Creamy, cheesy, and a constant crowd-pleaser! Our Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Bake is simple to make and such a week-night winner! This recipe is made out of pantry and fridge staples and makes enough for leftovers. You get your grain, protein, and veggies all in one dish! Add all ingredients to one bowl, mix, spread in a casserole dish and bake… dinner in 30 minutes!
These days, I feel like cooking has become somewhat of a chore. I know that a lot of you feel that way because you’ve told me! I like cooking when I know it’s an option… not because I HAVE to 😉 This recipe is a result of not wanting to cook, but needing to, and wanting something filling with nutritional value while also having all the ingredients on hand. I’m not gonna lie… this one hit it out of the park. We barely had leftovers because all 4 of us went back for seconds. This baby is going into our monthly rotation for sure!
How do I substitute regular rice for minute rice in this recipe?
You can absolutely substitute regular rice for minute rice if that’s all you have on hand. It is a few more steps but it’s totally doable. You will need to add the chicken broth and rice to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover tightly for 7 minutes. Remove the lid and give a good stir, making sure you loosen everything from the sides and bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, reserving some cheese for the top. Cook according to the recipe below.
Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh?
Yes you can! I will say that it will change the texture of the dish though. The broccoli will be a lot softer and may come apart easier. You lose the firmness. We definitely recommend using fresh broccoli if you can. Be sure to defrost the frozen veggie before putting it with the rest of the ingredients.
Ingredients for our Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Bake:
- Butter
- Diced chicken
- Chicken broth
- Instant White rice
- Broccoli
- Cream of chicken soup
- Greek yogurt
- Milk
- Cheddar cheese
How to make our Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Bake:
First, preheat the oven to 350 F.
Next, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can also use shredded chicken. One thing I do a lot of the time is take 3-4 chicken breasts and cook them in the Instant Pot ahead of time and I pull from them as I make recipes throughout the week. I add 1 cup of chicken broth to the Instant Pot, and the chicken breasts. Manually cook for 13 minutes and then shred with two forks! The broth gives them good, mild flavor that will complement any dish you decide to whip up!
Once chicken is shredded or diced, place into a large bowl. Cut up the raw broccoli into small bite-sized pieces and add to the chicken. Measure out and put the remaining ingredients into the bowl, leaving 1/2 of cheese out to sprinkle on top of the dish before baking.
Lightly grease a 9×13 casserole dish and pour in the rice mixture. Use a spatula to press the mixture into an even layer.
Sprinkle the remainder of your cheese over top of the casserole dish. You can always be a little more liberal here with your cheese if you like it super ooey and gooey! There is nothing wrong with that!
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, take the foil off and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove when timer goes off and let sit for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
If you are thinking to yourself “There is no way my kids will eat anything with green in it”, fear not. You can add broccoli to half and leave it out of one side so the kids can enjoy just chicken and rice. We have another recipe that is a favorite that is slightly similar, and leaves out the broccoli. Its our Creamy Crunchy Chicken Casserole… check out for next time!
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Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 2 TBS butter
- 2 cups of chicken, cooked and diced/shredded
- 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/4 Cup Minutes White rice
- 2 cups raw broccoli
- 10 oz can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cup Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Cut or shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish and add all ingredients to large bowl and mix, leaving out 1/2 the cheese.
- Before covering, top with the remaining cheese!
- Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and uncover, then bake for another 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
**Recipe is specific to Minute Rice. If you only have regular rice, please read blog post above on how to change cooking directions.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 621mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 16g
(Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
We are making this tonight. I thought it would be a fun one to have my boys (ages 6 & 7) help me make. They got to chop broccoli, measure ingredients, dump and mix everything, and of course get messy. It was a bit chaotic and I ended up forgetting the milk 😵💫🥴 it’s already in the oven 🤣