You guys may have seen me Instagram about this one a few weeks ago, and I am back now to share the recipe! And oh gosh, you guys. This is a good one. It’s quickly becoming one of our favorites! This colorful dish is jam-PACKED with flavor. It’s reminiscent of super cheesy broccoli soup with added chicken, bacon, and spicy tomatoes. You can’t go wrong with that combo!! :) It makes a ton and it’s super filling, which makes it perfect for a hungry family. It’s delicious enough for picky eaters and easy enough for a weeknight meal.
This hearty one-dish skillet dinner will warm you right up on a cold winter’s night. Make this one ASAP!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bacon — I chose to go with Turkey bacon this time. Give it a try if you’re looking to cut back on fat and calories, it’s not that bad! :) Or feel free to use the real stuff. :) You can also simplify this recipe even more by using pre-cooked bacon (real or Turkey); I’ve done it both ways depending on what I have on hand.
- Chicken Broth
- Broccoli Florets
- Rice
- Extra Sharp Shredded Cheddar Cheese — Make sure to keep an eye out for extra sharp cheddar so the cheesy flavor will really shine through in this dish.
- Diced Onions — I used the frozen, diced onions in a bag found in the freezer section of the grocery store.
- Garlic
- Chicken — This is a great recipe to use up boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but feel free to use a leftover cooked, chopped chicken or a rotisserie chicken as well.
- Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles
Get started by dicing the bacon. I like to use two slices per person, but feel free to make this extra special by using three or four if you wish. :)
Add the bacon to a very large skillet or dutch oven and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the bacon until crisp, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season generously with salt and pepper.
I FORGOT TO DO THIS.
Don’t let this happen to you. It needs flavors.
NOTE: Now would be a good time to start the rice. I always prepare my rice on the stovetop like this: 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt. Add all to a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 14 minutes. Makes four servings. Lighty, fluffy, delicious rice, works perfect every single time!
When the bacon is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove to a plate.
Since I used turkey bacon, I didn’t have enough grease left in the pan to cook the chicken, so I added a little butter and olive oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the chicken in a single layer and cook on one side for two and a half minutes.
Flip the chicken to the other side (as best you can) and cook for another two and half minutes.
Five minute chicken! Done! Add the chicken to the plate with the bacon.
This time I had enough butter and olive oil left in the pan, so go ahead and add the diced onions…
And top with the broccoli. If you have picky eaters you may want to give the broccoli a rough chop before adding it just to make the pieces smaller and blend in easier. I speak from experience.
Cook, stirring occasionally until broccoli is tender and onions are brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes.
Add in minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly until just fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Then add in the tomatoes…
And by now your rice should be done, so add it along with the chicken, bacon, and any juices that may have accumulated on the plate. Stir all to combine, then reduce heat to low to keep warm.
Now for our creamy, cheesy sauce. Add butter to the bottom of a small saucepan over medium heat, I used the same one I cooked my rice in.
When the butter is just melted…
Add an equal amount of flour…
And whisk (or stir with a fork) until just combined.
Pour in the chicken broth (I just thought about this, but you could also use milk here, if you’re not the type of person to keep chicken broth on hand. Me, I buy it by the case.) and turn the heat to high and cook until it starts to thicken and bubble.
Now remove the sauce from the heat and add in the shredded cheese and plenty of salt and pepper to taste. I like to use 1/2 teaspoon each.
Stir until the cheese is melted, then pour that cheesy deliciousness all over the skillet. Stir to combine.
Easy. Gorgeous. Lovely. Delicious.
And cheesy, spicy, and creamy.
This hearty, flavorful dinner is sure to please! Hope you enjoy! :)
Cheesy Chicken Bacon Broccoli and Rice
8 slices bacon, diced
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced onion
12 oz (about 4 cups) broccoli florets, roughly chopped into small, bite-sized pieces
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (10-oz) cans Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1. Add the diced bacon to a very large skillet or dutch oven and turn heat to medium high. Cook the bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove to a plate. If needed to grease the bottom of the pan, add butter and olive oil to the skillet. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for five minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon.
2. Add the rice, water, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 14 minutes. When done, remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, add the onion and broccoli to the skillet where you cooked the bacon and chicken. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until broccoli is tender and onions are brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Top with tomatoes, rice, chicken and bacon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.
4. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour until just combined. Add in the chicken broth and stir well. Increase heat to high and cook until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add in cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted, then pour in the skillet with the chicken and rice. Stir to combine and serve.
Makes 4-6 servings. Nutritional Information for this recipe can be found at CalorieCount.com.
Make for: Dinner / Main Dish
Tags: 30 Minutes or Less, bacon, cheese, chicken, Quick and Easy
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59 Comments
My husband has been asking for chicken and broccoli lately, but I think this might suffice! ;)
This looks so yummy Amanda! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing it.
Hey Amanda- I was just wondering what kind of pot and pans you have. I am looking to purchase some new ones, and I don’t want to spend a whole lot, but I thought I would ask what kind you have since they are stainless steel, which I want, and you probably have tested more than I have!
Thanks for your suggestions!!
Chelsi
Hi Chelsi! The skillet I’m using in this post is an Anolon Nouvelle Copper 12-inch skillet.
The stainless steel saucepan was a hand-me-down from my mom, but it says Command Performance Gold Cuisine Cookware on the bottom.
I also have a this Calphalon Unison Nonstick Cookware Set and I LOVE it.
Hope this helps!
This looks so good….must make it soon! And I LOVE your bokeh pictures this time of year….gorgeous!
Thank you! :) I think I’m going to leave them up all year. It’s my favorite time of year to take pictures! ;)
I would really like to make this but we don’t have Rotel tomatoes up here and I can’t find any equivalent to tomatoes with green chiles. If I was going to add a can of regular tomatoes how much chopped green chiles do you think I would have to add separately?
Around here diced green chiles come in little 4 oz cans. If it were me, I’d probably use the whole thing! :) I don’t find them to be that spicy. :) Hope this helps!
Thank you for the recipe.
Oooooh, I’m lovin’ all the adjectives ;) I adore all of these simple and yummy meals!
Amanda I LOVE THIS recipe and I’ll tell you something else! I love the fact that you provided the nutritional breakdown to the recipe because I’m watching what I eat and I need that kind input when I’m planning a dinner party or for my everyday meal planning! Thank you so much for doing that and I hope you continue doing that in future!!!
Sincerely,
Toni L.
Thanks Toni! Most of my Dinner Recipes (especially the newer ones!) have the nutritional information down at the bottom. Be sure to check them out! :)
Holy cow – this is one delicious looking pot of goodness! Whoa!
Great meal for any night of the week!
YUM!!! Bacon AND Rotel?!?!? All good. Can’t wait to try this.
I’m totally making this! All of your meals look so scrumptious!
i’m loving this Amanda! My kids would totally dig this too
Ooh, I love cheesy, spicy meals like this! Looks perfect!
What a delicious meal! Definitely going to have to add it to the weeknight rotation!
Hey Amanda – this looks WONDERFUL. Did you drain the rotel tomatoes? Thank you!
Nope, I didn’t, just poured ‘em right in! :)
Cheese bacon and chicken all in one dish? This looks like the ultimate comfort food!
OMG. This looks amazing and so easy to make. Yum!
a yummy dish even my kids would eat. perfect for a weeknight. absolutely making this!
You can’t go wrong when there’s cheese and broccoli involved!
Now that is comfort food Amanda! Love all the step by step photos – so fun!
This recipe looks AMAZING and I can’t wait to try it out! But my only concern is that 1 cup of rice seems like it is only able to give 2 servings because I live in Asia and for 4 servings of rice we usually cook 2-2.5 cups. Can I know how many grams of rice and ml of water you are using? Or is this recipe suppose to be more meat/veggy and less rice? Thanks and also for sharing the recipe btw! (:
I love all the flavors in this rice!! Especially that bacon ;)
Whoa, now that is a rice dish my kids would adore!
Oh my goodness Amanda! I’m on complete sensory overload: chicken, bacon, rice, cheese, broccoli??? YES!
This is the yummiest little comfort dish and will go over well at my house!
Made this for dinner tonight,! It was just as good as I imagined. Perfect for a chilly evening. Thanks for sharing.
This was a hit a dinner last night! Thank you for sharing this easy breezy recipe.
Delicious! We both loved it – it was so filling and we had lots of leftovers for lunches!
I love one dish meals…and this one has everything! Perfect!
Amanda, Thank you so much for this recipe! I just made it tonight for my family and they loved it!
Thank you for this recipe. I used leftover chicken as well as left over brown rice, and I used fresh broccoli. It is a great recipe for brown rice because the flavors are so strong (and delicious). I thought I could really taste the broccoli (maybe because it was cooked in the pan and not steamed/boiled?). I did find it to be a bit spicy for me, but it didn’t stop the two of us from devouring this huge dish in about 24 hours.
I made this last night and it was fantastic. I usually don’t like anything spicy, but used mild rotel and it worked out okay. Defintely can’t wait to make this again. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Found you via pinterest.
This sounds phenomenal!! Looks like a great all in one dinner! and I love that you used turkey bacon too!
Oh, my gosh! This was FABULOUS!!!! I can’t believe how much it made, and how good it was. I am a single teacher and love to make ahead meals because I just don’t have the energy to cook every night. This freezes well, tastes great, and made my staff jealous when I reheated some for my lunch today! Thank you for such a great recipe.
I did make two changes: I used real bacon, and I didn’t have Rotel, so used a can of diced tomatoes and one small can of mild green chilies. Otherwise, I made this according to the recipe. I agree about the sharp cheddar cheese. It makes the flavor stand out!
Wanted to let you know that this recipe is so good and it sure is pure comfort food. I can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Thank you!!
Yumm looks so good!! I found you through Pinterest! Your pictures are gorgeous. I had a question…where did you get your plates? I’ve been looking for that same style and the only ones I found don’t have very good reviews :) thanks for posting!
I made this for dinner tonight! My goodness, this is a ton of food, probably two full dinners for two adults and a toddler, plus more for lunch leftovers. I used one can of mild Rotel and one can original (I haven’t cooked with Rotel before). The whole family loves spicy food, but found this to be a bit too spicy. We added some sour cream as a garnish to help tone down the spice. Still, delicious, filling, and relatively quick.
wow! your presentation is superb and easy to follow. thanks for sharing. keep up the good work! will try this too :)
I love the way you do the step by step instructions so easy to follow thanks you so much loving it
This looks so good, a comfort food recipe that I am adding to my book! I would love for you to link up this recipe to my linky party, my readers will LOVE this recipe!! http://www.fivelittlechefs.com/2013/01/fantastic-thursday-27.html
This is such a delicious recipe my boyfriend asks for it once a week. We’re making it yet again and I thought I’d let you know how amazing this is!
Hi Amanda!
This recipe is a huge hit with my family, so I shared it on my blog today! It’s getting people hungry and sounds like a handful will be giving it a try! Thanks for sharing! http://www.thethingsthatbringmejoy.wordpress.com
Katie
Wow, I LOVE THIS RECIPE, it is delicious and I thank you for sharing it!
I’m SO HAPPY that I found this, and I love the “pin it,” at the top, too! I’ll be adding this to the list of what we need to make for dinner. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I’m also excited that you included turkey bacon in it, because I don’t eat pork, so my husband always has to put up with my turkey bacon eating self, haha. :)
Thank you very much for this recipe! I made it tonight and my husband loved it, especially the bacon!
This was amazing! Had everything except only half the needed amount of broccoli so I added fresh mushrooms. It was really good! Thanks for the recipe!
I added this to my March menu that will be posted in a free printable format with a hyperlink to you on 2/28/13. Thank you so much for helping me plan my menu!
WoW! I made this tonight! Substituted vegan margarine for the butter and soy shredded cheese for the cheddar cheese and it turned out awesome!!!!
I just made this and it is soooo delicious. My tummy is happy, thank you for sharing!
Made this tonight & my picky hubby really liked it! Made your spicy sausage pasta dish last night & we loved that too! :)
Loved your recipe. I spiced it up a bit by adding a pinch of chipotle. I also found feta was a nice substitute for cheddar.
This looks like something that my husband would love! We’ll definitely be trying it. Thanks! :)
If you have been “thinking” about making this, stop thinking so hard. I looked at the picture for several weeks and finally I could not resist it any longer. It just looked too good! I used regular bacon in mine. I also used cut up chicken breasts and browned them but next time I’ll use a pre-cooked chicken to save some time. Delicious! One of the best recipes I have tried. Thanks Amanda for this and the many other recipes you post.