A delectable combination of broccoli, chicken, pasta, and cheese, all mixed up in a creamy homemade sauce will have everyone’s mouths watering! Broccoli Chicken Casserole is an easy-to-make dinner-time favorite that makes it easy to feed your family a home-cooked meal.
I love cheesy pasta in all forms, including macaroni and cheese, and broccoli mac and cheese. This recipe takes it a step further, adding chicken into the mix to create a one-pan meal that has everything included.
This is a kid-friendly dish that adults enjoy too. What’s not to like about a creamy and cheesy chicken casserole with tender broccoli florets? I rarely have leftovers when I make this, but when I do, they make a perfect lunch for the next day.
If you like this recipe, be sure to try my Broccoli Casserole too. It’s the perfect creamy veggie side dish!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made entirely from Scratch: No canned soup is needed when you use my casserole recipes! It’s really simple to make a sauce from scratch that is tastier and healthier than anything you can find in a can. This recipe also uses fresh broccoli rather than frozen so that you can enjoy the best quality broccoli chicken casserole ever.
- Easy to Adjust: Want to make a gluten-free Broccoli Chicken Casserole? No problem, just use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free flour. Want a vegetarian version? Use your favorite vegan chicken substitute in place of the cooked chicken! There are lots of other ways that you can add your own spin to this dish too.
- A Satisfying and Easy Weeknight Meal: Once you’ve assembled all of the ingredients, dinner will be ready after just 15 minutes in the oven. It’s easy to make this casserole the night before too, which will make a busy night much less stressful.
Creamy Chicken Spaghetti is another easy chicken casserole that you should try next. My next favorite is a toss-up between Chicken Tater Tot Casserole and Million Dollar Chicken Casserole. There are so many delicious casseroles for you to try!
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta: You’ll need 8 ounces of pasta. You can use your favorite shape, but I like to use rotini since it holds on to all of the delicious cheesy sauce so well.
- Broccoli: This is a broccoli chicken casserole, so broccoli is kind of a requirement. Fresh broccoli, cut into small florets, will cook in the same pot as the pasta. That’s one of my favorite time-saving cooking tricks!
- Chicken: Cooked Chicken is needed for this recipe. You can use leftovers, or you can learn how to boil chicken for recipes or how to make crockpot shredded chicken so you can always make your favorite chicken casseroles.
- Creamy Sauce: The easy homemade sauce for this casserole is made using butter, onion, garlic, chicken stock, milk, and seasonings. A bit of flour is used to thicken the mixture to the perfect creamy consistency.
- Cheese: This casserole is so cheesy and good! 2 ½ cups of cheese total are needed, I used a mix of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack. The two go so well together. You can also use just cheddar cheese, or add in your favorite types.
Tip!
A prepared rotisserie chicken is a timesaving shortcut when making Broccoli Chicken Casserole. Just pick one up on your way home!
How to Make Broccoli Chicken Casserole
- Cook Pasta and Broccoli: You are going to love this part! In a saucepan, cook the pasta as per the package directions. Add the fresh broccoli florets to the water in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove the pot from the heat and drain.
- Make a Creamy Sauce: In a pan or a casserole dish that is safe to put on the stove, melt butter and cook the onion for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic next, and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the flour, cook for one minute, then gradually stir in the chicken stock and milk. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
- Add the Cheese: Stir in half of the cheese, and keep stirring until it’s completely melted. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
- Assemble: Stir in the cooked chicken, broccoli, and pasta. If you made the sauce in a pan that is not oven-safe, then transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake: Cook in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°F/180°C until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.
Recipe Tips
Add More Flavor: This broccoli chicken casserole is minimally seasoned, which makes it perfect for small kids and otherwise picky eaters. However, you can feel free to add more seasonings if you like. Italian seasoning is a delicious way to make anything more flavorful, and a pinch of red pepper flakes would add just the right amount of kick.
Want a Crunchy Topping? Add a layer of homemade Crispy Onions or crushed Ritz crackers before baking!
Change up the protein: This recipe works with any cooked protein. Try shredded beef, leftover roast turkey, or vegan meat replacements.
Make Ahead: You can assemble Broccoli Chicken Casserole and store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours before you plan to bake it. When ready to make dinner, bake as directed, but add 15 minutes to the time so that it can warm all the way through. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it sits, so you may want to add a splash of milk to make it creamy again before serving.
To Store: Leftovers of this recipe make the perfect lunch the next day! Store cooked casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It reheats beautifully in the microwave.
What to Serve with Broccoli Chicken Casserole
The best thing about casseroles is that they are an entire meal all by themselves! This recipe has carbs, veggies, and meat built right in.
All you need is a salad or another vegetable side dish to fill everyone’s plates. Try making a simple tossed green salad or a copycat Olive Garden Salad.
Take this dish to a potluck, along with Cranberry Fluff Salad, Walking Taco Casserole, or an always enjoyed Fruit Pizza.
More Tasty Homemade Casseroles to Make
If you need to make a dish to share, I’ve got you covered! Try one of these delicious bakes:
- Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Tater Tot Casserole
- Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
- Chicken Stuffing Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken Fajita Casserole
- Tuna Casserole
- John Wayne Casserole
- Pizza Casserole
FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen broccoli in place of fresh. Rather than cooking it with the pasta for 5 minutes like we’re doing in the recipe, you only need to boil it for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.
Yes, you can freeze the unbaked casserole, wrapped well, for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight, and then bake as directed in the recipe. If it isn’t as creamy as you’d like, stir in a small amount of milk before serving.
Everything you put into your broccoli chicken casserole should be cooked before you add it in, including the pasta, broccoli, and chicken. Raw chicken should not be added to a casserole as it will not cook fully this way.
A hearty and filling casserole meal that the whole family will devour will be ready in under a half-hour with this simple recipe! Be sure to save it for later.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Broccoli Chicken Casserole
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta GF works too
- 1 large head of broccoli cut into small florets
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour gluten free works too
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 cup milk whole or 2%
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 ½ cups cheese I used a mix of sharp cheddar and monterey jack
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
Instructions
- In a saucepan, cook the pasta as per the package directions. Add the fresh broccoli florets to the water in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove the pot from the heat and drain.
- In a pan or a casserole dish that is safe to put on the stove, melt butter and cook the onion for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic next, and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the flour, cook for one minute, then gradually stir in the chicken stock and milk. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
- Stir in half of the cheese, and keep stirring until it’s completely melted. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
- Stir in the cooked chicken, broccoli, and pasta. If you made the sauce in a pan that is not oven-safe, then transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Cook in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°F/180°C until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.
Notes:
- Add More Flavor: This broccoli chicken casserole is minimally seasoned, which makes it perfect for small kids and otherwise picky eaters. However, you can feel free to add more seasonings if you like. Italian seasoning is a delicious way to make anything more flavorful, and a pinch of red pepper flakes would add just the right amount of kick.
- Want a Crunchy Topping? Add a layer of homemade Crispy Onions or crushed Ritz crackers before baking!
- Change up the protein: This recipe works with any cooked protein. Try shredded beef, leftover roast turkey, or vegan meat replacements.
- Make Ahead: You can assemble Broccoli Chicken Casserole and store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours before you plan to bake it. When ready to make dinner, bake as directed, but add 15 minutes to the time so that it can warm all the way through. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it sits, so you may want to add a splash of milk to make it creamy again before serving.
To Store: Leftovers of this recipe make the perfect lunch the next day! Store cooked casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It reheats beautifully in the microwave.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Christen Ambrifi says
Delicious! My toddler has never liked broccoli no matter how i prepare it. He loved this and ate his entire serving. The rest of the family enjoyed it, too! I used chicken thighs seasoned, air-fried & shredded, gluten free pasta & gluten free flour.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Wow! So glad that your toddler ate all of his broccoli with this recipe. That’s so great!
Teresa Stopher says
Made for dinner tonight & hubby, who is not a big casserole fan, raved about how good it was! I really enjoyed how easy & quick it was to put together. A one dish meal!
Thank you, Diana for sharing this tasty recipe!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
You’re so welcome Teresa. I’m so glad that you both enjoyed the recipe so much!
Steve Hayes says
This was good the day that I made it. The couple of days that followed the leftovers were Unbelievably Good! Everything just melded together to create something much more that the parts. I made it exactly as written, other than I ended up with bow tie pasta, so I can’t take much credit but once again Diana you hit it out of the park!!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
So glad you liked the recipe Steve, and thank you for coming back with such a kind comment.