📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven and prep the dish — Preheat your oven to 375F (190C) and butter a 9x13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish. Give yourself a five-minute head start so the oven is fully hot when the pan goes in.
2. 2Whisk the creamy base — In a large bowl, whisk the cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper until completely smooth. It should look like a loose, glossy pourable sauce with no streaks of sour cream left.
3. 3Fold in rice and chicken — Stir the cooled rice and cooked chicken into the sauce until every grain is coated. Taste a spoonful now and add salt if it needs it, because this is your only chance to season the middle.
4. 4Add broccoli and most of the cheese — Fold in the dried broccoli, three-quarters of the cheddar and half the Parmesan. Stop as soon as everything is evenly distributed, since over-mixing crushes the florets.
5. 5Fill the baking dish — Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and spread it into an even layer with the back of your spoon. A level surface bakes evenly and gives you a uniformly golden top.
6. 6Build the crunchy topping — Scatter the remaining cheddar and Parmesan over the surface, then sprinkle the buttered panko across the top. Do not press the crumbs down, because loose crumbs crisp while packed ones go soggy.
7. 7Bake until golden and bubbling — Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges bubble steadily and the topping is deep golden brown. The center should read 165F (74C) on an instant-read thermometer.
8. 8Rest, then serve — Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes so the sauce firms up, then scoop and serve. You will hear the crust crackle as the spoon goes in, and that is exactly right.