Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Rotisserie chicken and fresh broccoli in a from-scratch cream sauce — no canned soup — topped with sharp cheddar and a buttery panko crust that actually crunches. The version of this classic that tastes like someone made it instead of opened it.
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
Produce
- 4 cups broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces — fresh or frozen thawed
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
Dairy
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded, divided
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided — 2 tbsp for sauce, 1 tbsp for panko topping
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Seasonings & Spices
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¾ tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Blanch the broccoli: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli florets, and cook for exactly 2 minutes. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. The broccoli should still be bright green and firm — it will finish cooking in the oven. If using frozen broccoli, thaw completely and squeeze out excess water.
- Heat the olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly golden — this cooks out the raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Then whisk in the heavy cream. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
- Stir 1.5 cups of the shredded cheddar into the sauce until melted and smooth. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and blanched broccoli and stir to coat everything evenly. Taste and adjust salt.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheddar over the top.
- In a small bowl, toss the panko breadcrumbs with 1 tbsp melted butter and a pinch of salt. Scatter evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the panko topping is golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
The blanching step matters. Two minutes in boiling water, then cold water to stop cooking. Skip this and the broccoli turns army-green and mushy in the oven. Two minutes keeps it bright, firm, and finished perfectly by the time the casserole is done.
Freshly shredded cheese only. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the sauce — you'll get a grainy texture instead of the creamy sauce this deserves.
The panko crust is what separates this from every average chicken broccoli casserole. Toss it with melted butter before it goes on — the fat is what makes it brown and crunch. Dry panko on top of a casserole just gets soggy.
Rotisserie chicken makes this a 45-minute dinner. If substituting raw chicken, dice 1.5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs and cook them in the skillet before making the sauce — about 5 minutes over medium-high heat.
Leftovers keep for 4 days in the fridge. Reheat covered at 325°F for 15 minutes to keep the sauce from breaking. The panko will soften but the flavor holds.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!