Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole (Easy High Protein Dinner!)

Creamy Chicken + Broccoli Casserole 🥦

This creamy chicken broccoli casserole is a healthy, high protein dinner made with tender steamed broccoli, pre-cooked shredded chicken, creamy Greek yogurt, and fluffy quinoa. It’s an easy family friendly meal, perfect for busy weeknights. And the leftovers make a perfect meal prep lunch the next day!

Want to make your own pre-cooked chicken? You can use our easy poached chicken recipe.

A Family Favorite {ULTRA Comforting} Dinner idea!

After a rainy 🌧 few weeks here in SLC we’re feeling some major fall weather vibes!

Mornings and evenings are very cool hoodie & sweater weather around here now, so a hearty bubbly-hot, creamy, cheesy, and decadent meal is exactly what we begin to crave this time of year!

This EASY Chicken Broccoli Casserole is a delicious way to use up leftover cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken also works great).

A few basic ingredients become something pretty crave-worthy, and your family will definitely think you put in way more effort than you actually did!

💡It wasn’t that long ago that quinoa was an exotic grain that most of us hadn’t heard of!

Now it’s a healthy “superfood” staple that a lot of people keep in their kitchens.

Quinoa contains several important minerals – including magnesium, iron, and zinc – and it may help lower blood sugar levels.

It’s also a good source of fiber and antioxidants.

Even though it’s considered a grain, it’s not really a grain (it’s a seed) – and that means it doesn’t seem to bother most people who are sensitive to gluten.

✅I’ve got a quinoa tip for you!

If you’ve tried quinoa in the past and thought it tasted bitter, it was probably because it was still coated with saponins, a chemical produced by the plant to protect itself when it’s growing.

Make sure you rinse the quinoa before you cook it! I know this can be a little tricky because the seeds are so small … but I have a tip for you:

THE TIP:

Place the tiny seeds in a coffee filter, and then put the filter in a sieve or colander before you rinse.
Do you have quinoa in your pantry? ⬇️

REFERENCES:

MedicalNewsToday

HealthLine

Britannica

🥛Use ANY unsweetened/plain milk of your choice.

My personal favorite for this casserole is unsweetened coconut milk or cashew milk.

Any unsweetened nut milk, coconut milk, high-quality grass-fed cow’s milk, or heavy cream all work really well here.

Use what you personally like and have on hand.

🧀Freshly grated cheese from a block will melt the best because pre-grated cheese is coated in preservatives that interfere with the natural melting capability of cheese.

❓️Don’t have cooked chicken on hand? Use our poached chicken recipe.

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups water

• 1 cup quinoa

• 1 Tbsp olive oil, avocado oil, or grass-fed butter

• sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

• 1 large head broccoli broken into bite-sized florets

• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken

• 1 cup milk of choice

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or unsweetened coconut yogurt

• 2 Tbsps fresh dill

• 4 fresh garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

  
  

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees f. and lightly spritz or rub a baking dish with avocado oil or butter/ghee.
Place the water, quinoa, and oil/butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, then stir in your broccoli florets.

Cover the pan and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Transfer your cooked quinoa and broccoli to a large bowl. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Add in your cooked chicken, milk, yogurt, dill, and garlic.

Stir to combine, then transfer everything using a rubber spatula to your prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until nicely bubbly and golden on top.
Enjoy while hot!
💚Rachel