt. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the chicken and rice to the prepared baking dish.
- Layer on the caramelized onions.
- Top with the shredded Gruyère.
- Bake the French onion chicken and rice casserole for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Switch the oven to broil and continue to bake until the cheese is browned.
- Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving.
What substitutions can I make in this casserole?
Long-grain white rice is the perfect basic rice for this recipe, but there are many ways to switch up the flavor and texture with other rice varieties. Basmati and Jasmine rice are also long-grain white varieties hailing from India and Southeast Asia. Jasmine rice is noted for its floral aromas, slightly sweet flavor, and delicate texture, while basmati has a wonderful nutty quality. Brown basmati rice is one of Kinnaird's favorite varietals, and she says that the nutty flavor and chewy texture would be a perfect contrast to the sweet, buttery onions. If you want to use a brown rice variety in this recipe, increase the stock by ½ cup and extend the cooking time to 30-40 minutes, depending on the rice. Kinnaird warns against using a more starchy variety, such as arborio or Japanese glutinous rice. These short-grain rice strains will create a sticky texture in your casserole, rather than the grains being fluffy and separate.
You can also switch up the cheese you use for topping the casserole. Swiss Gruyère is the traditional melty and bubbly cheese crowning French onion soup; however, Comté, Fontina, or Provolone would all work well as substitutes. You can also do a mix of some of those cheeses, or add in a bit of mozzarella or Parmesan. The most important thing is to have a good melting cheese. Different herbs can also be added in place of thyme and tarragon, such as rosemary or fresh Italian parsley.
Is it possible to prepare this French Onion Chicken and Rice Casserole recipe in advance?
This is an excellent casserole dish to make in advance, and is just right for gifting to anyone who needs a sophisticated batch of comfort in their home. The onions can be cooked a day ahead of preparing the entire dish, and you can have all the other ingredients portioned out to make for a speedy preparation. Once you have the casserole put together, cover it with foil, refrigerate it, and save the baking for just before serving. The casserole will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before baking, or you can wrap it in layers of plastic and foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. A frozen, unbaked casserole should be thawed completely under refrigeration before baking.
This is also a wonderful dish to double for 2 pans, or bake in smaller individual oven-safe dishes. If you like to plan ahead and do some weekend meal-prepping, prepare the recipe up to the point of baking, but using single-serving baking vessels that you can reheat for easy weeknight meals.