Batch Up Meals Dinner Ideas

Classic Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

November 2, 2014

Classic Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
We’ve had some snowflakes flying around here in the last week, so I say it’s about time to start talking casserole season, no?!

Growing up in the Midwest, casseroles are just sort of ingrained in you, and when the weather starts turning anything colder than 40 degrees, I’m ready to break out the baking dish for creamy, comforting meals to warm us up.

Classic Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
I usually stock up my freezer with this super easy condensed cream of chicken soup around mid-fall, and it makes dinner prep run quick and smooth. Casseroles make for a nice weekday dinner because you really can make it all up and into the baking dish the night before and keep it in the fridge until you want to bake it off.

Classic Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
This is one of my go-to recipes for a new momma or friend in need because I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand. I keep the Costco organic broccoli in my freezer at all times, and I crock-pot a large batch of chickens once a month so the chicken is always ready to go as well.

Classic Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Print Recipe
4.75 from 4 votes

Classic Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Keeping homemade cream soup in the freezer is an easy way to have comforting meals like this one ready in a jiffy.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli chicken rice casserole, broccoli chicken rice casserole recipe
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Renee - www.raisinggenerationnourished.com

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup friendly fat to cook in butter, coconut oil, lard
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 3 large carrots chopped
  • 3 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp All Purpose Seasoning
  • 5 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 pints homemade condensed cream of chicken soup Or 2 cans. See Tips section for a link my my recipe - it is really simple and tastes just like the stuff you are used to!
  • 2 cups organic cheese shredded
  • 1 lb frozen organic broccoli thawed
  • 1 ½ - 2 cups cooked chicken See the Tips section to see how I usually crockpot a couple whole chickens every month and keep the meat portioned and shredded in the freezer so this pulls out quick!
  • ½ cup organic long grain white rice
  • ¾ cup bone broth or water

Instructions

  • Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery in the friendly fat with the sea salt, pepper, and all purpose season for about 7-10 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook for a minute.
  • Put the cooked/seasoned veggies in a large mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients, and combine.
  • Pour the casserole mixture into a 9x13, buttered baking dish. At this point you can either bake it off, or cover it up and put it in the fridge to bake later or bring to a friend in need.
  • Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Product links in this section are affiliate links. It does not cost you anything and helps maintain the free information on this site! Please know I would never personally recommend any product I wouldn’t use on my own family.

Tips:

  • This batch makes enough for my family to have for dinner plus leftovers for later in the week for lunch or dinner.
  • Keep shredded chicken portioned out in your freezer so it is ready to go quickly for meals like this. At the first of every month I do 2-3 whole chickens in my oven roaster, freeze the meat so it is ready to go quick, and then make my bone broth for storage as well.
  • Here is my recipe for the condensed cream of chicken soup. This goes really fast and is a great way to avoid MSG and other additives in store bought condensed soup.
  • I keep about 4 of these 9×13 baking dishes in home so I can get meals out to new mommas or friends in need. They are pretty inexpensive and that way I don’t “need” to get my dish back from them right away.
  • If you are bringing this meal to a friend you could bake it off and bring it to them warm if they are going to eat it right away, or you could freeze it before baking it. Then then can  have it when they need. Just leave them instructions to thaw it out and bake it off at the right temp.

This post was shared at Homestead Barnhop, Real Food Wednesdays, & Allergy Free Wednesdays!

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41 Comments

  • Reply Emily @ Recipes to Nourish November 4, 2014 at 2:08 pm

    Renee this looks great. It’s the perfect comfort food. I love casserole’s this time of year. Thanks for sharing another one of your yummy recipes with us.

  • Reply linda spiker November 4, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    Wow! Such beautiful comfort food! I am definitely trying this one right after I make your cram of chicken soup!

  • Reply Jessica November 4, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    Love it. Michiganders love their casseroles. My kids will love this.

  • Reply Loriel November 4, 2014 at 3:40 pm

    Oh my gosh. I love such easy, comforting foods like this!

  • Reply Sarah @ Sensibly Sustainable November 4, 2014 at 4:40 pm

    Goodness gracious I am so glad to have found your site here! The casserole looks delish and easy (right up my alley!)… and I love your tips at the end… I seriously never considered roasting more than one chicken at a time, but that is Brilliant! Thanks 🙂

    • Reply Renee Kohley November 4, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      Oh great! Thank you for your kind words – and YES – getting those chickens all done at the same time will change your life! Hahah!

  • Reply Dina-Marie @ Cultured Palate November 4, 2014 at 5:37 pm

    This sounds delicious – thanks for sharing! I love casserole dishes and thankfully, so does my family!

  • Reply Jennifer November 4, 2014 at 8:04 pm

    5 stars
    This sounds so good, I have to try it. I first need to change the name as no one in my house will touch anything with “casserole” in the name, dumb. I am definitely trying this!

  • Reply May November 5, 2014 at 3:15 am

    Yum! looks so delicious & warming. love the photos too!

  • Reply Megan Stevens November 5, 2014 at 10:49 am

    Delicious!! This looks very “come-hither!” When my husband and I were first married, he was always very excited when I served casseroles. My mom was gourmet in the other direction and never made them. I adjusted to what made him excited for dinner and now my kids LOVE casseroles too. Thanks for the recipe; and I love how it uses your condensed chicken soup!

  • Reply Anni November 5, 2014 at 11:49 am

    My husband’s comment: “Ah, the casserole. Basically a baked stew.” 🙂 It looks really yummy. I love veg-heavy dishes.

  • Reply Debi @ Life Currents November 5, 2014 at 12:54 pm

    Oh, man, this looks good! I make lunch each day for my husband to take to work, and I felt like I’ve run out of ideas. This is on the list to make soon. Pinned.

    • Reply Renee Kohley November 5, 2014 at 8:19 pm

      Ah yes Debi 🙂 It packs up really great for work lunch! I love that!

  • Reply Jennifer Margulis November 5, 2014 at 1:38 pm

    Thanks for another great recipe!

  • Reply Ashley M. November 5, 2014 at 5:42 pm

    Mmmmm this looks delicious! I’m in the process of putting together our next meal plan and this is definitely going in. 🙂

    • Reply Renee Kohley November 5, 2014 at 8:20 pm

      Perfect Ashley! I hop the family enjoys it!

  • Reply Lori November 6, 2014 at 8:03 am

    I just wanted to comment that I love your blog. You are such a sweet person. It’s so encouraging to read about health from your point of view. You never talk down or make anyone feel inferior cause they do something different than you and I really love that. You just do what’s best for your family. Keep it up 🙂 thank you! I am putting this recipe on my menu plan this week and I just pinned your mayo and first bday cupcakes to try soon as well.

    • Reply Renee Kohley November 6, 2014 at 12:11 pm

      Hey Lori 🙂 That actually really makes my day to hear. That is exactly the point of view I hope to put out there. I hope you enjoy the casserole!

  • Reply Italian Spinach and Chicken Casserole - Live Simply November 18, 2014 at 10:42 pm

    […] to make a casserole for a new momma friend, but didn’t have the ingredients on hand for the classic chicken and broccoli casserole I usually make. I did have spinach around, and garlic makes everything amazing, so this one got […]

  • Reply Rita December 5, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    4 stars
    Is the rice supposed to be cooked or uncooked? I just made this with uncooked rice and one hour later the rice is still hard. I just placed back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Hoping that will do the trick.

    • Reply Renee Kohley December 5, 2014 at 7:40 pm

      Hi Rita – I use uncooked long grain white rice – I never have an issue with it being uncooked but I suppose if you are using a different rice than I am maybe the cook time would be longer – just be sure you are using all the liquid recommended in the recipe 🙂 I hope it turned out!

  • Reply Debi @ Life Currents December 9, 2014 at 3:06 pm

    I made your casserole last night, and it was delicious! The only thing I’m wondering is if it was supposed to be cooked rice or uncooked. I made it with uncooked (raw) rice and it took about twice as long to bake as the instructions. So I was wondering how you do it. Thanks! I do plan on making it again! Thanks.

    • Reply Renee Kohley December 9, 2014 at 3:39 pm

      Hi Debbie! I do use uncooked long grain white rice – I’m not sure if there is a difference in cook time if you use a different kind of rice maybe? Be sure you have the liquid amounts right too! Glad it turned out anyway! Thanks for coming by!

  • Reply Simple Slow Roasted Pastured Chicken - Raising Generation Nourished December 10, 2014 at 6:06 am

    […] you love, salads, or wraps! I love using it in soup like chicken noodle or chicken stew, or in casseroles to make the meat stretch another dinner or […]

  • Reply 7 Kitchen Staples To Stop Buying and Start Making - Live Simply March 22, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    […] noodles and rice. You can even make the condensed cream soups that you are used to for making casseroles using your […]

  • Reply 17 Ways To Eat Broccoli - The Ultimate Collection Of Broccoli Recipes July 20, 2015 at 5:19 am

    […] Chicken and Broccoli Casserole from Raising Generation […]

  • Reply Kathleen Morey August 24, 2015 at 2:34 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is wonderful! I made the cream of chicken soup last week and froze it- thawed a couple today and put this casserole together. I did substitute organic cauliflower for the broccoli because it’s what I had in the frig. Other than that I followed your recipe to a tee and it’s fabulous! Alway looking for new ways to use my bone broths………..
    Thank you for this…..everyone LOVES it!!!

    • Reply Renee Kohley August 24, 2015 at 6:41 pm

      Ah that’s great Kathleen! A family favorite that includes bone broth is always a winner!

  • Reply Ashleyy November 11, 2015 at 3:28 pm

    Do you cook the rice first?

    • Reply Renee Kohley November 11, 2015 at 7:15 pm

      Hi Ashley! Nope just add it right in as is!

  • Reply Scalloped Potato, Kale, and Beef Casserole - Live Simply November 30, 2015 at 10:59 am

    […] have a lot of favorite casseroles in our home, including: Chicken and Broccoli Casserole and Italian Spinach and Chicken Casserole (which I posted here on Live Simply). Kristin […]

  • Reply Tips To Keeping Kids Healthy During The Holidays - Raising Generation Nourished November 30, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    […] a week for breakfast. Get some kid friendly soups in the school lunch thermoses. You can still have comfort food dinners in a nourishing way […]

  • Reply sarah floyd March 30, 2016 at 9:25 pm

    Honestly this is something I would have never picked to make. I’m not usually huge on casseroles. BUT I was craving some comfort food and your recipes have never steered me wrong. It was prefect!!! I made the condensed chicken soup first…my children we’re liking the bowl clean and sneaking fingers into full jars. This is a new family favorite. Thank you once again!

    • Reply Renee Kohley April 4, 2016 at 12:37 pm

      Ah! That’s great! Thank you for coming back to let me know!

  • Reply Katie November 1, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    Renee, I love this recipe, and we’ve enjoyed it many times, but have since gone dairy free… do you think it would really work without the cheese??

  • Reply Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup :: Gluten Free With Dairy Free Option Included! :: Use just like the red can for all your creamy casserole needs! - Raising Generation Nourished November 5, 2017 at 9:25 am

    […] have a couple of staple casseroles I make throughout the fall and winter months, and I am not ashamed to say we have them 2- 3 times […]

  • Reply Butternut Squash Lasagna Casserole - Raising Generation Nourished September 15, 2019 at 3:35 pm

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  • Reply Harold Burton June 21, 2021 at 3:13 am

    5 stars
    This looks amazing and fairly simple to do. I have never made stuffed anything but these look simple enough to try sometime. I love how you made garlic zucchini noodles to go with the dish. That’s my favorite way to eat zucchini noodles. I use my spiralizer weekly. Definitely one of the best birthday gifts I have received.

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