Chicken broccoli casserole

American · Casserole · 45 min · Serves 6

This is the casserole that makes weeknight dinner feel effortless—tender chicken and broccoli in a creamy sauce, topped with a golden crust that everyone fights over. It's comfort food that comes together in one dish, and it's forgiving enough that even a busy Tuesday night won't derail you.

Ingredients

• 2 lbsboneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 cupsfresh broccoli florets
• 3 tbspbutter
• 3 tbspall-purpose flour
• 1.5 cupschicken broth
• 0.5 cupheavy cream
• 2 cupssharp cheddar cheese shredded
• to tastesalt and black pepper
• 0.5 tspgarlic powder
• 1 cuppanko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbspbutter melted

Method

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add broccoli florets, and cook for 3 minutes until just tender-crisp. Drain and set aside.

   3 min

3. 3

   In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tbsp butter. Add chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

   8 min

4. 4

   In the same skillet, sprinkle flour over the butter and whisk for 1 minute to make a roux. Slowly pour in broth and cream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until thickened about 3 minutes.

   3 min

5. 5

   Stir in 1.5 cups cheese until melted, then fold in cooked chicken and broccoli. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

6. 6

   Toss panko with 2 tbsp melted butter and remaining 0.5 cup cheese, then scatter over the top of the casserole.

7. 7

   Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the filling bubbles at the edges.

   30 min