This Healthy Chicken Broccoli Casserole is a delicious comforting classic. It’s so easy to make, packed with protein, loaded with broccoli and full of vibrant herby aromatics. It has a special real food secret ingredient too and bakes up beautifully in less than an hour.
This post is sponsored by Nancy’s Yogurt, all opinions, recipe and photography are my own. Thank you for supporting companies I believe in, as it helps me to continue developing recipes and new content for you. This post may contain affiliate links, thank you for supporting this site with purchases made through links in this post. Full disclosure.
There’s nothing more comforting than a hot chicken broccoli casserole, fresh out of the oven.
Chicken Broccoli Casserole is the perfect cozy and homey dinner!
Casseroles always remind me of my mom. She used to make delicious chicken casseroles when I was a kid. All of them were topped with, wait for it … crumbled up potato chips. And I loved it!
Those potato chips certainly were not healthy and neither was the condensed soup or the mayo in the creamy base. Now, I loved it as a kid, but I kind of shudder at the thought of generic store-bought mayonnaise and that condensed soup certainly was not real food.
You won’t find any condensed soup or mayonnaise in this healthy chicken broccoli casserole!
This deeply flavored chicken broccoli casserole is chock-full of healthy ingredients!
My favorite healthy secret ingredient to form this casserole’s creamy base is Nancy’s organic plain whole milk yogurt. Not only does it add a lovely creamy texture, but it also adds that traditional tang that you’d get with mayonnaise.
Plus, adding yogurt to this casserole adds another layer of protein! This casserole is jam packed with protein because of the yogurt and chicken.
I have been using Nancy’s products for many, many years … ever since I was a kid.
As a kid I didn’t know much about the history of Nancy’s, I just knew that I liked the way their yogurt tasted. But as an adult, I learned that Nancy’s is such a cool company and so inline with my thoughts on real food and sustainability.
One of my favorite things about this company is that they have been focusing on sustainability and organic practices way before it became popular. I also love that they are family owned and operated in Eugene, Oregon {since 1960}.
They offer TRUE live probiotic cultured products. Their whole milk yogurt contains over 56 billion active probiotic cultures in each serving! That is so awesome since we all know how important probiotics are for gut-health.
This crazy good chicken broccoli casserole uses two of my favorite Nancy’s cultured products – organic plain whole milk yogurt and cultured organic sour cream. {P.S. Nancy’s organic sour cream is hands down my absolute favorite sour cream! I’ve been using it for so many years and I have never found another that compares.}
This healthy chicken broccoli casserole is full of so many lovely ingredients!
It starts with some cooked chicken, preferably organic or pasture raised. I like to use leftover chicken from cooking a whole chicken in my Instant Pot {you know I LOVE my Instant Pot since I’m writing an Instant Pot cookbook}. You can also use slow cooker chicken, leftover roasted chicken or simply just boil some chicken and shred it or cube it.
Next up, a whole bunch of beautiful broccoli florets! Broccoli is so nourishing and tastes amazing in this casserole! Pair this beautiful green beauty with some basics like onion, garlic and carrots.
Add some vibrant dried dill, savory thyme, a couple other spices plus some refreshing lemon juice and zest. The herbs and lemon add amazing layers of flavor to this casserole!
Then mix it all together with lots of yogurt, a little sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and a little bit of cooked rice {the rice is totally optional and it’s delicious with or without}.
Where to Find Nancy’s Yogurt
You can find Nancy’s Organic Whole Milk Yogurt and other Nancy’s products at a store near you by entering your city or zip code into their store locator. In Northern California, Nancy’s products can be found at most Raleys and Bel Air Markets, Sprouts Farmers Market, Nugget Markets, Whole Foods Market and many natural foods co-op grocery stores.
Casserole’s are meant to be shared with loved ones.
I don’t know about you, but one of the things I love so much about casseroles is they bring people together. Casseroles give that homey feeling and make people feel loved with every bite.
You can batch make this delicious casserole and stick it in your freezer to bake off at a later time. You can portion it out and eat it throughout the week. You can pre-make a batch and bring it to a new mom or loved one that needs a special meal. You can make it for one and nourish your body throughout the week {or months if frozen}.
It’s such a flexible, comforting meal. So go ahead and make it for one or share it with those you love.
Next time you’re at your local market, grab yourself some Nancy’s Organic Whole Milk Yogurt, skinless chicken breast, a bunch of broccoli, some carrots and the rest of your casserole ingredients. Then bake up this beautiful Healthy Chicken Broccoli Casserole and share it with your loved ones.
Healthy Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Healthy Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Yield 8-12 servings
This Healthy Chicken Broccoli Casserole is a delicious comforting classic. It's so easy to make, packed with protein, loaded with broccoli and full of vibrant herby aromatics. It has a special real food secret ingredient too and bakes up beautifully in less than an hour.
Ingredients
- 2 cooked skinless chicken breast, preferably organic, shredded or cubed
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons grass-fed butter, ghee or avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 5 fresh garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 cup Nancy's Organic Whole Milk Yogurt
- 1/2 cup Nancy's Organic Cultured Sour Cream {my favorite sour cream!}
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, preferably organic, shredded
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 to 1 cup cooked white rice – optional
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 casserole dish with healthy fat of choice and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add a steamer basket, broccoli and enough water to steam the broccoli {usually about 1/2 cup to 1 cup water depending on the size of your pan}. Cover with a lid, bring water to a boil and steam the broccoli for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully remove the steamer basket with broccoli. Set aside.
- While the broccoli is steaming, add healthy fat of choice to a saucepan and turn the stovetop to medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrots, stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add cooked chicken, steamed broccoli, onion-carrot mixture, yogurt, sour cream, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, onion flakes, dill, sea salt, thyme, garlic powder, lemon juice, lemon zest, and optional cooked rice. Stir until fully combined and evenly distributed. Pour mixture into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese over the top of the casserole. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-50 minutes, or until the cheesy top is lightly golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can use leftover roasted chicken, chicken that has been cooked in an Instant Pot or slow cooker or chicken that has been boiled.
Find “Nancy’s Cultured Dairy and Soy” online and on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Are you on Pinterest? I pin lots of yummy real food recipes + more there. I have a board just for Health & Wellness and Snacks & Small Bites Recipes! Come follow along.
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Disclaimer: ALL information you read on Recipes to Nourish is purely for informational and educational purposes only. I love to share and share with love, but I am not a health care practitioner. Information is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements within this site have not been approved by the FDA, meaning information and statements regarding health claims on this blog have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All blog posts are solely my personal experiences and opinions and should not be interpreted as an attempt to offer a medical opinion. If you have questions about food, diet, nutrition, natural remedies or holistic health, please do your own research and consult with your health care practitioner. For more information please see all of my disclaimers and disclosures.
It’s like the broccoli bakes of our youth! Love it!
Yes! Exactly 🙂 Thanks!
I love Nancy’s. I buy their Greek yogurt all the time, but have never tried the yogurt.
They really have great products! 🙂
This sounds perfect! I haven’t had a good chicken broccoli casserole in ages. 🙂 Nancy’s yogurt is one of my faves, too!
I’m glad you like them too Raia! I hope you get to enjoy a good casserole soon. 🙂
I love the lemon and yogurt in this recipe!!! So fresh, so healthy, SO yummy!! I love Nancy’s too! Super lovely comfort food, this! Yay for casseroles!
Thank you Megan! xo I know they’re one of your favorites too, they’re such a great brand.
Oh I want THAT!!! Love that golden brown top!
Thanks Renee! 🙂
This chicken and broccoli bake looks very delicious and simple to put together! Nancy’s sour cream is the best, I agree!
Isn’t it the best?! And thanks Stacey! 🙂
OMG this kinda makes me want to eat chicken again! Seriously scrummy <3
Thanks Georgina 🙂
I have saved this recipe, it looks absolutely delicious. I will definitely be a little bit naughty and add some cheese in too. Great recipe!
Thanks Mark! Hope you get to make some or some kind of casserole without dairy 🙂
I love a good casserole and since yoghurt is A-OK in my kitchen, this would be a great recipe to try. White rice is also something we allow, so all in all a perfect little casserole to try next.
Thanks Irena! I hope you get to try some. The great thing with this recipe is it’s perfect without the rice too 🙂 I mostly eat grain free, but my husband and youngest love white rice.
Oh I wish I tolerated dairy because this looks amazing!
Thank you Erin, dairy can be a hard one for some. I hope you get to enjoy something similar without dairy 🙂
That casserole looks heavenly. Melt in your mouth good! That cheese….
I thought that casseroles were a Minnesota thing! My mom made something like this when I was growing up. Thanks for the updated version!
I’m a sucker for comfort foods with a real food facelift – I could dive right into this. Pinned!
I love it. Comfort food that is still healthy? That is just fabulous.
I’m a total comfort good girl. This is right up my alley!
Awesome recipe! I am definitely bookmarking. I am on the ketogenic diet and the grain free option will be perfect for me. Thanks.
Yum, I love this comfort food on a wintery day!
This looks SO good. I have pinned and hope to make soon.
Classic comfort food. I don’t think we can buy Nancy’s brand in Canada.
I do have a good organic dairy source so if I can’t find Nancy’s.. will use that!
Thanks!
Great recipe for those of us who love healthy alternatives to comfort food!!
I plan to make this with the broccoli from our garden
There are not many things in this world more comforting than a casserole that’s hot out of the oven—not to mention that they’re great for veggie delivery! This one looks healthier than most, since it leaves out the concentrated cream-of-whatever soup: THANK YOU!
I’ve never seen Nancy’s yogurt in our stores here, but I’ll look for it! I always swap out yogurt for condensed soup in casseroles.. I just can’t bring myself to use that wiggly gelatinous goop lol
Your dish looks way to delicious to be healthy! lol Looking forward to trying, yogurt is so versatile, isn’t it?
This is one of the comfort foods I miss the most having to go dairy-free. It’s SOOO yummy and your version looks FAB.
This dish looks delicious and very comforting! I love that you included a grain free option!
I love casseroles.. just because they save time! This looks so rich and creamy to be healthy! I must try. Thanks for the recipe
Oh man, I so wish I could have dairy because this looks amazing! I know a few people though that will love it, so will definitely share this recipe with them!
I looooove cooking with yogurt! These days it’s more coconut milk yogurt though. Still, LOVE this casserole idea! So yum!
I gotta say… I love a good casserole because they’re so comforting, and it’s always bonus points when it’s healthy as well!
That looks amazing! Perfect for making and freezing for busy nights!
I love casseroles and this one looks amazing! So hearty and filling! This makes me sad that I don’t do well with dairy 🙁
This looks so delicious. It has never occurred to me to use yogurt in a casserole, but it’s such a great idea! Can’t wait to try.
Thanks Becky! I hope you get to try some 🙂
There is nothing more delicious than a good casserole!
I totally agree Carrie, they’re so comforting 🙂
I love casseroles because they are so fast and easy.
I love that about casseroles too! 🙂
This looks fantastic! My kids are going to love it!!
Thanks Katja! I hope you get to make some 🙂
What a lovely healthy and comfort food ! It speaks right to my stomach and heart ! YUM !!!
Aww I love that! Thanks for the kind words ChihYu! 🙂
This looks super yummy! I’m planning on making this tonight. I typically use Greek yogurt as my substitute to sour cream. Any reason not to use it in lieu of?
Hi Megan! Thanks for your patience with my response. I haven’t tried it with Greek yogurt, but I don’t see why you couldn’t 🙂 Greek yogurt is great stuff!