This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This healthier Broccoli Chicken Casserole recipe is made with your choice of pasta, tender chicken and broccoli, and the most delicious creamy cheddar mushroom sauce.
Raise your hand if you grew up eating broccoli chicken casserole! Make that two hands if yours always included a can of cream of mushroom soup! Ah, what can we say, it’s what all of the cool kids were doing back in the 80s. ♡ For those of you who still crave a good throwback chicken casserole every now and then nowadays, I have a modern version today that I think you are going to love.
Meet my 100%-from-scratch, lightened-up, still-ultra-creamy-and-cheesy, comforting chicken and broccoli casserole recipe!
It’s made with all of the classic components from the broccoli chicken casserole recipes of my childhood, just freshened up a bit to bring us into 2019. We’re talking lots and lots of broccoli (you can use fresh or frozen), tender chicken (feel free to use a rotisserie as a shortcut), your choice of pasta (I used whole-wheat, but any kind will do), and lots of sharp cheddar cheese (get the good stuff!). Then in lieu of canned cream of mushroom soup, this broccoli chicken casserole recipe features an easy homemade creamy mushroom sauce instead, made with lots of fresh mushrooms and zesty seasonings to ensure that this casserole is anything but bland.
It’s modern, creamy, cozy comfort food at its best. And get ready, because it disappears in a flash.
Let’s make some chicken casserole!
Chicken Broccoli Casserole Ingredients:
Ok! Before we get to the full recipe below, let’s talk about our shopping list. To make this broccoli chicken casserole recipe, you will need:
Pasta: Literally any type of pasta that you love best will work here — traditional (semolina), whole-wheat, gluten-free, egg, or any other kinds of alternative-grain pastas that you prefer.
Broccoli: You can either use fresh broccoli (about 1 large head, cut into florets) or frozen broccoli (about 1 pound) for this recipe.
Mushrooms: I love the flavor of baby bella (cremini) mushrooms in this broccoli casserole recipe. But any of your favorite mushrooms will do.
Creamy sauce stuff: Butter (or olive oil), onion, garlic, flour, stock (chicken or veggie), milk (any kind), Dijon, salt and pepper.
Sharp cheddar cheese: I really recommend buying a block of good-quality aged sharp cheddar for this recipe, and then shredding it yourself.
Chicken: Any cooked chicken will work for this recipe! You can use my favorite baked chicken breasts recipe or sauté two breasts in olive oil in a skillet until cooked through. Or for a shortcut, feel free to shred a rotisserie chicken.
How To Make This Casserole:
To make this broccoli chicken casserole recipe, simply…
Cook the pasta and broccoli. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water (don’t forget to generously salt the water!) until it is al dente. But — plot twist! — toss the broccoli florets into the water about 1 minute before the pasta is done cooking to give it a quick cook too. Drain both.
Make the mushroom sauce. Meanwhile, we’ll work on the sauce. Sauté the onion, followed by the mushrooms and garlic in butter (or oil) until softened. Stir in some flour and let it cook for 1 minute (this will help to thicken the sauce). Then add in the stock, milk, Dijon, salt and pepper, and cook until the sauce reaches a simmer. Stir in half of the shredded cheese, taste, and adjust any seasonings as needed.
Put everything together. In a large 9 x 13-inch baking dish, give everything a good toss — the cooked pasta, broccoli, mushroom sauce and chicken — until combined.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Then remove pan from the oven, sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese evenly on top of the casserole, and bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is nice and melty.
Enjoy! Serve nice and warm, garnished with extra black pepper and/or fresh herbs, if desired.
See full recipe instructions below.
Possible Variations:
Want to customize this chicken broccoli casserole recipe? Feel free to…
Use a different protein: Cooked sausage, pork, steak, or shrimp would all be delicious in this casserole in place of chicken.
Use rice instead of pasta: To make classic chicken and rice casserole, cook 1 cup of (uncooked) rice according to package instructions. Then stir it into the casserole as you would the pasta.
Use a different kind of cheese: If cheddar isn’t your thing, this casserole would also be delicious with a mix of good-quality mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Or some sort of spicy pepperjack would be delicious too!
Add fresh herbs: Feel free to add in some fresh Italian herbs (such as parsley, basil, rosemary or thyme) if desired.
Make it vegetarian: We made a vegetarian version to test this recipe by just omitting the chicken, and the broccoli casserole was great on its own. Or, of course, you’re welcome to add some extra veggies to the mix as well.
Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta, then thicken the sauce with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. (Or you can stir a few tablespoons of gluten-free cornstarch into the cold milk before adding it to the sauce.)
More Favorite Casserole Recipes:
Lookin’ for more casseroles to love? Here are a few of my faves. ♡
This hearty Broccoli Chicken Casserole recipe is made with your choice of pasta, tender chicken and broccoli, and the most delicious creamy cheddar mushroom sauce. See notes above for possible ingredient variations too.
Cook pasta in a large stockpot of generously-salted boiling water until it is al dente. However, about 1 minute before the pasta is done, add the broccoli to the boiling pasta water and stir until combined. Drain both the pasta and broccoli, and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the butter (or oil) in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mushrooms are cooked through.
Sprinkle the flour evenly over the onion mixture and stir until combined. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add in the stock, and stir everything together until most of the clumps are gone. Add in the milk, Dijon, salt and pepper and stir until combined. Continue cooking the sauce until it reaches a simmer. Then remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese until it is combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
In a large 9 x 13-inch baking dish, combine the cooked pasta, broccoli, mushroom sauce and chicken. Toss until combined. Smooth the casserole out into an even layer.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Then remove pan from the oven, sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese evenly on top of the casserole, and bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is nice and melty.
Serve warm, garnished with extra black pepper and/or fresh herbs, if desired.
What’s the calories on this? I didn’t see them listed
Jeanne —
This is SO good!! I roasted the broccoli with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper for 14 min in the 400° oven while bringing the water to a boil and cooking the pasta, and cooking the chicken. When all that was done, I created the sauce minus the mushrooms. Followed the rest of the directions. The roasted broccoli added a good crunch to the dish. the family LOVED IT!!
Emily —
I imported the recipe to MyFitnessPal as 8 servings and it calculated 570 per serving. If you 1/2 the amount of cheese it takes it down to 515 per serving. Planning on making it tonight!
I used white mushrooms, heavy cream, and mild white cheddar because that’s what I had; otherwise followed the recipe. Will definitely make this again, with fancy mushrooms next time.
I want to bring this to a friend who just had a baby. How would I alter the cooking process for her to bake it? Just prepare everything, put in the pan, and deliver?
Absolutely delicious, thank you! I needed to use up some leftover baked ham, so cubed that instead of chicken…worked out fine…will definitely make again, and try with chicken. I had some shredded cheddar/mozzarella blend on hand, so used that instead of straight cheddar (which I’m sure would’ve made the dish even tastier!
Simple ingredients with excellent results! The only change I made was using a different cheese, Gruyère, because that’s what I had on hand. Love an easy dinner and this is it!
Until you post the calories and usual listing of the break-down for this recipe (fat, carbohydrate, sugar, etc), I can’t tell if it’s truly healthy. Can you please provide this information?
Worked excellently with gluten free noodles, I have not had any luck yet with casseroles not just turning to mush and this one was exactly like a “regular” one. Thank you so much !
Made this tonight and followed the directions to a ‘T’ and it was fabulous! Hubby said I can add it to my list of things he approves of to make :). I’ve never had anything bad from you Ali – keep those recipes comin’!
Great recipe! We added spinach, tomatoes, and cream cheese. Worked great with chickpea pasta. Loved by my two year olds and my husband. Will definitely make again!
This was delicious! I used campanelle pasta, poached chicken tenders and Trader Joe’s Cheddar/Gruyere. I also added some fresh thyme when sauteeing the mushrooms and topped the casserole with toasted Panko, Parmesan and parsley. Soooooo good, everyone loved it. Will definitely make it again.
For those looking for nutrition info, I typed this recipe into cronometer app. The only sort of substituted ingredient I used was Trader Joe’s brown rice, quinoa, rotini. I said that a serving size was 252 g, which is a little more than a cup. It gave me this info:
653 calories
48 grams of protein
37.6 grams of carbs
34 grams of fat
Delicious! Even my 1 and 3 year old loved it. Will definitely be keeping this recipe on my regular dinners list!
This was delicious. I made it tonight and it was filling and just wonderful. Thank you for posting this.
Great recipe! I used canned chicken from Costco and it turned out great, so yummy!
What’s the calories on this? I didn’t see them listed
This is SO good!! I roasted the broccoli with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper for 14 min in the 400° oven while bringing the water to a boil and cooking the pasta, and cooking the chicken. When all that was done, I created the sauce minus the mushrooms. Followed the rest of the directions. The roasted broccoli added a good crunch to the dish. the family LOVED IT!!
I imported the recipe to MyFitnessPal as 8 servings and it calculated 570 per serving. If you 1/2 the amount of cheese it takes it down to 515 per serving. Planning on making it tonight!
Omg that was delicious! I substituted milk for heavy cream and oh wow what a crowd pleaser!!!
I used white mushrooms, heavy cream, and mild white cheddar because that’s what I had; otherwise followed the recipe. Will definitely make this again, with fancy mushrooms next time.
Hello, the recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded cheese, 8 oz. But 2 cups is 16 oz, ?? Please clarify. Thank you.
This was super tasty and easy to make after a long day. I will definitely be making this again.
I want to bring this to a friend who just had a baby. How would I alter the cooking process for her to bake it? Just prepare everything, put in the pan, and deliver?
Absolutely delicious, thank you! I needed to use up some leftover baked ham, so cubed that instead of chicken…worked out fine…will definitely make again, and try with chicken. I had some shredded cheddar/mozzarella blend on hand, so used that instead of straight cheddar (which I’m sure would’ve made the dish even tastier!
Great recipe!! A new family favorite!
This looks delicious
Simple ingredients with excellent results! The only change I made was using a different cheese, Gruyère, because that’s what I had on hand. Love an easy dinner and this is it!
Until you post the calories and usual listing of the break-down for this recipe (fat, carbohydrate, sugar, etc), I can’t tell if it’s truly healthy. Can you please provide this information?
We did the rice substitute and it was very tasty! Relatively quick and easy to make! Thank you for sharing!
Excellent dish
This recipe was surprisingly simple and easy to prepare. My family enjoyed it. However, I did add kielbasa too it; such a good choice to add.
Excellent recipe! I added a shallot, more garlic, red pepper flakes for a bit of heat, and topped with panko. Turned out perfect!
Can I use heavy cream instead of milk and flour? Or should I still add flour as well.
The Best I have had a keeper in our house ! I did add crushed red peppers yummy
Worked excellently with gluten free noodles, I have not had any luck yet with casseroles not just turning to mush and this one was exactly like a “regular” one. Thank you so much !
Made this tonight and followed the directions to a ‘T’ and it was fabulous! Hubby said I can add it to my list of things he approves of to make :). I’ve never had anything bad from you Ali – keep those recipes comin’!
Great recipe! We added spinach, tomatoes, and cream cheese. Worked great with chickpea pasta. Loved by my two year olds and my husband. Will definitely make again!
Can this recipe be assembled and kept in the fridge the day before cooking?
Can I make this casserole and bake later?
Can you freeze this for later?
My favorite go to recipe for weeknights! My husband and kids love it and it’s easy to prep the night before and bake the next day. Thank you so much!
This was delicious! I used campanelle pasta, poached chicken tenders and Trader Joe’s Cheddar/Gruyere. I also added some fresh thyme when sauteeing the mushrooms and topped the casserole with toasted Panko, Parmesan and parsley. Soooooo good, everyone loved it. Will definitely make it again.
For those looking for nutrition info, I typed this recipe into cronometer app. The only sort of substituted ingredient I used was Trader Joe’s brown rice, quinoa, rotini. I said that a serving size was 252 g, which is a little more than a cup. It gave me this info:
653 calories
48 grams of protein
37.6 grams of carbs
34 grams of fat
You left the noodles off the ingredient list. How much?