broccoli chicken casserole

This comforting easy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole is loaded with broccoli and tender chicken. A fast and healthy skillet dinner that is flavorful and satisfying.  Perfect for a weeknight dinner.

 Chicken Broccoli Orzo Bake with Lemon and Feta

chicken breasts (8-10 ounces each)

tablespoons olive oil, divided

garlic,

red pepper flakes,

lb broccoli, chopped small

orzo pasta, uncooked

lemon

lemon juice

teaspoon salt, adjust

black pepper

feta cheese (more

chicken broth, heated

dill

Sear chicken in a preheated cast-iron skillet with 1 teaspoon of oil on medium-high heat for 5 minutes on each side, and beautifully golden.

Let the pan cool for a minute or two.  Stir in the minced garlic, remaining olive oil and chili flakes into the pan, saute’ 1-2 minutes on medium heat.

Add broccoli, stirring just to coat with garlic mixture for about another minute.  Remove from heat.

Add the orzo pasta, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper and feta to the pan with broccoli mixture, stir to combine.

Pour hot chicken broth into the pan over the broccoli orzo mixture.  Place seared chicken breast on top.

Cover the pan with foil.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Test chicken with a thermometer, it should register 165 degrees.  If needed put back in the oven for another few minutes.

The family loves chicken breasts- I get a little bored of them.   Needless to say, I bought chicken breast to make the family happy, but didn’t know what I was going to do with them.  At lunch break, I was looking for a recipe and found your post- it was amazing and delish!  Everyone was happy!  Thank you!  I’m telling my family that your my new best friend!

This was good, but I might make tweaks next time for our personal taste. I am a recipe-follower, so I made a few guesses/mistakes with this one. Based on the pics, I knew to mince garlic, but would be nice if that was part of the ingredient list. This was a bit too much red pepper for me, so I’d back off and let people add to taste. Also, I took the chicken out of the pan after searing and immediately added the garlic and pepper, which promptly burned. I think a note to pause to let the pan cool a bit plus a little more olive oil would have helped. One teaspoon at this stage was not enough especially once I added the broccoli. Luckily everyone likes broccoli, but this would be great with asparagus or spinach, IMO.

I also found that the feta, regular chicken broth plus added salt was a bit too salty. Again, I think I’ll back off the added salt and let people salt to taste and/or use reduced-sodium chicken broth. I love feta, but my son thought it was too tangy, so I might sub Parmesan next time. 

Overall, easy and good! Always appreciate a one-pan meal! It has the potential to be a regular family favorite with slight adjustments. Thanks!

Enjoyed the dish very much! I was a little afraid that all of the food wouldn't fit in my cast-iron skillet, but it fit just fine. I could probably have added two more small chicken breasts and have a meal for more, as the orzo and broccoli was definitely enough for several more meals.

Made this tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

Delicious flavors! I love the recipe, however cooking the chicken with the orzo in the oven dried the chicken out because the orzo I had, took much longer to cook than the chicken. 

Next time I make this-- I'll just cook the chicken separately. Otherwise-- GREAT weeknight dinner.

Broccoli florets, shredded chicken, pasta, and lots of cheese come together to make the best ever broccoli chicken casserole. It’s kid friendly and family approved!

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

pasta (GF works too)

broccoli

butter

onion

garlic (minced)

all purpose flour (gluten free works too)

chicken stock

milk (whole

salt

½ cups cheese (I used a mix of sharp cheddar and monterey jack)

chicken

In a saucepan, cook the pasta as per the package directions. Add the fresh broccoli florets to the water in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove the pot from the heat and drain.

In a pan or a casserole dish that is safe to put on the stove, melt butter and cook the onion for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic next, and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the flour, cook for one minute, then gradually stir in the chicken stock and milk. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Stir in half of the cheese, and keep stirring until it’s completely melted. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your preference.

Stir in the cooked chicken, broccoli, and pasta. If you made the sauce in a pan that is not oven-safe, then transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese.

Cook in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°F/180°C until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1646239279/c4ax0j7qmaxnkacbdlzs.mp4

Broccoli florets, shredded chicken, pasta and lots of cheese come together to make the best ever broccoli chicken casserole. It’s kid friendly and family approved!

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Top 2 broccoli chicken casserole recipes from across the web

The most viewed broccoli chicken casserole recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Chicken Broccoli Orzo Bake with Le...

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

The most viewed broccoli chicken casserole recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine