Broccoli Chicken Casserole is the cozy weeknight bake made with a can of cream of chicken soup: diced cooked chicken and tender broccoli in a creamy, cheesy sauce made from two canned soups, mayonnaise and milk, finished with cheddar and a buttery Ritz cracker crust. It serves 6 and is on the table in 43 minutes.
How to make it: Stir the chicken, thawed broccoli, both soups, mayonnaise, milk and half the cheddar together and spread it in a greased 11×7-inch dish. Add the rest of the cheese, top with Ritz crumbs tossed in melted butter, and bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Eight minutes of prep: one bowl, one dish, no stovetop.
- Great for leftover chicken: rotisserie or any cooked chicken works.
- Creamy and cheesy: two soups, mayonnaise and two cups of cheddar.
- Buttery, crunchy top: Ritz crumbs tossed in melted butter.
Ingredient Notes
Cooked chicken: Three cups, small-diced. Rotisserie chicken is an easy shortcut.
Frozen broccoli florets: A 12-ounce bag, defrosted before it goes in.
Two condensed soups: One 10.5-ounce can each of cream of chicken and cheddar cheese soup, used straight from the can. Low-sodium soups are a good choice if you are watching salt.
Mayonnaise and milk: A quarter cup of each, stirred in with the soups.
Cheddar: An 8-ounce bag, about 2 cups, half in the filling and half on top.
Ritz crackers and butter: One and a half cups of crushed crackers tossed with a quarter cup of melted unsalted butter.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken, small-diced
- 12 ounces frozen broccoli florets, defrosted
- 10.5 ounces condensed cheddar cheese soup (1 can)
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup (1 can)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup milk
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups), divided
- 1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers, crushed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Dried parsley, optional, for garnish
How to Make Broccoli Chicken Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an 11×7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, broccoli, cheddar cheese soup, cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, milk and half of the shredded cheddar.
3. Fill the dish. Stir to combine and spread the mixture in the baking dish. Top with the remaining cheddar.
4. Make the topping. Put the crushed crackers in a zip-top bag, add the melted butter, close the bag and toss until the crumbs are coated. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the casserole.
5. Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown and the center reaches 165°F. Garnish with parsley if you like.
The Secret to a Creamy Chicken Broccoli Bake
The creaminess comes from the sauce, and there are a few ways to build it. This recipe uses the two condensed soups, loosened with a little mayonnaise and milk. It needs no stovetop and no whisking.
You can build it three other ways. One can of cream of chicken (or cream of celery) mixed with a full cup of mayonnaise can be spread over the chicken and broccoli. Cream of chicken can be stirred with sour cream and a little whole-grain mustard. Or a homemade cheese sauce, butter and flour whisked with milk and chicken broth until thick with cheddar melted in, skips the cans completely.
Whichever sauce you choose, get the broccoli ready first. Thaw frozen florets before they go in, and if you use fresh broccoli, steam it lightly first; one quick way is to microwave the florets with a little water for about 6 minutes and strain them well. Dice the chicken small.
It is done when the edges bubble, the crumbs are golden brown and the center reaches 165°F.
Tips for Success
How do I keep the Ritz topping crunchy?
Toss the crumbs with the melted butter in a zip-top bag until every piece is coated, then scatter them over the cheese right before the dish goes into the oven.
Is it too salty?
Use low-sodium soups if you are sensitive to salt, and skip any added salt.
Can I use a different topping?
Yes. Canned fried onions, plain bread crumbs tossed in butter, or panko all work in place of the Ritz crackers.
Variations
- Yum Yum broccoli casserole (a side, no chicken): mix a 32-ounce package of thawed broccoli cuts with a can of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of sour cream, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar in a 9×13 dish. Sprinkle a 6-ounce box of dry stuffing mix over the top, pour 1 cup of chicken broth evenly over the stuffing, and bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes.
- With rice: cook rice in a skillet with chicken broth, then stir in the soup, sour cream and mayonnaise and simmer until the rice is tender. Layer it in a 13×9 dish with broccoli and chicken, top with cheese and buttered bread crumbs, and bake at 375°F.
- Cream of celery: use a can of cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken.
- Any cheese: use any cheese you like in place of the cheddar.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat portions in the oven or microwave to 165°F. FSIS lists mayonnaise among foods that don’t freeze well, so keep this casserole in the refrigerator rather than the freezer.
What to Serve With It
It is a full dinner in one dish. For more chicken and broccoli, try broccoli rice cheese and chicken casserole, one pot cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole, chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake or slow cooker Amish broccoli chicken noodles. For more buttery-cracker casseroles, there’s Ritz cracker chicken casserole and million dollar chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the secret to a creamy chicken broccoli bake?
The sauce. Here, the two soups with mayonnaise and milk make it creamy, and the broccoli goes in thawed and well drained.
Can I use fresh broccoli?
Yes. Cut it into small florets, steam it lightly, drain it well, and use it in place of the frozen bag.
Can I make broccoli casserole with cream of chicken soup and no chicken?
Yes. The Yum Yum broccoli casserole variation above is a side dish of broccoli, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and cheddar under a stuffing-mix topping.
Can I freeze chicken broccoli casserole?
This one has mayonnaise, which does not freeze well, so it is best kept in the refrigerator and eaten within 3 to 4 days.
Final Notes
Thaw the broccoli, dice the chicken small, and butter the crumbs well. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Broccoli Chicken Casserole
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Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken small-diced
- 12 ounces frozen broccoli florets defrosted
- 10.5 ounces condensed cheddar cheese soup 1 can, low sodium if you like
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can, low sodium if you like
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup milk
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese 2 cups, divided
- 1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers crushed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- dried parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an 11x7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, broccoli, cheddar cheese soup, cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, milk and half of the shredded cheddar.
- Stir to combine and spread the mixture in the baking dish. Top with the remaining cheddar.
- Put the crushed crackers in a zip-top bag, add the melted butter, close the bag and toss until the crumbs are coated. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the casserole.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown and the center reaches 165°F. Garnish with parsley if you like.
