How To Make The Best Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole In Massachusetts
January 21, 2025
Cambridge, VA: I’ve never met anyone who ruined their life as fast as these 3 kids.
My grandson was in town for work and came to visit me. He’s just a few years out of college. He was fortunate enough to get his dream job out of college. So I was asking him about his life as a busy young professional.
Then the conversation got dark. I asked him about a few of his old football teammates and I was shocked to learn that 3 of them ruined their young lives. What was even more shocking is how fast they did it. Here is a brief summary of what happened.
Kevin
Kevin was the smartest friend my grandson had. He went to a fancy college. After he graduated, he got a job everyone in his industry would die for. It was for a popular company that makes animated movies for kids. The job and position he got at such a young age was truly life changing. On Kevin’s first day on the job, he went to the company store and bought all the gear. T-shirt, hat, socks, etc., and proudly put it on. After work, his new team takes him out for drinks to celebrate.
Kevin Got Rockstar Wasted
He went outside of the bar to smoke a cigarette. He then pressed his penis on the bar’s glass window. Everyone in the bar gets to witness this. The next day the bar calls the company. They send a picture of Kevin, in his company gear, exposing himself. Remember, this is a popular company that makes movies for kids. Needless to say, they did not appreciate Kevin’s representation of them. Kevin was fired on his 2nd day of work right before lunchtime.
Eric
Eric was a hard working kid. Right out of high school he got married, had kids and went to work. He became a plumber. He made enough money to buy a house. Soon after, Eric and his wife flipped the house. They were fortunate. They made enough money to put towards a new house and establish a nest egg.
Eric went to New Orleans for a bachelor party. On his first day there, he drank way too much. They went to a Casino that night. Eric went to the sports betting area. Before his friends could stop him, Eric bet 60K on a fight. The 60K was all the profit he and his wife earned from the sale of the house. He lost it all. His wife left him and took the kids. Eric now lives with his mom.
Ronnie
Ronnie was always an entrepreneurial kid. The one who sold lemonade, cut yards, etc. After high school, he eventually opened up a few gas stations. At some point, one of his gas stations got robbed. So Ronnie bought a gun from another local business owner. Ronnie wanted to make sure the gun worked. He took it to an empty developing neighberhood and fired into some trees. Turns out there was a house behind those trees. The bullets flew into a family’s house that had small children. Nobody was hurt but the family was traumatized. Police were in the area and arrested him ASAP. He also got 25 years for reckless endangerment.
These 3 tragic stories reminded me of people I knew. People who threw their lives away with one dumb decision. However, it is a shame to see it happen to people who are so young.
The night my Grandson came over, I made his favorite dish: Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole. Here is the recipe. I hope it becomes a hit for you!
Ingredients
- Butter: 2 Tablespoons
- Chicken Breasts: 2 boneless skinless, or 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
- Bald Buck Seasoning: 1 tablespoon (or to taste)
- Chicken Broth: 2 1/2 cups
- Olive Oil: 1 Tablespoon
- White Long Grain Rice: 1 1/4 cups, uncooked
- Broccoli Florets: 2 cups, fresh, uncooked
- Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: 10.5 oz.
- Milk: ½ cup
- Sour Cream: ½ cup
- Cheddar Cheese: 2 cups shredded, separated
- Optional Seasonings: 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Casserole Topping
- Ritz Crackers: 1 cup, crushed
- Butter: 2 Tablespoons, melted
Instructions
- Start by heating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Chop the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle them with Bald Buck seasoning to your liking.
- In a big pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Toss in the chicken and cook it until it’s nicely browned on all sides, which should take around 5 minutes. If you’ve got cooked rotisserie chicken, you can skip this part.
- Pour in the chicken broth, add a splash of olive oil, and throw in the rice. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat so it’s just simmering.
- Put a lid on the pot and let it cook like that for 6 minutes.
- Now, add the broccoli. Put the lid back on and let it cook for another 9 minutes. The goal is to cook until there’s no more liquid and the rice is soft. If it’s not quite there yet, cover it back up and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat but keep the lid on. Let the rice sit there for 10 minutes without stirring it.
- Next, mix in the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, any extra seasonings you like, and half the cheddar cheese.
- Grab a 9×13 inch baking dish, give it a quick grease, and pour your mixture into it. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
- Cover it up and bake for 15 minutes.
- While that’s happening, melt some more butter and crush the crackers. Mix them together to make your casserole topping.
- After 15 minutes, take the casserole out, uncover it, and spread the cracker mixture on top. Bake it again, this time without the cover, for another 10 minutes.
- Once it’s done, let it cool off for about 5 minutes before you serve it.
Pro Tips
- If you’re using frozen broccoli or cauliflower, 2 cups will do the trick. Thaw it out and dab it with a towel to dry it. If you like your veggies softer in the casserole, steam them for about 5 minutes.
- When it comes to cheddar cheese, grating it yourself from a block is the way to go for the yummiest result. Stay away from cheeses that have aged or have crystals in them – they don’t melt as nicely.
- For an even tastier twist, ditch the canned stuff and use homemade cream of chicken soup.
- If you’re planning ahead, you can put the casserole together and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days before you need to bake it. Just remember to take it out and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before you bake it. You’ll need to add an extra 10 minutes to your baking time. Oh, and put the cracker and butter topping on just before the end of the baking time.
- Bald Buck is key here. BBQ Pitmasters use it for their meat but I learned it makes for one hell of a seasoned salt. Try it in this dish but more importantly, experiment with it as the salt in your other dishes. It adds this unique flavor that is amazing but nobody will be able to put their finger on what that flavor is. There are reviews about it on YouTube but below is the best video about it.