Broccoli Chicken Casserole: Creamy, cheesy, chicken and rice casserole with crisp, but tender broccoli, all baked to perfection.
Broccoli Chicken Casserole was a staple in my house as a kid. My mom made it all the time, and I loved it. I loved the creaminess, the chicken, and oh yeah…the cheese. And broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables.
As an adult, I still love broccoli chicken casserole and so do my kids. I figured it better share this beauty with you guys so you can enjoy it too!
One of my favorite things about this casserole is it makes for a great make ahead meal. You can prep it in advance and freeze it, then just defrost and bake the day you want to eat it. This is especially helpful on busy nights. So just make up a big batch, divide into foil containers you can bake it right in, and you get an easy, mess free, fuss free dinner!
One of the things I really love about this easy casserole is that you can change it up to suit your needs. I usually use whatever chicken I have on hand, and the odds and ends veggies too. Sometimes I will add some cheddar cheese for a sharper flavor, or double up on broccoli if I feel like my kids haven’t had enough vegetables.
Don’t be afraid to have a little fun with it. That is the joy of a casserole, add in the cheese, and you can really put whatever else you want in. Just be sure to taste it and season as you need with salt and pepper!
Broccoli Chicken Rice Casserole Tips:
- Use whatever rice you have. I love using brown rice, but it is also great with leftover white rice. This is an awesome leftovers dinner.
- Use whatever chicken you have. You can grab a rotisserie chicken, or some chicken thighs, or even chicken breasts.
- Undercook the broccoli a bit, it will finish cooking while you bake the casserole, making it perfect.
- Bake until the cheese is melty. It makes it so stringy and fun!
- A ceramic baking dish is a great choice because it promotes even baking, this is my favorite ceramic baking dish: Click Here. But if you want to cook them later, I love preparing in foil baking pans. They are disposable and freeze well.
Enjoy!
Broccoli Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs diced
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 Tbs minced garlic
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 cup mushrooms diced
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- 2 cups broccoli chopped
- 1.5 cups shredded cheese Colby jack or cheese of choice
- 1 can 12 ounces cream of mushroom soup (or use alternative of 2 Tbs butter, 2 Tbs flour, 1 cup milk, and seasonings)
- 1/2 cup milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in pan, add garlic, onion and mushroom, cook 2 mins
- Add in diced chicken, cook thoroughly
- Steam broccoli until just under cooked, and remove from heat
- Mix together,
- Add rice, creamed soup, milk, half the cheese, and seasoning
- Mix thoroughly, and put in baking dish
- Top with remaining cheese
- (Cook later) Let cool and freeze
- Or Bake in a Ceramic Baking Dish covered with foil at 350 for 45 mins
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
Other chicken recipes you will love:
- Chicken Enchilada Meal Prep Bowls
- Orzo Chicken Soup
- Spinach Artichoke Baked Chicken
- Sticky Chicken Bites
- Greek Chicken Bowls
- Italian Chicken Bowls
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
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