This tacky hen and broccoli casserole recipe is a straightforward household meal with chunks of hen, rice, tender-crisp broccoli, and creamy sauce baked beneath a buttery cracker topping. It’s whole consolation meals!
I’ll discover any excuse to place broccoli and cheese in the identical recipe, whether or not it’s broccoli cheddar soup or broccoli cheese casserole. This hen and broccoli casserole is creamy like chicken divan, with tender hen blended with broccoli and rice in a wealthy, creamy gravy with rice and loads of cheese. It’s just about the right consolation meals, full with a buttery Ritz cracker high.
Why I Love This Hen and Broccoli Casserole Recipe
Numerous taste. With its creamy hen, rice, broccoli, and melty cheese, that is precisely the sort of home-style casserole my grandmother would make. It’s tremendous hearty and satisfying.
Simple consolation meals. This broccoli hen casserole is simple to prep on any night time of the week. You may even take a shortcut with rotisserie hen from the shop.
Make forward. Assemble the casserole forward and retailer it baked or unbaked for later! It additionally freezes effectively.
Casserole Components
Nothing does “meal-in-one” higher than a tacky and veggie-filled hen and broccoli casserole. Under are my notes on what you’ll must make it. Scroll right down to the recipe card after the put up for the printable substances record with the complete quantities.
Hen – I like to recommend boneless, skinless hen breasts or thighs, reduce into bite-sized items. You’ll want salt and pepper, or your alternative of hen seasoning.
Olive Oil – Or one other oil, for sautéeing.
Onion and Garlic – Diced yellow or white onion, and freshly minced garlic. You may substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per contemporary clove if you have to.
Rice – Prepare dinner the rice utilizing your most well-liked technique. I like to recommend long-grain white rice, not immediate rice, for this casserole. You can additionally substitute the rice with one other cooked grain, like quinoa.
Broccoli – Chopped into florets. Frozen broccoli is nice, too, simply be certain to thaw and drain it first (notice that the feel will probably be softer than should you use contemporary).
Cheese – Shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, gouda, Swiss or Pepper Jack (for some spice) all work effectively on this recipe. Use freshly shredded cheese because it melts extra easily.
Cream of Hen Soup – It’s also possible to use condensed cream of broccoli.
Milk – This may be entire milk, 2% milk, or any variety you’d like.
Bitter Cream – In a pinch, you may substitute the bitter cream with full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
Spices – I season the sauce with paprika and dry mustard. Be at liberty so as to add any seasonings you’d like, equivalent to cayenne pepper, chili powder, crimson pepper flakes, or a mix, like Italian herbs or Cajun seasoning.
Ritz Crackers – Crushed into crumbs and blended with melted butter for the topping.
How you can Make Broccoli Hen Casserole
Right here’s a fast overview exhibiting methods to make this straightforward, tacky hen and broccoli casserole. You’ll discover the printable recipe directions within the recipe card after the put up.
Prepare dinner the hen and onions.Mix the substances.
Prepare dinner the hen and onions. Season the hen with salt and pepper, then add it to a scorching pan with oil. Prepare dinner the hen over medium warmth for five minutes. Then, add the onions, and sauté for an additional 5-7 minutes till the hen is cooked by way of. Stir within the garlic.
Mix the substances. Subsequent, add the hen and onions to a bowl with the rice, broccoli, and ½ cup of shredded cheese.
Combine and add the sauce.Toss to coat.
Make the sauce. In the meantime, combine the cream of hen soup, milk, bitter cream, and seasonings. Pour the sauce over the hen and broccoli combination and stir the whole lot collectively.
Assemble the casserole.Add the topping and bake!
Assemble the casserole. Unfold the filling into the underside of a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Mix the crushed Ritz crackers with melted butter and scatter that over high.
Bake. Lastly, bake the hen and broccoli casserole at 350ºF for half-hour till the highest is toasted and the sides are bubbly.
Make It Forward
You may put together this hen and broccoli casserole the day earlier than and hold it coated within the fridge till you’re able to bake (I’ll usually do that after we’re anticipating folks over!). Assemble the casserole in a baking dish as directed, however depart off the Ritz cracker topping. Then, cowl and refrigerate it for as much as 24 hours.
Once you’re prepared, sprinkle on the topping and bake! If the casserole is chilly from the fridge, chances are you’ll want so as to add 10-Quarter-hour to the baking time.
Recipe Ideas
Save time with a rotisserie hen. On this case, you may skip cooking the hen and go straight to sautéeing the onions. Mix the chopped or shredded hen with the opposite substances and blend the whole lot with the sauce as directed.
Should you desire softer broccoli, steam the contemporary florets earlier than you add them to the casserole.
Should you don’t have Ritz crackers, you may crush up one other sort of cracker, or substitute breadcrumbs or potato chips.
Serving Strategies
Serve this hen and broccoli casserole with a inexperienced salad on the facet, or extra greens, like roasted carrots or asparagus. Fluffy dinner rolls or biscuits are a should when it comes time to sop up the leftover sauce!
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerate. Cowl and retailer the leftover broccoli hen casserole within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
Reheat. You may reheat the casserole within the oven, or particular person servings within the microwave till scorching all through.
Freeze. Wrap this casserole in a double layer of plastic wrap or foil and freeze it for as much as 2 months. Thaw the casserole within the fridge earlier than reheating.
This tacky hen and broccoli casserole recipe has juicy chunks of hen, rice, broccoli, and creamy sauce baked beneath a buttery cracker topping.
1 pound boneless skinless hen breasts, reduce into chunk measurement items
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Cup yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Cups cooked rice
1 head broccoli, reduce into florets (about 3 cups)
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 10.5-ounce can cream of hen soup
1/2 Cup milk
1/4 Cup bitter cream
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1 Cup Ritz cracker crumbs (about 25 crackers)
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and put aside.
Sprinkle the reduce items of hen with salt and pepper.
Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium warmth. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the hen to the pan. Prepare dinner for five minutes.
Add the diced onion to the skillet with the hen and proceed to cook dinner, stirring sometimes, till the hen is cooked by way of, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and proceed to cook dinner whereas stirring for yet one more minute, then take away from warmth.
Mix the cooked hen, cooked rice, broccoli florets and ½ cup of cheese in a big bowl.
In a separate smaller bowl, combine collectively the cream of hen soup, milk, bitter cream, paprika and dry mustard. Pour the cream combination over the hen and rice and stir it effectively to mix.
Unfold the hen rice combination into your ready baking dish. High with remaining shredded cheese.
Mix the cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the casserole.
Bake within the preheated oven for half-hour or till the crumbs are golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Notes
You need to use rotisserie hen to save lots of time. Simply skip forward to sauteeing the onions within the olive oil.
This casserole has crisp broccoli, should you desire mushy broccoli, steam it earlier than including it to the casserole.
You need to use frozen broccoli instead of contemporary, simply be certain to thaw it first and drain off any liquid.
