Jump to Recipe
This baked chicken broccoli cheddar casserole has about 45 g of protein per serving and takes 65 minutes, including a 5-minute rest. The protein comes from chicken breast, sharp cheddar and Greek yogurt, not powder, so it tastes like the real thing.
It makes six portions of roughly 430 g each, so every serving is a full dinner plate with the rice and broccoli already in it. The sauce is a butter and flour base with milk, finished with yogurt instead of canned soup.
You sear the chicken in two batches and build the sauce in the same skillet. Add the yogurt after the pan comes off the heat. Stirred into a simmering sauce, it curdles and turns grainy.
The trade-off is calories. A serving runs about 640, mostly from the cheddar and the rice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- About 45 g protein per serving from whole foods, no powder
- One skillet for chicken and sauce, one baking dish
- Cheddar sauce built from milk and yogurt, no canned soup
- Reheats well for four days of lunches
Ingredient Notes
- chicken breast: Weigh it raw at 700 g and cut it into even 2 cm cubes. Boneless skinless thighs work too, but you lose about 4 g of protein per serving.
- sharp cheddar: Grate it from a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking starch, which can leave the sauce a little gritty.
- plain 2% Greek yogurt: Nonfat works and full-fat is richer. Sour cream is a fair swap for flavor, but it costs you about 3 g of protein per serving.
- cooked rice: Leftover long-grain rice is fine, and you need 3 cups / 500 g. Brown rice takes about 40 minutes, so cook it ahead.
- broccoli: Fresh florets give the best bite. Frozen works if you thaw it, pat it dry and skip the microwave step.
- panko: Panko stays crisp better than regular breadcrumbs. Tossing it with a little olive oil and cheddar helps it brown.
Baked Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Casserole with Rice
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 190 C / 375 F and grease a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cook the rice with 475 ml / 2 cups water and a pinch of salt in a covered 2-quart / 1.9 L saucepan for 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork. While it cooks, grate the cheddar, dice the onion, mince the garlic and cut the chicken into 2 cm cubes.
- Pat the chicken dry and season with 3/4 tsp of the salt and the pepper. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear half the chicken in a single layer for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden outside and not yet cooked through. Move it to the baking dish and repeat with the second half.
- Microwave the broccoli with 2 tbsp water in a covered 2-quart / 1.9 L bowl for 2 minutes, until bright green and still firm. Drain and add it to the baking dish with the chicken and the cooked rice.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and melt the butter. Cook the onion for 3 minutes until soft, then stir in the garlic and smoked paprika for 30 seconds. Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the milk slowly, whisking, and simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the mustard, the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 150 g of the cheddar until melted, then whisk in the cold yogurt until smooth. Keep the pan off the burner, because yogurt in a hot sauce curdles.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, broccoli and rice and fold gently until everything is coated. Smooth the top. Toss the panko with 1 tsp olive oil and the remaining 50 g cheddar, then scatter it over the dish.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, until the edges bubble, the panko is golden and a thermometer in the thickest chicken cube reads 165 F / 74 C.
- Rest the casserole for 5 minutes so the sauce settles, then scoop with a wide spatula.
Notes
- Cook the rice while you prep and sear so everything is ready to assemble at once.
- Sear the chicken only until golden outside, since it finishes cooking in the oven.
- Pull the skillet off the heat before stirring in the cheddar and yogurt.
- Rest the casserole 5 minutes so the sauce settles and each scoop holds together.
Tips for Success
- Grate the cheddar from a block yourself, because pre-shredded cheese carries starch that can leave the sauce slightly grainy.
- Sear the chicken in two batches in the 12-inch skillet so the cubes brown instead of steaming in their own liquid.
- Cut the chicken into even 2 cm cubes so every piece reaches 165 F / 74 C at the same time.
- Stir the yogurt in off the heat, after the cheese melts, and whisk until the sauce looks smooth and uniform.
- Check the thickest chicken cube with a thermometer and bake 5 minutes longer if it reads under 165 F / 74 C.
Variations
- Use about 550 g of shredded rotisserie chicken and skip the searing, which cuts roughly 10 minutes from the cook time.
- Stir in 1 tsp hot sauce and 60 g diced pickled jalapeños for a Tex-Mex version, then use pepper jack for half the cheddar.
- Replace half the rice with 250 g small cauliflower florets, microwaved with the broccoli for 3 minutes, for a lower-carb version.
Storage and Reheating
Baked chicken broccoli cheddar casserole keeps for 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Get it into the fridge within 2 hours of baking, and let it cool uncovered for about 30 minutes first so steam doesn’t thin the sauce.
Reheat single portions in the microwave at 70 percent power for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once, until the center reads 165 F / 74 C. To warm the whole dish, cover it with foil and bake at 160 C / 325 F for 20 to 25 minutes, then uncover for the last 5 minutes to crisp the panko.
The chest freezer in the garage holds a few portions of this for up to 2 months. Freeze them in single-portion containers and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The yogurt sauce can look looser after thawing, and a good stir brings it back.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the casserole straight from the baking dish with a sharp salad, such as arugula tossed with lemon juice and olive oil. The acid cuts through the cheddar.
The rice and broccoli are already in the dish, so you don’t need a side starch. Sliced tomatoes with flaky salt or a few dill pickles are enough.
Scoop with a wide spatula so each plate gets some of the saucy bottom layer and a corner of crisp panko.
FAQ
Why did my chicken broccoli cheddar casserole sauce turn grainy or split?
The yogurt or the cheese was exposed to too much heat. Take the skillet off the burner before stirring in the cheddar and then the yogurt, and whisk until smooth. Boiling a sauce with Greek yogurt in it makes the proteins clump, and that grainy texture doesn’t come back once it happens.
Can I use frozen broccoli in chicken broccoli cheddar casserole?
Yes, use 450 g of frozen florets. Thaw them in a colander, pat them dry with a towel, and skip the microwave step. Frozen broccoli holds extra water, so skipping the drying step leaves a looser sauce at the bottom of the dish.
How long can I freeze chicken broccoli cheddar casserole?
Up to 2 months in airtight single-portion containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat until it reads 165 F / 74 C. The panko softens in the freezer, so sprinkle a spoonful of fresh panko on top and bake uncovered for the last 5 minutes.
What goes well with a chicken broccoli cheddar casserole that already has rice?
A sharp, acidic salad works best, such as arugula with lemon and olive oil. The casserole already has rice, broccoli and a rich sauce, so skip starchy sides. Sliced tomatoes with flaky salt or a few dill pickles also cut through the cheddar.
Is this chicken broccoli cheddar casserole gluten free, and how do I change it?
No, as written it contains gluten from the flour and panko. Replace the flour with 2 tbsp cornstarch whisked into the cold milk, and pour it over the cooked onions. Simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Use gluten-free panko on top and check the mustard label.
What’s the difference between chicken broccoli cheddar casserole and chicken divan?
Chicken divan is a mid-century dish traditionally built on a Mornay-style sauce and sometimes served over rice or toast. This casserole mixes the rice into the dish and uses a cheddar sauce, so it bakes as a complete dinner in one dish.
