Best Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

I mean this one is a great leftover chicken recipe, or something you can throw together and make for under $20. Just like any other chicken casserole, you can make it to your liking. If you prefer green beans instead of broccoli then please swap that ingredient out.

BUT Grandmas chicken broccoli bake is just amazing and a family fave. I use frozen broccoli florets or cuts in this one and they come out great. Mixed with chicken or mushroom condensed canned soup, it comes out great every time. 

Chicken Broccoli Stuffing Casserole

Ok so you can a bunch of options as far as the meat part goes. If you wanted to make this vegetarian you could leave that part out I suppose too. To make this dairy free you can use plant based butter product and make homemade condensed soup with almond milk instead.

Ingredients

1. Precooked chicken
   1. about 2 diced precooked chicken breasts, or boiled shredded chicken
   2. that’s why this makes a great leftover chicken casserole recipe
      1. how long is leftover chicken good for? 1-2 days is the general rule, discard after 7.
   3. you can dice up rotisserie chicken from the store too
2. Frozen broccoli cuts or florets
   1. fresh broccoli may become too soft and mushy
3. Condensed broccoli cheese soup
   1. or cheddar cheese soup if you can’t find that
4. Stuffing mix
5. Butter
6. Broth or water
   1. use homemade chicken broth if you want
7. Cheese is optional but a great addition
8. 9×13″ baking dish / casserole dish

Can you put raw chicken in a casserole?

I would say NO. Adding raw meat into a casserole is pretty risky because it’s likely that the internal meat temperature won’t reach a safe level. I think it’s easier to use precooked meat so you’re sure it is safe to eat once it is done. You really could use leftover pork or even beef in this dish too.

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole

It’s a great one pan meal that my family loves and is inexpensive to make. It stays good for quite some time in the oven safe dish so if we are getting home at different times throughout the day we can all enjoy it. Instead of broccoli and rice we used seasoned stuffing mix. I’ve tried using rice before and it just isn’t as easy to ensure that every piece becomes tender.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a bowl mix your broth (or water), melted butter and stuffing. Toss so mix becomes damp and set aside
3. Inside another bowl mix together your diced chicken, condensed soup and add the broccoli that’s frozen in too
   1. if you want it really creamy, add 1/2 cup sour cream too
4. Dump this chicken mixture into the bottom of your casserole dish and spread out evenly
5. Sprinkle your cheese on now
6. Top with a layer of your stuffing mix
7. Pop it into your oven to bake for 30 minutes until it’s golden brown and slightly crunchy on top

Allow to sit for 10 – 15 minutes so it solidifies and then serve!

What are the three main parts of a casserole?

Each one typically includes some sort of cubed, pre cooked meat, poultry, or fish. Browned, drained ground beef can be used too like we did in our ground beef casserole and potatoes.

• The second part would include shredded and/or cubed cheese.
• Last but not least would be the extender, that means a filler or carb of choice to fill in between the first two ingredients.
  • Typically the choices are
    • potatoes
    • rice
      • our Instant Pot chicken and rice casserole is widely popular
    • stuffing mix
    • bread crumbs

Easy casserole recipes

• Easy lasagna casserole is great too if you love Italian meals
• You can make Crockpot cheesy chicken and rice too
• This is our easy beef stroganoff casserole recipe you must try. With super tender beef stew meat and pasta cooked together, it’s always a favorite.
• Shepherd’s pie with ground beef is wonderful

Chicken tortilla bake is great too if you have diced chicken that needs to be used up.

How do you make chicken casserole from scratch?

I hope we answered this question for you here! I mean there is a ton of ways to tweak it to your liking. If you would rather have green beans for the vegetable that would work instead. It just needs to cook at the same rate in a sense so it doesn’t break down and get mushy.

Can you keep casserole in a fridge?

The general rule for storing a leftover casserole is 3 to 4 days. Make sure to that it’s cool before refrigerating. I typically will remove what’s left from the dish and transfer it into meal sized airtight containers so they’ll reheat easier.

Why shouldn’t you put hot food directly into the fridge?

Food needs to become room temperature before putting it into the fridge. If not, the salmonella bacteria can spoil it very easily in the refrigerator and make you sick.

How do you freeze a casserole and reheat it?

1. Prepare your casserole as stated and put it into your dish as you normally would.
   • best if you first line your dish with parchment paper so you can remove it easily later
2. Now place your dish into the freezer until completely frozen.
3. Then, lift the frozen dish out of the pan and wrap the entire thing in freezer proof plastic or foil.
4. When you’re ready to reheat, unwrap the food and place it back in the casserole pan for reheating in the oven.
   1. I think it is best if you allow it to thaw out before cooking or the texture will be off

You can do this with a cooked or uncooked dish, either way it works pretty well. Same thing goes for our frozen leftover turkey pot pie recipe. Low and slow in the oven is key so the inside is warmed evenly while browning the outside without burning it. It’s a fine balance but baking it is your best bet.

Before you go I want you to sign up for my free newsletter!! You will get all my new recipes emailed to you a few times a week that will help with meal planning for the week.