Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Before you start mixing everything together, go ahead and cook your white rice if you aren’t using microwave-ready rice. This recipe calls for cooked rice, not uncooked rice, so make sure it’s ready before you begin assembling the casserole. I actually have a favorite way to make white rice that turns out perfect every single time, so if you haven’t seen that recipe yet, be sure to check it out! If you’re in a hurry, those microwave pouches of cooked white rice work just as well and make this dinner even easier. While your rice is cooking, shred or dice your rotisserie chicken and let your cream cheese soften if you remember. And if you forget? Don’t worry…I forgot too! The warm rice actually helps soften it as you’re mixing everything together.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and position the oven rack on the lower rack. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray so cleanup is easy later.
- Add your cooked white rice and shredded or diced rotisserie chicken to a large mixing bowl. I like starting with the warm rice because it helps soften the cream cheese naturally. If your cream cheese is still a little cold (because life happens!), don’t stress. As soon as you begin mixing everything together, the heat from the rice works its magic.Give the rice and chicken a quick stir until they’re evenly combined.
- Add the softened cream cheese to the bowl and begin breaking it apart with a sturdy spoon or spatula until it’s mostly incorporated into the warm rice. Next, stir in the sour cream, ranch seasoning packet, cream of chicken soup, Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Sauce, shredded Colby Jack cheese, and sliced green onions. Keep stirring until everything is completely combined into one rich, creamy mixture. Every bite should have plenty of chicken, rice, cheese, and buffalo flavor throughout. Don’t worry if it looks extra creamy—that’s exactly what you want! As it bakes, everything melts together into the most delicious casserole.
- Transfer the buffalo chicken mixture into your prepared baking dish. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread everything into an even layer all the way to the edges. Melissa’s little behind-the-scenes tip: I actually meant to sprinkle another layer of shredded Colby Jack cheese over the casserole before adding the topping…and then completely forgot because I was busy filming! If you’re making this at home, I highly recommend adding that thin layer of cheese. It would be absolutely delicious under the crunchy topping.
- Place the Cheez-It crackers into a large ziploc bag and crush them into small pieces. They don’t have to be perfectly fine—you still want a little texture. Pour the melted butter into the bag along with a small splash of white wine vinegar. Seal the bag and gently toss everything together until every piece is coated. Don’t skip that tiny splash of vinegar! It doesn’t make the topping taste like vinegar at all. It simply balances the richness of the butter and cheese and gives the topping that little something extra that keeps everyone going back for another bite. Sprinkle the buttery Cheez-It mixture evenly over the casserole.
- Place the casserole on the bottom oven rack and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly around the edges and the Cheez-It topping is beautifully golden brown. Everything in this recipe is already cooked, so you’re simply heating everything through and letting all those creamy flavors come together while the topping gets perfectly crisp. Let the casserole rest for about 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps everything set up slightly and makes it much easier to scoop. Serve warm with a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese and enjoy!
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Nutrition
Video
Notes
One of my favorite things about this casserole is how easy it is to customize.
Mild: Use about ⅓ cup buffalo sauce instead of the full amount.
Medium: Follow the recipe exactly as written.
Spicy: Add a few extra splashes of Frank’s RedHot before baking or drizzle a little more over each serving.
If your family likes to cool things down a bit, serve it with ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side.