Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole is a simple and delicious dinner recipe – a family favorite for generations!

Casseroles don’t get enough credit for being one of the easiest and most satisfying dinner items! This Chicken Broccoli Casserole is one we make frequently, but we also love Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole and Chicken Noodle Casserole.

Chicken, broccoli, and cheese!

I love making my kids a dinner recipe I ate as a child.

My mom has been making this Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole for as long as I can remember. While I didn’t always love broccoli, now I love it all, and my kids are getting their green veggies too!

I try to add it to the menu plan as much as possible.

We are all about simple, delicious casserole dishes at our house so we are glad to have this Chicken Broccoli Casserole. It’s a Sunday dinner favorite!

A simple casserole

The beauty of casseroles is that you just throw everything together in a casserole dish and pop it in the oven. This cheesy broccoli casserole is no different! It’s SO simple.

PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F.

LAYER. Cook and drain broccoli and put it in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Layer Shredded Chicken pieces on top of the broccoli.

SOUP MIXTURE. In a medium bowl, combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and cheese and mix well. Spread over the chicken.

TOPPING. Add melted butter and bread crumbs to a Ziploc bag and mix well. Pour over the soup mixture.

BAKE. Bake for 35 minutes or until heated through.

Crockpot Directions

Adjust the instructions a bit and make this dish in the crock pot. 

LAYER. Place the raw chicken cubes (or shredded chicken) into the crock pot and add the frozen broccoli (uncooked) on top of the chicken. Whip up the soup mixture and spread it over the chicken and broccoli.

COOK. Cook on LOW heat for 6-8 hours or HIGH heat for 3-4 hours.

TOPPING. Toward the end of the cooking time, toast the bread crumbs, and melt the butter in a skillet. Once the butter is melted and frothy add in the bread crumbs. Stir until golden brown.

SERVE. Sprinkle on top of the chicken casserole and serve.

Recipe Tips

Cream of chicken soup comes in 10.5 oz cans (2 cans needed). Use both cans of cream of chicken, one can cream of chicken and one can cream of mushroom, or replace both cans of chicken with mushroom soup. 

Cooking broccoli. This recipe calls for a 10-12 oz package of frozen broccoli, but you can use fresh broccoli as well.

If using fresh broccoli, chop the head into small florets. 

• Steamed: Add 2 inches of water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Place a steamer basket containing the broccoli into the pot. (The surface of the water should be right below the basket.) Place a lid on the pot and let the broccoli steam for 3-4 minutes until crisp and tender. 
• Boiled in water: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add in the broccoli florets. Cook until crisp yet tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain. 

Chicken. Use 4 chicken breasts or 5 chicken thighs. 

Bake the Chicken in the oven, use a crock pot, or cook it in a skillet. 

• Skillet chicken: Cut the raw chicken into bite-size pieces. Add a little olive oil to a skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides and cooked throughout. 

Mayonnaise can be replaced with sour cream or greek yogurt. It will create a bit of a different taste and texture than the mayo but it will work.

Switch it up

There are a lot of ways to change the flavors in this dish. Try one of these ideas:

• Cheese: Replace the cheddar cheese with something different such as a Mexican Cheese blend.
• Meat: Shred a store-bought rotisserie chicken or replace the chicken with shredded pork or turkey.
• Veggies: Exchange broccoli florets for cauliflower or asparagus.
• Add some spice using tabasco or red chili pepper flakes or season with kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, or onion powder.
• Additions: Add a can of black beans or cooked rice.
• Soup: Replace a can of cream of chicken with a can of cream of mushroom soup.
• Topping: Replace the breadcrumbs with french-fried onions or crushed Ritz crackers.

Storing Info

STORE. Place leftover Chicken Broccoli Cheese Casserole in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat. To reheat quickly, use the microwave. Place the leftover casserole in a microwave-safe dish, and heat for 1 minute. Stir and heat in 30-second increments until the desired temperature is reached.

Or reheat in the oven. It takes longer, but the quality of the dish is better than the microwave. Place in an oven-safe baking dish. Heat the oven to 350°F and bake for 20 minutes or until it reaches the desired temperature.

Freezer meal. Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole makes a great freezer meal.

• Follow the directions as written, except for adding the bread crumbs.
• Make sure it is in a freezer-safe dish and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil.
• Freeze for 2-3 months.
• When you’re ready to use, remove it from the freezer and thaw.
• Add bread crumbs and bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.

Recipe FAQ

For more chicken casserole recipes, check out:

• French Onion Chicken Casserole
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
• Chicken and Green Bean Casserole
• Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Parmesan Chicken and Noodles