Marry Me Chicken Casserole Recipe

Southern Living Marry Me Chicken Casserole on plates to serve — Photo:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Active Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 5 mins

Servings:

Marry Me Chicken is a viral Internet dinner, taking platforms like Pinterest and TikTok by storm. And while that original version is a wonderful skillet dinner (serve it over pasta or with mashed potatoes for a fast and easy dinner), this Marry Me Chicken Casserole is really ready for the family-dinner spotlight.

We based this chicken casserole heavily on the original dish, with flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, basil, oregano, and whipping cream. But we made it saucier and more casserole-like with additional brothy sauce and wild rice.

The final result is an upscale dish that is nice enough for a family dinner or holiday centerpiece but easy enough for weeknight suppers. One scoop is creamy with an umami-rich sauce and packed with tender, juicy chicken.

Learn how to make Marry Me Chicken Casserole, and impress anyone who comes to the table hungry.

Ingredients for Marry Me Chicken Casserole

This ingredient list reads a lot like the original chicken skillet dinner, but we've added a few things to make the final casserole more filling and substantial.

Chicken broth: Use broth to cook the rice and to form the base of a creamy sauce that bakes the rice and chicken.
Uncooked long-grain and wild rice mix: You could use any long-grain rice you like, but we really liked the combination with the wild rice for a "meatier" and more flavorful rice base.
Boneless, skinless chicken breast: The quicker cook time is OK with this cut of chicken, but you could substitute with chicken thighs. Just be sure to read the thermometer to keep tabs on when the chicken is fully cooked.
Sun-dried tomato: A requirement of this dish. It lends a heavy dose of umami and savory, meaty flavor.
Shallot, garlic cloves, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, and tomato paste: A bounty of herbs, spices, and onions contribute the great signature flavors of Marry Me Chicken.
Tomato paste, white wine, heavy whipping cream, and balsamic vinegar: A richly flavored sauce binds the whole casserole and elevates with extra notes of umami and a slight hint of tang.
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: The perfect salty, nutty cheese. Use Parmesan if you want.

Southern Living Marry Me Chicken Casserole ingredients — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

How To Make Marry Me Chicken Casserole

Full instructions for this casserole are further below, but here's a brief recap before you get started?

Step 1. Cook rice until just tender in broth. The rice will finish cooking as the casserole bakes.
Step 2. Cook chicken until golden and and almost cooked through. The chicken will finish cooking as the casserole bakes.
Step 3. Make the sauce by first cooking the herbs and spices—shallot, garlic, sun-dried tomato, oregano, and red pepper—in butter until fragrant and shallots are tender. Add tomato paste, and stir until tomato paste coats shallots. Then add the remaining stock and white wine. Finish the sauce and rice by adding the rice to the broth mixture, along with the heavy cream, balsamic vinegar, and some of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cook and stir until cheese is melted.
Step 4. Transfer the rice mixture to a baking dish. Gently press the chicken breasts into the rice.
Step 5. Bake the casserole until the chicken is cooked through. Top with remaining cheese and fresh basil.

Storage and Reheating

Leftover casserole can be stored in the fridge up to 3 days. Just cover the baking dish in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving.

If you're reheating single servings, feel free to use the microwave and warm them in 30-second intervals until heated through. For a whole baking dish, reheat the casserole in a 350°F until warmed through, about 15 minutes. Add some cheese and fresh basil before serving.

What To Serve With Marry Me Chicken Casserole

With a base of creamy rice and tender, juicy chicken breasts, you only need to add a vegetable or two to the plate for a well-rounded dinner. Here are some of our favorite companions for this dish:

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 (6-oz.) pkg. uncooked long-grain and wild rice mix (such as Ben’s Original)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
4 (6-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup, about 5 oz.)
6 garlic cloves, chopped (about 2 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 6 Tbsp.), divided
Chopped fresh basil, for serving

Directions

Boil chicken broth for rice:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add 2 cups of the chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high; stir in rice, and return to a boil.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Cook rice:

Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until rice is just beginning to soften and broth is mostly absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Melt butter and oil:

Meanwhile, heat oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Season chicken:

As butter melts, season chicken all over with black pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Cook chicken:

Add chicken to Dutch oven, and cook, flipping once, until chicken is golden brown and almost cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Remove chicken from pan:

Transfer chicken to a cutting board to rest. Do not wipe Dutch oven clean.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add butter to pan drippings:

Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to drippings in Dutch oven.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Cook sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and spices:

Once butter is melted, stir in sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until shallot softens, about 3 minutes.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add tomato paste:

Add tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste coats vegetables, about 1 minute.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add wine and broth to pan:

Stir in wine and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth; cook, scraping any flavorful bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven, until reduced by one-quarter, about 3 minutes.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add rice mixture to broth mixture, along with remaining ingredients:

Stir in rice mixture (including any unabsorbed broth), heavy cream, balsamic vinegar, and 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano; cook, stirring often, until Parmigiano-Reggiano melts into the sauce, about 1 minute.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Remove from heat.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add rice and chicken to baking dish:

Transfer rice mixture to a (3-quart) baking dish. Nestle chicken breasts into rice mixture.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Bake casserole:

Bake in preheated oven until flavors meld and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Top evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox