This casserole is a hit with my whole family. Even my children enjoy eating their broccoli with this homemade meal.
Easy and good mid-week dinner. I hate making changes before reviewing a recipe, but I had to use fresh chicken breast. I diced the breast and browned it, then I added the broccoli and followed the recipe from there. I don't think there is a need to use two skillets, one worked fine for me. I also chopped the broccoli in the food processor, and I used more than called for. I didn't add the chili pepper, but I did use the sour cream. My picky 5-year-old ate it and my husband finished the leftovers the next day. I suggest adding fresh garlic. Next time I'm going to add celery and garlic with the chicken, and add carrots with the broccoli.
Read MoreThree stars as written (for the sheer heart-attack-waiting-to-happen-ness of it), a big FIVE STARS with alterations! As far as the sauce goes... I skipped the butter and reduced the oil by at least half. I used less cheese than called for and split the cheese between mozarella and parmesan and used some red chili pepper flakes to spice it up. When it was time to add the sauce to the rest, I had to add a little more broth and milk to get the right consistency, but it tasted great, regardless. So far as the bulk of the recipe, I used tri-color veggie rotini, ground turkey, again FAR less oil than called for, and added in four cloves of garlic. My biggest change? For me, it remained a skillet casserole only! I did not take the final step of pouring it in a pan, adding even MORE cheese, and sticking it under the broiler. That step is simply unnecessary as it should be absolutely delicious straight from the frypan!!
Read MoreThree stars as written (for the sheer heart-attack-waiting-to-happen-ness of it), a big FIVE STARS with alterations! As far as the sauce goes... I skipped the butter and reduced the oil by at least half. I used less cheese than called for and split the cheese between mozarella and parmesan and used some red chili pepper flakes to spice it up. When it was time to add the sauce to the rest, I had to add a little more broth and milk to get the right consistency, but it tasted great, regardless. So far as the bulk of the recipe, I used tri-color veggie rotini, ground turkey, again FAR less oil than called for, and added in four cloves of garlic. My biggest change? For me, it remained a skillet casserole only! I did not take the final step of pouring it in a pan, adding even MORE cheese, and sticking it under the broiler. That step is simply unnecessary as it should be absolutely delicious straight from the frypan!!
Easy and good mid-week dinner. I hate making changes before reviewing a recipe, but I had to use fresh chicken breast. I diced the breast and browned it, then I added the broccoli and followed the recipe from there. I don't think there is a need to use two skillets, one worked fine for me. I also chopped the broccoli in the food processor, and I used more than called for. I didn't add the chili pepper, but I did use the sour cream. My picky 5-year-old ate it and my husband finished the leftovers the next day. I suggest adding fresh garlic. Next time I'm going to add celery and garlic with the chicken, and add carrots with the broccoli.
I had a hard time figuring out how I would rate this recipe. What I came up with is that it was way too much work to end up with a plain ole pasta and chicken dish. My husband and I both liked it and we will be eating the huge amount of leftovers. We liked the spice but thought it might need some lime juice to finish the flavor. I also like the sorta low-fat easy sauce in the recipe, which I might use as a base for other recipes. Here's my main problem with the recipe- I make casseroles to cut down on cooking steps, casseroles are supposed to cook in the oven. This recipe still has you cook everything and then combine it and broil. I may as well have just eaten it out of the bowl once I mixed it all together, since it was already hot and everything was fully cooked. I sprinkled it with bread crumbs to make it more crispy, which I liked.
At first glance I was going to this recipe exactly as it was, but after reading the reviews, changed it completly. I browned the chicken first, then added an entire diced onion, brocolli and diced red pepper. To that I added the chicken brother and a tsp of thyme and garlic salt. I covered and let simmer. Once brocolli was al dente I added about 1/2 cup of parmesan and about 1/4 cup of cream cheese, let simmer and thicken. Then I tossed it with egg noodles and shredded cheddar and baked till heated through.
Nice and simple. I chopped the broccoli in the food processor to disguise it from my 1 yr old - he gobbled it up! I also used ground turkey rather than chicken & halved the recipe. This is great for kids but nothing special for we grownups who prefer something with a little more zing...
After reading the reviews here, I added a teaspoon each of basil and oregano to the cheese sauce/broccoli mixture, and about 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. I also added a clove of crushed garlic to the chicken/onion mixture as it cooked, and used about 1/2 cup of onion instead of 1/4 cup. It tasted good!
After reading all that goes into this recipe, I found that it was too much work for chicken and pasta. Anyways, i added some diced shrimp, took away the onions,sour cream, made it with fresh chopped chicken breast and instead of chicken broth added one half of a chicken boullion for more flavor. My family loved this dish, was out of the kitchen in 30 minutes. Thanks to the author of this recipe, it is interesting, i will make it again!
Good base for a recipe but here are the changes that we made as it was rather bland. We added 2 sachets of chicken boullion, about 1/2 tablespoon oregano and 1/2 a tablespoon basil. With those changes it was great and we will definitely make it again.
This recipe is a great start for an easy casserole. I did alter the recipe a bit in that I cut it in half (as it's was just for me!) and I added cut up fresh carrots to add some more veggies and nutrition. Also, I only used one pan, cooked the meat first and put it aside. I did add some garlic to the chicken as others suggested and I added some dried basil and rosemary along with some chili powder to the sauce. I put crushed up ritz crackers on the top along with a little extra cheese. I also used smart balance instead of oil or butter and cut down on the amount significantly probably only using about 4 teaspoons in the entire recipe. I used skim milk, low sodium chicken broth, and stirred about 2 tablespoons of light sour cream directly into the sauce in the pan which worked well. Next time I'll make more sauce...I made more than called for while cutting the recipe in half but it would be a bit better with a little more sauce. If you only use one skillet, make sure not to leave the veggies in to long so they don't get overdone, especially if you put it in the oven, which I highly recommend so you get that hot bubbly casserole still, although you could certainly eat it without. The oven time was perfect for clean up. Over all a good recipe I'll definitely make again. A nice homemade version similar to a Campbell's casserole recipe. I'd definitely recommend and a recipe that is easy to alter to anyones liking!
Just made it! As a college student, I'm low on grocery funds and high on anticipation on what I wanna eat. I never found a recipe I could actually follow all the way through for a casserole, but this one did the deed! And it was amazing! Thanks!
Way more work than it was worth. I appreciate the homemade sauce (rather than just using a much less healthy canned cheddar broccoli soup), but in the end it was uninspiring and neither of my kids would touch it. If I wanted a dinner that only my husband and I would eat, I'd have made something much more exotic.
Made this tonight and my family LOVED it! Even my son who is picky really enjoyed it. Yeah! Instead of chicken I used Jennie O Turkey and just cut into cubes. Sauce was awesome! Will for sure do this one again. I baked in Oven at 350 until the cheese melted..... YUMMY!!
I used more brocolli and less oil/butter in this recipes to make it a little healthier. It was good, but not great. I would make it again though...
Added red onion plus the regular amount of onion along with red bell pepper. Also instead of the chile power I used a Cajun seasoning.
It's refreshing to find a recipe that doesn't call for canned soup. Thank you. We haven't tried this recipe yet, we will let you know when we do!!!
This is absolutely YUMMY comfort food at it's best. I stuck pretty close to the recipe except for a few ingredients. Didn't have chicken broth so I substituted with veggie broth. I cooked broccoli a bit longer so it was soft and I added a 1/4 cup frozen spinach to the broccoli because we love both. I also used a dash of nutmeg. Since this is such a rich already I splurged and sprinkled with cheese and Italian breadcrumbs. Before I stuck it in the oven. I plan on making it again soon. :-)
My family liked it. I added seasoning salt and garlic powder for a bit more flavor. I I also used rotisserie chicken left over from the night before. It is good leftovers . I also used half mozzarella cheese because I didn't have enough cheddar.
Some very picky boys in my family - and they loved this recipe!! I added some sweet bell peppers, garlic clove and some thyme for added flavour
This was a relatively easy recipe. Only took me about 30 minutes if you prepare everything at once. I prepared it to the recipe but added some garlic to the chicken and a bit of Cayenne to the sauce, which could have used less cheese in my optinion. If I make it again I would recommend half less cheese, hold off on the butter, and a dash more salt, and ignore the last step with the broiler.
yummy. kids loved it. forgot the sour cream but added some parmesan on top. also added a little chopped carrot and celery. t basil, t thyme, t sage and 2t garlic salt instead of chipolata powder. used rice pasta so it was gluten free. so good!! also cooked it at 350 for about 15-20 min, no broiler
Like the other reviews, I added some chilly powder and sprinkled some chilly flakes for texture while making the creamy sauce, along with some oregano seasoning, and added some more broccoli to the chicken. The dish was very easy to cook and I loved it.
It was okay.... as someone stated, a lot of work for a casserole that wasn't that tasty. Not sure I'll make this one again.
Didn't change anything ! Husband and son loved it ! Makes a hearty dish with plenty of leftovers! Yum!
This was good but bland if you like your food with a kick. I may add many diced jalapeños or some chilli powder next time.
I found this recipe very bland. I even dressed up whole chicken breasts and then shredded before adding to pasta. I will not make this again.
I was looking for something quick to use my ground chicken I had in the fridge and this was perfect. I didn't add broccoli though because I had veggies on the side. Also used Mozzarella instead of cheddar cheese on the top and it made it really amazing.
On it's own this is a 3-star recipe. I had to add some Italian seasonings and garlic to add some flavor to this. I also think next time I make this I'll make more sauce as it was sort of dry.
Great dish! Added a few strips of bacon, chopped, to the chicken while it was finishing cooking. Used red Cheyenne pepper instead of the chipotle. Wife and I enjoyed it and have lots of leftovers.
Yum!!! This is the easiest cassarole I have ever made and it tastes amazing.
I mean yeah this recipe took a little more work than some cream of chicken soup variety would, but it was totally worth it! I mean the tastes were just delicious and savory and so homeade! It was a big hit at my house. It really didn't take more than 20 minutes total time from start to eating, so I wouldn't really call it hard to make. The only thing I did different was added fresh mushrooms to the broccoli, and also cooked the onions in that step. & just reheated leftover breaded chicken tenderloin in a frying pan over olive oil, after chopped up it up. It was really tasty! Not a diet food but definitely a comfort food!
I loved the easy sauce. Usually casseroles call for condense soups and in our house we limit the processed foods so this was perfect. We are going vegetarian for a while so I did this receipe with firm toffu cubes, paprika and a few leaves of chard from the garden. lots of cheese. I reduced the cooking time for the broccoli as my kids don't like it too soft. Next time I'll add parmesan cheese and more broccoli. It is kind of bland, but that is the way my kids like it.
My family LOVED this!!!! Although I did change it due to other readers reviews. I used chicken legs instead of ground chicken and I boiled the chicken in water and 3 cubes of Sautee Express. This worked perfectly!! The chicken was flavorful and juicy. I used this for my broth too. Also I added ALOT more cheese then called for simply because my family are cheese freaks. I will be making this again soon. Thanks :)
It was okay, not much flavor to be honest. I skipped on chipotle chili powder because im not a fan of spicy but im thinking maybe i should have added it because it was very bland
This was good with some changes that I had to make. My son is allergic to dairy, so I substituted butter for non dairy butter, milk for almond milk, and I used shredded goat cheese instead of cheddar. I also used shredded chicken, and added tons of extra veggies: broccoli, red and green peppers, onions, celery, shredded carrots. My kids loved it and didn't even know they were getting all those veggies!
This was very easy and tasty. Other than adding a couple gloves of chopped garlic to the broccoli in the sauce I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great. The flavor reminds me of a baked potato topped with broccoli, cheese and sour cream. This recipe is great because it could very easily be modified to use what you have on hand. Don't have ground chicken? Ground turkey or even pork sausage would be great. The only thing I would say is that you definitely want to use a good sharp cheese, anything too mild will be completely overpowered.
It was a hit with my family! Will definitely add it to my weekly easy recipe rotation.
My 9 yr old ate two servings of this for three days in a row and on the fourth night she was disappointed it was all gone. I didn't use any better, only oil.
I work as a nanny and I take care of two 12 years old children. One of them is VERY picky (that is an understatement!!!) and she said to me that she liked it and that it tasted good! So that says a lot about what a great recipe it is! Thank you!
This turned out nicely but I felt it needed more seasoning or pizzazz or oomph! Kids loved it but we agreed maybe more chipotle chili pepper. I didn’t add sour cream, which may have helped, too. Bottom line, I’m going to try it again and add some magic. It’s a great base recipe from scratch I.e. not using a canned soup for the creaminess. Solid recipe with a little room for improvement!
Great! Used cauliflower instead of broccoli bc that is what we had on hand. Great dish!
This is now a staple in my home! My best friend is a chef and now has it on the menu!! He's doing a trial run and getting amazing feedback! He makes it the way I do and I add the chipotle and sour cream AND SOMETIMES a bit of sriracha ;)
I made some adjustments based on the reviews I read, and it turned out great - but still not amazingly spectacular. I cooked the recipe as originally written, except added 4 cloves of freshly grated garlic, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro, 1 heaping tablespoon of Italian Seasoning and only put in 2 tablespoons of the sour cream. It's a quick flavorful meal for the family, but you absolutely have to alter the ingredients somehow to avoid an extremely bland meal.
I mixed up the order of preparation a bit (cooked the chicken up first and then used that pan for the broccoli) but loved the simplicity of making the cream sauce in the pan with the broccoli. Quick and tasty!
Found this recipe pretty bland. The next day it was even worse, it had no taste at all. Maybe doubling the amount of chicken broth/milk would have helped. It just wasn't creamy enough.
Delicious! Very hearty and filling (good for husbands or people who work physical jobs) but if you're looking for healthy, find another recipe. Used fresh chicken breast and browned it with the onions first. Instead of separating the broccoli, I just put it all in the sauce to skip a step. It's all going in the same place in the end anyways. Will definitely make again.
As with other reviewers, I cut back on the oil and butter. I used cut up boneless breasts. I used skim milk,. Great and easy recipe.
Husband loved it, I thought it was very bland. I always follow the recipe first, then change it next time. I added some Velvetta Cheese to mine and it tasted fantastic then!
Revised!!!!! Did not use sour cream, used 1 can of cream of mushroom, added bell peppers and onions
I have made this 4 times now. I never make changes the first time I try a new recipe but if I make it again then I will customise it. I now add crushed garlic (4 cloves) and a tsp of chipotle. I add fresh sliced mushrooms & also double the cheese & the broccoli. Great casserole & the family loves it.
This was a tasty recipe that my 20-month old loved! However, I did feel it lacked that extra zing. I didn't read any of the reviews before making it. Next time I'll add more seasoning to the mix, but overall it was a big hit!
Delicious and fairly easy. Took about an hour to make and put together. A great quick and easy weeknight meal.
This was good with some changes that I had to make. My son is allergic to dairy, so I substituted butter for non dairy butter, milk for almond milk, and I used shredded goat cheese instead of cheddar. I also used shredded chicken, and added tons of extra veggies: broccoli, red and green peppers, onions, celery, shredded carrots. My kids loved it and didn't even know they were getting all those veggies!
It was a toss up between 3 and 4 stars. It got 3 as it was good as written but there no 'wow' factor and I am neither here nor there about making it again. I made it as written with the exception of adding garlic and mixing in asaigo and Parmesan - cheddar on top. Added the sour cream and am glad I did. I like creamy, and I think it may have been a bit 'drier' than I liked without the additional moisture. Rotini/Fussilli is spot on for this recipe. I didn't think it was too much work as it made for a flavorful sauce. I did broil it as I like cheese a bit browned.
This is tasty. =) I did add garlic powder for a little kick and it seems to need something else too, but overall, I really like it. I can't stand it when food is over-salted, but make sure to add enough salt and pepper in this recipe since the sour cream tends to absorb alot of flavor. Thanks for the keeper!
Too much work for a very bland flavour. Even added extra spice, added to the chicken, and still very boring. May try again and quadruple the spices given, may be good then.
Made as directed, pasta too bland. I would suggest less pasta and when sauce is done immediately mixing with pasta.
I have made this a few times and it has always been a hit. Super easy to double. I find it easier to make either the sauce or chicken in the pasta pot as I only have one giant skillet. I am not the most organized and this one definitely gets easier and faster with practice as there are many things that can be done while waiting on cook time.
This was great but I made it more Keto friendly by substituting cauliflower for the pasta. I cut into bite size pieces then steamed till al dente and removed from steam so it will air dry while finishing the remaining steps. A couple other things I'll do next time is under step 2, I only used the stems for this first cup of broccoli and next time I'll make sure to cook it only 3 mins or so because it was overcooked (maybe I cooked too long originally). Under step 3, I sautéed onion first, then browned chicken till just a little liquid left then added remaining broccoli (florets) and cooked till liquid evaporated. For step 5, I stirred in sour cream to broccoli sauce then added chicken mixture and then folded in the cauliflower and topped with remaining cheese. For step 6, I will bake it next time at 350 till bubbly and golden brown on top (20 mins or so). Broiling only browned the top and the rest of the dish was barely warm. All in all a great simple recipe for a comfy winter dinner! Could even be made with tuna or ground beef as well.
