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GET IT NOWThis chicken broccoli casserole is basically 2 of my all-time fave casserole staples — chicken and broccoli — baked up in a creamy, flavorful sauce that’s a little different. I was inspired to make this as a healthier take on a dish called chicken Divan. Unlike most versions, mine ditches the usual flour, breadcrumbs, and processed cream of chicken soup for actual real-food ingredients. But I promise, this chicken and broccoli casserole recipe still tastes nothing short of comfort food. Make it with me and see!
Why You Need My Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe
- Tender chicken and broccoli in a unique creamy sauce – The sauce in this one stands out from many broccoli chicken casserole recipes (even my popular chicken bacon ranch casserole), and I love that! It’s creamy and garlicky, but the addition of poultry seasoning and Dijon mustard gives it an amazing cozy vibe.
- Simple, natural ingredients – Like I said, no starches or condensed soups! And these are staples you can find at any grocery store.
- Easy and meal prep friendly – This chicken broccoli casserole doesn’t require too much chopping (just the chicken and broccoli), and you can easily make it ahead to pop in the oven on busy weeknights. Plus, I can’t resist a healthy dinner recipe that makes an entire meal in one dish!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my chicken, broccoli, and cheese casserole recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Casserole:
- Chicken – Cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) into bite-size pieces. If you’re short on time, feel free to use pre-cooked shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken. I’ve even made this with leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
- Broccoli – I recommend using fresh broccoli, but frozen broccoli works.
- Shredded Cheese – I usually use sharp cheddar cheese here, but mozzarella or even gouda works well.
- Olive Oil – For searing the chicken. My older version of this chicken broccoli casserole recipe used butter, but I now prefer olive oil so it doesn’t burn. Avocado oil works, too.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Sauce:
- Broth – The savory base. You can use my homemade chicken broth, store-bought (grab the reduced-sodium kind), or even bone broth.
- Heavy Cream – The creamy part. Canned full-fat coconut milk will work if you need a substitute. I don’t recommend using half and half or other types of milk, because the casserole will be watery.
- Cream Cheese – It’s super important that it’s in small pieces and soft at room temperature, or it won’t blend in smoothly. If you forget (been there!), microwave it for 20 seconds to soften before adding.
- Dijon Mustard – I used Dijon mustard, but feel free to substitute with whole grain mustard or a touch of honey mustard for a slightly sweeter twist.
- Seasonings – I use my 5-minute homemade poultry seasoning, but store-bought is fine. You’ll also need garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. (You’ll need less salt if your spice mix is salted, by the way — mine is not.)
How To Make Chicken Broccoli Casserole
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Cook the broccoli. Boil the broccoli in a large pot of water until it’s crisp-tender. Drain well, plunge into a bowl of ice water, then add it to a large baking dish. (I use this dish, which looks so beautiful going straight to the table later).
- Cook the chicken. Season the pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sear in a single layer, flipping every couple of minutes, until browned and cooked through. Toss the chicken with broccoli in the casserole dish and set aside.
- Make the sauce. In the same skillet, combine the chicken broth, heavy cream, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder (if using). Bring to a gentle boil, scraping up browned bits, then simmer, stirring often, until reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese, Dijon mustard, and salt until smooth. It should coat the back of a spoon. Adjust the mustard and salt to your taste!
- Assemble and bake. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Bake the chicken broccoli casserole until hot and bubbly, with the cheese nice and melty. I like fresh cracked pepper for garnish.
My Recipe Tips
- Be careful not to overcook the broccoli. It will get mushy if you cook it too long in the boiling water, or if you don’t shock it with ice or cold water right away. Keep in mind the broccoli softens more when you bake the casserole, so I recommend even undercooking it a little bit.
- Don’t overcook the chicken, either. It will dry out if you overcook it. An internal temperature of 165 degrees F is ideal (I use this meat thermometer to check), but I usually do a couple degrees lower. The temp still rises to 165 while it rests as you make the sauce.
- Watch the heat and spacing when cooking the chicken. For nice browning, you want the pieces in a single layer and a cast iron skillet like this works best. I start at medium-high, but if it seems like the pan is overheating and the chicken is golden before it’s cooked through, reduce the heat.
- Why scrape the bottom of the pan? This is called deglazing, and it adds extra flavor. Highly recommend!
- When simmering the sauce, stir often. It will form a film on top if you don’t.
- Add a little more salt than you think you need for the sauce. It will taste less salty and intense when combined with the chicken and broccoli. With the amounts in my recipe, my (picky) daughter thought it was too salty, I thought it was just right, and my husband thought it wasn’t quite salty enough. Adjust to your taste!
- Cream cheese not melting smoothly? It takes time, so keep smashing it down. If it still doesn’t want to come together, you can blend the sauce in a blender briefly and it will become totally smooth. Make sure to vent the top due to the heat!
- What do you do if the sauce seems thin? This can happen if you don’t reduce the liquid enough before adding the cream cheese. There are 2 ways to fix it. You can bake the chicken broccoli casserole for longer (about 30 minutes) at a lower temperature (350 degrees F), which actually thickens the sauce, or you can gently simmer the sauce even with the cream cheese to reduce it more (don’t let the heat get too high). I’ve done both when I had a runny sauce.
- You can mix the chicken, broccoli, and sauce in a large bowl instead of the baking dish if you like. I do it with tongs right in the baking dish to avoid an extra bowl to wash.
- Check for liquid at the bottom of your pan before pouring in the sauce. Sometimes the broccoli releases extra moisture into the pan, and you want to pat that dry with paper towels before mixing in the sauce, or your dish can be watery.
Serving Ideas
I usually serve this healthy chicken broccoli casserole all on its own — love a one-dish meal! If you want it more hearty, I recommend serving it in a bowl over a base of white rice, cauliflower rice, or air fryer roasted potatoes.
You can also lighten up your dinner with a side of my cucumber tomato avocado salad or French-inspired carrot salad.
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
My chicken broccoli casserole recipe is so easy and comforting! It's got juicy chicken, tender veggies, creamy Dijon sauce, and melty cheese.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Casserole:
Sauce:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Place broccoli florets into a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain and run under cold water or plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
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Dry the broccoli well and spread it in the bottom of a large baking dish. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping to different sides every couple of minutes, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and toss with the broccoli in the baking dish. Set aside.
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In the same skillet, make the sauce. Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder (if using) to the skillet. Bring to a gentle boil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula to release any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the volume is reduced by about half.
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Remove from heat. Stir in the cream cheese, Dijon mustard, and salt, until smooth. You can adjust the mustard and salt to taste here.
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Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli in the baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
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Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken broccoli casserole is hot and the cheese is melted.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get juicy chicken (not dry), tender broccoli (not mushy), and the right texture and flavor in your sauce (not watery, lumpy, or bland).
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
- Meal prep: You can cut the broccoli and chicken ahead of time, or even assemble the entire casserole 2-3 days before. And since it reheats beautifully, it’s also perfect to fully cook and portion in containers for easy lunches.
- Reheat: Bake the entire casserole at 350 degrees F until hot, or microwave individual portions.
- Freeze: Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can freeze this dish before or after baking. The sauce texture does change a bit, but I still think it’s very good! Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Did you spot a change in this chicken broccoli casserole recipe? I originally published it in 2021, but made a few improvements recently. These changes include swapping butter for olive oil (healthier and doesn’t burn), using cream cheese instead of sour cream (it thickens the sauce better and has a better texture), reducing the amount of cheese on top (this is up to you!), reducing the amount of mustard (it was too strong before), and adjusting the ratio of chicken to broccoli (more veggies this time). I promise, it’s even better — and simpler — than before!
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Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Gratitude Moment
I’m honestly surprised that I managed to get photos of this chicken broccoli casserole this January, because I’ve barely had a regular day this year so far! Between dozens of visitors to our Florida home (friends and family I love so much), a work conference trip, a drive to my kids’ gymnastics competition out of town, and a retreat with my team, it’s been a busy month.
These are all good things I’m so grateful for, but not going to lie, I’m relieved to just have some time at home this week. My family often says they rarely eat the same thing again once I’m done testing a recipe (on to the next, lol), but this is one I keep coming back to between those testing days. And that’s saying a lot!
87 Comments
Linda
1I love this recipe so much! It was super easy to make, had a much better and different flavor than other similar recipes I’d tried, and best of all, fit in perfectly with my low-carb lifestyle.
I live alone, so there were plenty of leftovers, which held up wonderfully! Even the leftovers I froze kept well and retained full flavor and texture!
Because of my low carb eating style, I chose to serve some of this great casserole over spaghetti squash noodles which was also a delicious pairing!
This is going to be one of my go-to, favorite recipes to make year-round. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy you love it, Linda! Thank you for sharing. Enjoy!
veronika
0This casserole turned out delicious with extra broccoli. Added a little parmesan cheese to give it more flavor and croutons for some crunch.
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds so good, Veronika! I love the idea of adding extra broccoli and parmesan and the croutons for crunch is such a fun touch. Thanks for sharing your twist!
~Chrissie O.
0Okay, the sauce may not be classic Divan, but it sure as heck is DIVINE!!! I adore the Dijon, and the cream cheese didn’t offend me! lol
Used a large bag (2-lb) of frozen broccoli cuts/florets (for speed!), and used half-and-half (for fewer calories). I do this thing where I cook chicken breasts in the crock pot overnight once a month, so I typically always have cooked chicken in the freezer, which I used in this recipe. Doubled the sauce, and served rice on the side for the non-Keto, as well as cauliflower rice for Mr. Keto! We’re also in WI where I think it’s a moral imperative to use cheese, so probably used closer to 2 cups! This is, legit, a keeper – And I LOVE that, since rice is completely optional, this can easily be frozen with no quality issues!!! Thanks for posting!!
Wholesome Yum D
0I love hearing how you made this your own, Chrissie! The crock pot chicken shortcut is genius, and your Wisconsin cheese loyalty made me smile! Doubling the sauce and making it freezer-friendly sounds like a total win. So glad it’s a keeper for you and Mr. Keto! 🙂
Pam
0I prepared this last evening for our dinner and it was delicious. The flavor was spot on. The broccoli 🥦 cooked to perfect and I only had shredded chicken so I had to use that but it was delicious.
Wholesome Yum D
0Pam, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Yay for perfectly cooked broccoli!
Alisha Armstrong
0This chicken broccoli casserole is delicious! I don’t have an oven so I used a Crock Pot. I melted the cheddar cheese into the sauce with the cream cheese and threw the broccoli and the chicken in uncooked and it came out wonderful!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad you found a way to make it work without an oven, Alisha! Love that the Crock Pot version turned out so well.
Bari Cooper
0I made this 2 months ago and STILL think about how good it was! The sauce is so flavorful and delicious and it reheated beautifully in the microwave at work! It’s definitely a keeper, thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Wow, that’s awesome, Bari! Thank you so much. Hope you get to enjoy it again soon.
Joan
0This chicken broccoli casserole was excellent. The sauce reminded me of an alfredo sauce. I made it as stated, no changes, it’s a keeper. I may just add more broccoli next time because I like lots of veggies.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked it, Joan! Feel free to add more broccoli if you like.
Dennis Haines
0Ok, I made this recipe with a few tweaks. First, I make chicken in advance and freeze it for future use. I thought I took out regular chicken, however, it was Mexican chicken I made in a crock pot (substitution #1). I thought I had a box of Chicken Broth, nope had a can, so, I used the whole can (substitution #2). Because there was more broth, I added more cream (substitution #3). With all the substitutions, I needed to add a little more powdered herbs (Substitution #4). Bottom line, most casseroles taste better the 2nd day. It was excellent. Family loved the extra Mexican taste.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Dennis! I’m glad those substitutions worked out well and that your family enjoyed it.
Glenda Greenwald
0Made this for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious. I halved the recipe and have enough to make half again. Should have just made the whole thing to begin with. I will make a whole recipe next time and freeze in my souper cubes for a quick meal. Husband loved it so that’s a win for me. Thank you Maya for another great recipe. This is such an easy meal to prep and make.
Lisa
0I don’t know that I cooked this right because it didn’t come out well. My family tolerated it, but we discarded the remaining. I didn’t have poultry seasoning but used oregano and thyme. The chicken was precooked so that differed from the recipe. I cook often and this isn’t a recipe I’d make again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear that, Lisa! You do lose some of the flavor using precooked chicken, as normally deglazing the pan helps to flavor the sauce. Maybe that was the issue? I’m happy to give more suggestions or help troubleshoot why it didn’t turn out, but I can’t tell from your comment what was wrong with it. Happy to help if you can provide a bit more detail.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You’re very welcome, Glenda, and thank you for the kind words! Haha, yes, when in doubt make the whole thing and freeze. 😉
Liz
0This recipe is amazing!! So rich and yummy. I will make this a regular in my dinner rotation.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Liz! I love that this recipe made it to your regular rotation.
Karenina J Cooper
0Made this last night and my husband LOVED IT!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That’s wonderful, Karenina! Hope you make it again soon.
Maryann
0This was so delicious. I had Boursin cheese so I used that and omitted the poultry seasoning. I had chicken thighs so I used them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Maryann! Boursin cheese sounds great in this.
Ashley Nelson
0Our family licked the casserole pan clean! The new cream cheese recipe was a great modification. I especially love that you didn’t use any canned cream of yuck! I have celiac and when I replace any canned cream of yuck in recipes with the gluten free version the consistency is normally too watery. Your recipe for the cream sauce was very thick and simple. We added a gluten free style ritz type cracker crumbled on top to give a bonus texture before baking. It resembled our old family’s recipe more that way. We placed our casserole over bone broth rice to add more protein and heartiness for my teenage boys. I really enjoyed how the broccoli was not mushy!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Wow, that’s awesome, Ashley! I’m happy you liked the cream cheese modification, and that it worked well for your gluten-free needs. And I don’t ever use canned cream of anything, hehe. 🙂
Ann Golembiowski
0I made this casserole and it was so delicious. I will be making this again and again. I did add some mozzarella cheese along with the cheddar. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, Ann! Mozzarella makes a wonderful addition.
Erma
0I thought this was delicious. Have made it twice
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Erma! I’m so glad you liked this enough to make it twice.
Cindy Yackowski
0I made the chicken broccoli casserole. My husband absolutely loved it. It was cheesy and yummy. Thank you Maya!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Cindy! You and your husband enjoy!
Sarah
0Very delicious! My husband even liked it (he is picky eater, wants all the unhealthy food for the most part lol), anyways, he even ate it for leftovers. I didn’t add Dijon because I didn’t have any on hand, so not sure if it really needs it since it was still really good flavor. Thanks for the great recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Sarah! I’m so happy even your picky husband liked this dish.
Ken Klouzek
0My wife and I made this casserole and just finished eating it. Yummy yummy It is easy to make (yes we had some small lumps of cream cheese that had a hard time disolving, lol) This will be a recipe we plan to make very often. Thank you Maya
PS: We recommend everyone make this one dish meal. We served sliced English cucumbers and onions with it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you and your wife enjoyed it, Ken! I do have tips above to avoid those lumps if you want them gone next time. Hope you make this again soon.
Evelyn
0So yummy and so easy to make! We loved it! We will make this recipe again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you loved it, Evelyn! Hope you come back soon and make it again.
Julie
0What is in poultry seasoning? apart from being aloergioc to MSG, I’ve never seen it here (Australia). What would be an equivalent?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Julie, You can make your own using my poultry seasoning recipe, using dried herbs and spices. I never use anything with MSG, either.
Kay
0Yummy … made it with leftover chicken. Turned out great!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, Kay! Yes, it’s such a great way to use up leftover chicken.
Amie Lane
0I made this last night and it was wonderful!! I will definitely be making this again!! Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Amie! Hope you make it again soon.
Ashley Swanner
0Made as written and it was absolutely delicious. Another winner from Maya!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy you liked it, Ashley! Thank you!
Delores
0I made this chicken broccoli casserole. It was so delicious and fairly easy to make. I will be making it again for sure. It’s a lot of food for just one person but I don’t mind eating leftovers and I froze some of it as well. I hope it freezes well. Thank you for sharing this recipe I really liked it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, Delores! Yes, it’s a family-sized meal but you can totally freeze it. The sauce texture changes a little but I think it’s still very good. Enjoy your freezer meals!
Dorothy Beckner
0I made the Chicken Broccoli Casserole. It was amazing. I will definitely make this again. I will post a photo on Instagram. It has such beautiful color.
Charles
0Really easy to prepare. I did the oven cooking bit in my air fryer. 10 mins at 180°C. Delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, Charles! Thanks for sharing your air fryer timing.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Dorothy! I’m happy to hear that, and I’ll look out for the photo.
Liz
0Very good. Tasted like a New Orleans dinner.
Tammy
0Very easy and delicious!!
Angie
0Easy to make and delicious. Got a thumbs up from my teenager!
Allie
0First wholesum yum recipe ive tried and I am not disappointed. Both my boyfriend and I really liked this. I added cream cheese for fun and the sauce was amazing.
Susan Mc
0SO DELICIOUS! My entire family loves every single WY recipe I have made and this is a favorite.
Brenda
0Thanks for the great recipe Maya! Made this tonight, simmered down the sauce so it was nice and thick, used cream cheese instead of sour cream since that’s what I had. Used a different mustard since I had no dijon. Oh my I just remembered I had no cheddar cheese so I used mozzarella. Served with a green salad on the side. Just delish. Hubby liked it too!
MonaLisa
0I made this for dinner tonight – very filling! After reading input from others, I left out the mustard and added 2 oz of cream cheese toward the end of thickening. We both thought it had a little too much poultry seasoning, but admittedly, I only had 3 cups of broccoli and possibly the dijon mustard may have cut this flavor a bit. Overall, it seemed like a lot of work to prep the broccoli, chicken, and sauce and then combine into a casserole so I probably will cook it all on the stovetop next time.
Irie
0Excellent recipe. Mine was not watery at all. Loved it, very flavorful.
Jessica
0Extremely watery, like soup. Extremely disappointing and soggy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jessica, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you. I have tips in the post above to avoid this, did you review those?
NANCY M HAMMONS
0I’m lactose intolerant, can I use coconut cream instead of heavy cream? The Chicken Broccoli Casserole looks really good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nancy, Yes, that should work, but this recipe still has dairy from the cream cheese and cheddar.
Deborah Field
0This was terrific! I used gruyere/Swiss for the cheese and added some herbs de Provence.
Carol
0Hi I love this meal very rich So you don’t feel you a missing out by eating a bland meal.
Rebeccah
0Mine didn’t thicken up and came out very watery. I did everything exactly to the recipe except I used a different European creamy butter because we didn’t have that brand. Did I miss something??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear that, Rebeccah! I have tips in the post above to avoid this issue.
Jenn
0Could I use fried onions (store bought) on the top of this?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jenn, Yes, feel free to add those before baking if you like.
Alice T
0This is the second time I have made this. The first time I had all the ingredients and it came out delicious. This time I was forced to make substitutes based on what was in my refrigerator. So, I subbed cream cheese for the sour cream (ran out) and used grated Sargento Taco cheese (cheddar was used in omelets today). WOW!!!! I think I liked it better! What a versatile recipe! Thanks!!
Sheri
0This was easy to make and the sauce was delicious. Throughly enjoyed every bite. I have had the best receipes from this site
Judy
0This was an excellent, tasty recipe, although very rich. I used chicken thighs and substituted cream cheese for the heavy cream since I didn’t have any on hand, it was still fabulous. I would definitely make it again, and hubby loved it too.
Beverly Nolan
0Karey, what brand of Curry Powder do you like to use? Thanks. I’m going to make this tonight.
Marilyn Atkins
0Not only KETO, but also VERY EASY to make. I ALWAYS have chicken breasts and look for recipes that are “different” than the usual. As there are only 2 in my family, I scale the recipes down to 4 so that I have enough to freeze for another meal.
Kendra
0If you like the taste of dijon mustard in every single bite and lingering long after you had your meal, then by all means make this receipe. My family did not like it and we ended up going out to eat.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kendra, Sorry to hear you didn’t like it! Possibly your dijon mustard was very potent? Mine was pretty mild and we didn’t find it overpowering, but feel free to reduce or omit it next time.
Karey
0My chicken divan I’ve made for decades has curry powder in it, so I also added 1 tsp curry powder. My husband loved this and we didn’t miss the bread crumbs that I normally top mine with!
Katie
0This is something that my mom made for us all the time growing up. I love that this is healthy and not difficult to make!
Amy
0This is the creamiest and most flavorful sauce! Love that it has veggies in it too!
Kristyn
0What a delicious meal!! This is the only thing my kids won’t pick the broccoli out of!
Natalie
0Love the prep time!! We make a chicken broccoli casserole, but this has more flavor & is super cheesy!