Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Well Used

You can probably tell by the state of this recipe card that it was used a lot. In fact, this casserole was a staple in my home when I was growing up. Considering how old I currently am, that must mean that this recipe has been around for a very long time. So why did I need to test it? Two reasons. 

First, it had been a while since I made this casserole. Somehow, I gave birth to a broccoli hater, which meant this casserole was not in the regular rotation when my kids were young. Then the kids moved away and a big casserole was too much for those of us left at home. Therefore, it was time to refresh my memory of this dish. 

Second, if I was going to pass this recipe on to my non-broccoli-hating posterity, I needed to nail down the quantities of the ingredients. Take the chicken, for example. The recipe calls for three chicken breasts (how big?), one whole chicken, cooked, or leftover turkey. Any guesses as to how much chicken or turkey that would be?  

Me either. So, accuracy was another goal of this test.

How to make Chicken Broccoli Casserole

I started by steaming my rice. Google told me that 1 cup of uncooked rice would yield 3 cups of cooked rice. I used my Instant Pot for the job--3 minutes on high followed by a ten-minute natural release. Easy peasy. 

Next, I chopped broccoli, but, again, the recipe was not much help. It called for "one package of broccoli." Huh?

I like broccoli, so I got out two heads and chopped them up. 

The two heads amounted to a heaping four cups. This was when I began to suspect that complete accuracy with this recipe was not going to be possible.  

While the broccoli and the rice steamed, I put together the 4-ingredient sauce. I used light mayonnaise and a homemade, lower-fat version of cream of chicken soup. In a future post, I will pass along that recipe. If, however, you're looking for fast and easy, you can't beat a can of soup.  I whisked the ingredients over medium heat until they were hot and bubbly. 

Then it was time to put everything together. I got out my rectangular baker (not an affiliate link) and layered the ingredients in the pan. 

I gently stirred to combine everything and make sure the rice was well-coated with the sauce. 

As instructed by the recipe, I put the dish in the oven for just 20 minutes. I believe the goal was to make sure the ingredients were consistently warmed through. It came out of the oven looking pretty much the same as it went in, except for some bubbling at the edges. 

The Verdict

If you want to taste nostalgia, dig into a casserole from your youth. This one has a mild curry flavor and a creaminess that practically screams comfort food. Even though I had aimed for precision, I realized that one of the pluses of this dish is its adaptability. You can use leftover turkey if you'd like, and the quantity of the protein is more of a range than a precise number so that you can use what you have on hand. The same goes for the broccoli. If you like it, go heavy on it. If you have haters, go lighter and chop the pieces smaller. The downside is all the pots and pans that have to be cleaned after the devouring is done. However, that's one small negative stacked up against a bunch of positives. 

This one deserves a spot in your rotation.