Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Name: Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ½ cup butter; 1/4 cup onion (finely diced); 1 tsp granulated garlic; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup flour (all-purpose); 3 cups milk; 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided); 5 slices cooked bacon (chopped; about 1/3 cup); 12 oz frozen broccoli florets; 3 cups pasta shells (small; cooked according to packing directions); 3 cups chicken (cooked; shredded)

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This Chicken Broccoli Casserole is a quick and easy comfort food meal you can have on the table in less than 30 minutes. This fantastic recipe is basically the delicious melding of classic mac and cheese and broccoli chicken alfredo.

Our Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole and Ham Macaroni and Cheese are two of our favorite pasta meals.

Branded image of Chicken broccoli casserole in a dutch oven.

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Why This Recipe Works
Chicken Broccoli Casserole Ingredients
How to Make Broccoli Chicken Casserole
Adaptation and variations
Recipe FAQs
Other Related One Pot Recipes
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Why This Recipe Works

It's simple, easy, and delicious. The beauty of a recipe like this is you can make everything from scratch or use up a bunch of extras or leftovers.

The best part of this casserole recipe is the simple, common, and often on-hand ingredients become a hearty and satisfying meal the entire family will love.

We used a grocery store rotisserie chicken because of how convenient they are. You'll want to make this with cooked pasta. If you've ever made too much pasta for a meal, this chicken broccoli casserole is the tastiest way to use it up.

And quite possibly the best reason is there's no condensed cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole Ingredients

Ingredients to make chicken broccoli casserole: mozzarella cheese, rotisserie chicken, butter, broccoli, bacon, milk, granulated garlic, pepper, flour, shell pasta, and onion.

Cheese — We used mozzarella cheese for is mild, smooth, and creamy flavor. Pre-shredded cheeses aren't recommended for this recipe.
Protein — For easy cooking, we used chopped rotisserie chicken along with cooked and crumbled bacon.
Pantry staples — Flour, onion, black pepper, granulated garlic, and milk.
Pasta — Small pasta, like shell or elbow is recommend for this dish.
Broccoli — Frozen broccoli florets with stems made the dish even quicker to make.

How to Make Broccoli Chicken Casserole

Onions sauteing in melted butter with pepper and granulated garlic. — Step one

Flour being whisked into the sauteed seasoned butter to make a roux. — Step one

Step 1 — Preheat the oven broiler and adjust the racks to be at least 5 inches from the element. Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium high heat. Begin to sauté the onion and whisk in the granulated garlic and black pepper.

Step 2 — Once the onions have soften whisk in the flour until it makes a paste.

Step 3 — Slowly pour in the milk and whisk to incorporate the roux.

Shredded mozzarella cheese being incorporated to the cream sauce. — Step four

Bacon crumbles being stirred into the cheese sauce. — Step four

Step 4 — Whisk in the cheese by the handful, making sure it doesn't clump and becomes smooth. Reserve about a half a cup for the topping.

Step 5 — Stir in the crumbled bacon, reserving a tablespoon for the topping.

Step 6 — Add the broccoli and stir it in well. Allow the broccoli to heat through.

Cooked shell pasta being stirred into the cheese sauce with broccoli and bacon. — Step seven

Chopped cooked chicken being stirred into the cheesy pasta with broccoli. — Step seven

Step 7 — Stir in the cooked pasta.

Step 8 — Add the chicken. Make sure everything is well combined.

Step 9 — Sprinkle the reserved cheese and bacon over the top. Place in the oven and broil for 5-9 minutes, or until the top is bubbly golden brown.

Freshly baked chicken broccoli casserole in a red enameled Dutch oven.

Adaptation and variations

Cheese — Use your favorite. Cheddar cheese, pepper Jack, and such. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top for a slight tangy bite.

Pasta — You really can use any pasta size or shape, but the amount might vary.

Protein — Swap the chicken for ham, beef chunks, or even ground beef. If you're not going to use rotisserie chicken, season raw chicken breast and saute in a bit of olive oil in the dutch oven before beginning the recipe.

Vegetables — Toss in peas, carrots, corn, greens, whatever you and your family love best. If you prefer fresh broccoli over frozen broccoli, we'd recommend blanching it for a few minutes before tossing it in the cheese sauce.

A scoop of chicken broccoli casserole sitting above the rest in the dutch oven.

Recipe FAQs

How long with the leftovers last?

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

What is the best way to reheat any leftovers.

Place any leftovers in a skillet or baking dish, add a bit of milk or even sour cream to help moisten the pasta and reheat in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

Can I freeze this?

This recipe is a perfect make ahead and freeze for later meal.