Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole Recipe
Chicken and broccoli casserole is an easy dish to make for a weeknight meal. It combines tender chicken pieces, fresh broccoli florets, and a creamy, savoury sauce. Your whole dinner in one delicious casserole dish and serve a warm slice of my buttermilk cornbread or creamy deviled eggs alongside it!
In this blog post, you will learn how to make chicken and broccoli casserole.
How to Make a Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
To make a chicken and broccoli casserole, you will need to debone and remove the skin from your chicken thighs. You will not need to do this if you purchase boneless, skinless chicken thighs or use chicken breast instead of the chicken thighs. Pre-bake the chicken thighs for 45 minutes and shred with two forks and place into a large bowl. See my recipe Chicken Pot Pie for steps on how to debone chicken thighs.
Cut the head off of your broccoli stem and cut the broccoli florets into small bite sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven to soften. Remove and place into the large bowl with the cooked chicken.
In a small bowl, take your breadcrumbs and season them with spices. I like to use rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Once you have mixed the spices in with the breadcrumbs, pour the breadcrumbs into the large bowl.
Cut your celery stalks into finely chopped pieces and add the bowl.
Finally, add the cup of mozzarella cheese and cream of mushroom soup and mix everything in the bowl together. Grease a 9”x13” pan and pour the ingredients into it. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and sprinkle a 1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese and return to the oven until the cheese has melted. About 5 minutes.
Remove, let cool, and serve!
If you like the ease of quick casseroles, try my Nacho Casserole recipe with ground beef.
How to Bake the Chicken Thighs to Prepare Them for Shredding
Take a 9”x13” pan and either line it with baking parchment or coat in a non-stick spray. Fold up your deboned chicken thighs and place them in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Pour 1/4 c. of water into the pan. And lastly, cover the pan with aluminium foil.
Bake at 400℉/200℃/Gas Mark 6 for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and shred with two forks going in a crisscross direction. Set aside.
Storage Instructions
Allow the chicken and broccoli casserole to cool before transferring leftovers to an airtight container or covering the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
Chicken and broccoli casserole can be frozen for an easy make-ahead meal. Allow the casserole to cool completely, then place it in a freezer-safe container or wrap the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
For easier serving, you can also freeze individual portions in freezer-safe containers.
For the best results, thaw frozen casserole overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave, stirring or checking the center to ensure the casserole is evenly heated.
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken Thighs: shredded chicken thighs are dark meat from the chicken. They are much more economical to purchase than chicken breasts. However, you can easily substitute in the chicken breast if you want to. Chicken thighs are used because they typically have more flavour and are more tender than chicken breast.
Broccoli Florets: broccoli florets are the top part of the broccoli plant. They are much more tender than the stalk pieces.
Cream of Mushroom Soup: cream of mushroom soup adds creaminess to the casserole. It keeps the casserole dish moist.
Milk: milk dilutes the cream of mushroom soup for a smoother sauce. This will make the casserole creamy but not thick.
Celery: celery gives the casserole a nice crunch to it.
Breadcrumbs: the breadcrumbs are seasoned with extra spices and which give a nice texture to the casserole.
Mozzarella Cheese: mozzarella cheese adds a lovely, gooey layer onto the top of the casserole. The cheese melts everything together and gives it a creamy, cheesy flavour!
Tips
- Using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts allows for a moister chicken casserole.
- Buy boneless, skinless chicken thighs to save time while making this dish.
- Two cups of broccoli florets is roughly two heads of broccoli.
- Pre-baking the chicken and broccoli florets decreases the amount of time that the prepared casserole needs to be in the oven.
- If you want the casserole to be crunchier, sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the casserole instead of mixing them into the filling.
- Try a stronger cheese than mozzarella for a louder flavour.
Try my other chicken recipes!
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Basil and Thyme Whole Roasted Chicken
- Classic Chicken Bone Broth
- Cream Cheese Chicken Breasts
- Baked Chicken Breasts
Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. (1 kg) chicken thighs, shredded
- 2 c. broccoli florets baked
- 2 celery ribs finely chopped
- 1 c. breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 c. milk
Instructions
- Debone your chicken thighs and remove the skin or use skinless, pre-deboned chicken thighs. Place your skinless, deboned chicken thighs in a 9”x13” pan lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan with aluminium foil and bake at 400℉/200℃/Gas Mark 6 for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and shred with two forks going in a crisscross direction. Set aside.
- While your chicken thighs are baking, wash your broccoli and cut the broccoli heads apart into bite site size florets. Place into a medium bowl. Pour just a little bit of olive oil onto the florets and toss around. Season with salt and pepper. Place into a 9”x13” pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes at 400℉/200℃/Gas Mark 6. Once baked, add to the bowl with the shredded chicken thighs.
- Wash and slice the celery stalks. Add to the bowl.
- In a small bowl, add your breadcrumbs. Season them to taste. (I like to add sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.) If you do not want to season the breadcrumbs, add directly to the large bowl with the other ingredients.
- In a separate medium bowl, add the can of cream of mushroom soup and cup of milk. Whisk or beat on medium speed until incorporated together. Pour into the bowl with all of the ingredients.
- Add 1 c. of shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix all of the ingredients together.
- Pour into a greased 9”x13” pan and bake uncovered for 20 minutes 400℉/200℃/Gas Mark 6. Remove and pour the last 1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese on top and return to oven for 5 minutes to let the cheese melt.
- Remove from oven, let cool, and serve.
Notes
Author: Sarah Young