Chicken Asparagus Casserole is bite-sized chicken breast browned in butter, layered with steamed asparagus, and covered in a from-scratch sauce of mushrooms, onion, chicken broth, heavy cream, Dijon, mayonnaise, lemon and thyme, with Gouda or Swiss and Parmesan melted in. More Parmesan goes on top before a 30-minute bake. No canned soup. It serves 6.
How to make it: Steam the asparagus pieces for 3 minutes. Brown the chicken in butter until it reaches 165°F and layer it in a greased dish with the asparagus. In the same skillet, cook the onion and mushrooms, then simmer the broth, cream and seasonings 8 to 10 minutes until thickened and stir in the cheese. Pour it over, top with Parmesan and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- From-scratch sauce: cream, Dijon, lemon and two cheeses, no condensed soup.
- Tender-crisp asparagus: a quick 3-minute steam keeps it bright.
- Plenty of chicken: 1 1/2 pounds for 6 servings.
- One skillet for everything: chicken, vegetables and sauce all cook in the same pan.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces. Boneless skinless thighs also work.
Asparagus: 1 pound, tough ends trimmed and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces.
Butter, onion and mushrooms: 4 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup chopped yellow or sweet onion, and 8 ounces of sliced white button or baby bella mushrooms.
The sauce: 1/2 cup chicken broth, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt, black pepper and dried thyme (or fresh).
Cheese: 1 1/2 cups shredded Gouda or Swiss, plus 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, half in the sauce and half on top.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (boneless skinless thighs also work)
- 1 pound asparagus, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces, then steamed
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped (yellow or sweet)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (white button or baby bella)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (fresh thyme also works)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups Gouda or Swiss cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (1/4 cup of it saved for the top)
How to Make Chicken Asparagus Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Steam the asparagus. Put the asparagus pieces in a microwave-safe dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover and steam for 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
3. Cook the chicken. In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning it once it starts to brown. Keep cooking until it is done, about 3 to 4 more minutes; the chicken should reach 165°F.
4. Layer the casserole dish. Move the chicken to a greased casserole dish and top it with the steamed asparagus. Cover and keep warm.
5. Cook the onion and mushrooms. Add the onion and mushrooms to the same skillet and sauté until tender.
6. Start the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the broth, cream, salt, pepper, thyme, Dijon, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Whisk together and bring to a simmer.
7. Thicken and add the cheese. Cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and starts to thicken. Stir in the Gouda or Swiss and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan until melted.
8. Pour and bake. Pour the sauce over the chicken and asparagus and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and the center reaches 165°F.
Keeping the Asparagus Tender and the Sauce Thick
The two complaints with this casserole are mushy asparagus and a watery sauce. Here’s how to avoid both:
- Cut even pieces. 1- to 2-inch pieces steam in the same 3 minutes.
- Steam briefly, then drain well. Three covered minutes with 1/4 cup of water is enough; the asparagus finishes softening in the oven.
- Let the mushrooms give up their liquid. Cook them until tender and the pan juices have mostly cooked off before the sauce goes in.
- Reduce the sauce. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until it starts to thicken, before adding the cheese.
- Still watery? The chicken and asparagus both release moisture as they cook. Stir a slurry of 1 to 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water into the sauce and simmer a few minutes more.
Other ways with the asparagus: sauté it with the onion and mushrooms for about 4 minutes instead of steaming, or stir it in raw and bake the casserole hotter and shorter, 15 to 20 minutes at 400°F.
Variations
- Creamier: stir 1/2 cup sour cream into the sauce.
- One pan: use an ovenproof skillet, return the chicken and asparagus to the finished sauce, top with the cheese and bake right in the skillet.
- Chicken thighs: use boneless skinless thighs; cook them to 165°F.
- Broccoli: swap the asparagus for broccoli florets.
- Other cheese: Gruyère or cheddar instead of Gouda or Swiss.
- Crunchy top: finish with panko browned in butter, or fried onions.
- With noodles: fold the chicken, asparagus and sauce into cooked egg noodles or orzo in a 13×9 dish.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. They keep 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: You can freeze it for 3 to 4 months, but cream and mayonnaise sauces don’t freeze well and may separate after thawing. Thaw in the refrigerator, and stir in a splash of cream as it reheats to bring the sauce back.
Reheating: Reheat covered on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over rice, pasta or mashed potatoes, with a side salad or steamed broccoli. For an asparagus side on another night, try cheesy asparagus casserole.
More chicken and asparagus: asparagus stuffed chicken breast and Caesar chicken with asparagus. Other chicken casseroles: million dollar chicken casserole, broccoli rice cheese and chicken casserole and the shorter-list oven baked 3-ingredient creamy chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients for a chicken and asparagus casserole?
Here: chicken breast, asparagus, mushrooms, onion, butter, broth, heavy cream, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon, thyme, Gouda or Swiss and Parmesan.
Why is my chicken asparagus casserole watery?
The chicken and asparagus release moisture as they bake. Reduce the sauce well, drain the asparagus, and use a little cornstarch slurry if needed.
Do I have to steam the asparagus first?
This recipe does, for 3 minutes. You can also sauté it with the mushrooms or stir it in raw and bake hotter and shorter.
Can I use broccoli instead?
Yes. Broccoli works in place of asparagus.
What is a million dollar chicken casserole?
A different creamy chicken bake with a cracker topping; our recipe is linked in the serving ideas above.
Final Notes
Steam the asparagus briefly, reduce the sauce well and let the cheese do the rest. If you try it with broccoli, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Chicken Asparagus Casserole
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces; boneless skinless thighs also work
- 1 pound asparagus cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces, then steamed
- 1/4 cup onion chopped; yellow or sweet
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced; white button or baby bella
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme fresh thyme also works
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups Gouda or Swiss cheese shredded; either one works
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded; 1/4 cup of it is saved for the top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Put the asparagus pieces in a microwave-safe dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover and steam for 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
- In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning it once it starts to brown. Keep cooking until it is done, about 3 to 4 more minutes; the chicken should reach 165°F.
- Move the chicken to a greased casserole dish and top it with the steamed asparagus. Cover and keep warm.
- Add the onion and mushrooms to the same skillet and sauté until tender.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the broth, cream, salt, pepper, thyme, Dijon, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Whisk together and bring to a simmer.
- Cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and starts to thicken. Stir in the Gouda or Swiss and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan until melted.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and asparagus and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and the center reaches 165°F.
Notes
Nutrition
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