When you think of casserole, do you think of chicken and rice? I often do. It’s kind of the quintessential casserole – creamy and cheesy, easy to make, and comforting as can be. This dish has many similarities – the cheesy chicken, rice, and broccoli combination, for starters – but it all comes together on the stovetop in one pot. And that means you get the same tasty comfort in even less time, making for one ideal busy weeknight meal that always satisfies.

This is a situation where you’re really cooking everything in the same pot, i.e. there’s no need to boil the rice separately and then stir it in. But first, you’re going to sauté some onions and brown the chicken.

Once that happens, rice and chicken broth go into the pot and everything simmers for a bit before the broccoli joins the party. (We wouldn’t want mushy broccoli, after all.)

By the time the rice is done, the chicken is cooked through but still moist, and the broccoli is tender but not too soft. Everything cooks to perfection together and is finally bumped up with some grated cheddar, which gets stirred into the pot and sprinkled over the top. That way, every time you dig in, you’re not only met with filling, satisfying flavor, you’re sure to get plenty of melty cheese too.