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It’s hard to beat this Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Noodle Casserole. Think broccoli cheddar soup meets cozy weeknight casserole. It’s made entirely in one pot and comes together in less than an hour. Made with chicken, short-cut pasta, herbs, and lots of broccoli. Cook everything together in a big skillet, add cheese, and finish this off in the oven. Simple, but so delicious. The perfect weeknight casserole!
Like clockwork, September hits, and I’m back to sharing more casseroles. For me, September is all about transitioning into a more cozy lifestyle. With school starting and the days getting shorter, it means crisp fall crisp days are just ahead.
Even though our summer was short and I didn’t want it to end. There’s probably not a month I love more than September. Our weather is perfect, there’s so much excitement for the season ahead, and I can finally share the recipes I really love most. The cozy recipes.
And to me, casseroles are cozy family dinners that everyone loves.
My broccoli cheddar casserole was inspired by an oldie but goodie recipe. I shared a little different version of this recipe a few years back. It was also inspired by the Panera broccoli cheddar soup I grew up eating every single fall back in Cleveland.
I love a casserole-style dinner served up on a Sunday or Monday night. They’re cozy and usually pretty easy to throw together.
Today’s recipe is made entirely in one pot and in under an hour’s time.
Here are all the details
As mentioned, this all starts and ends in one pot. Or two pots if you decide you want to bake this in a casserole dish for a “real deal” midwest style casserole situation.
Start with the basics. Cook your onion, add the chicken, and give the chicken some time to sear. Then add a touch of butter, garlic, fresh thyme, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne.
At this point, pour in broth and milk, add your favorite shortcut noodle, and then add the broccoli. Simmer until the noodles are just about al dente.
Once the noodles have cooked, stir in a handful of cheese until creamy.
Now, this is when you can transfer everything to a casserole dish if needed/desired.
Top with cheddar cheese and bake until the cheese is melty and the broccoli on the top has a little char. Then, I always finish with fresh herbs, usually basil or thyme.
The corners of the dish will form an insanely delicious cheesy crust. While the top is crispy, the middle is extra creamy and delicious. It’s a wonderful combination.
If you prefer to go the vegetarian route, simply omit the chicken from the dish. It’s truly just as delicious without or without, so do what works best for you and your family.
This dish brings back so many memories. Any kind of casserole does. It reminds me of nights eating my mom’s chicken noodle casserole with my brothers.
Only this is better and much healthier. We all love it. Though, it could be fun to give chicken noodle casserole a refresh in my kitchen. Maybe a little healthier version, what do you think?
Looking for other easy back-to-school recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Chicken
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
One Skillet Street Corn Chicken Enchilada Bake
Lastly, if you make this Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Noodle Casserole
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 423 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3/4 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 3 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Add the butter, thyme, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne, and cook until golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes. 3. Add the broth and milk. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the pasta and broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Stir frequently until the pasta is al dente and the broth has been absorbed, about 8-10 minutes. 4. Stir in 1 cup of cheese. If needed, transfer everything to an oven-safe casserole dish. Scatter the remaining cheese over top of the casserole. 4. Bake 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Serve warm with additional thyme and fresh basil.
As several people have already mentioned, the liquid amount is inadequate to cover the ingredients and cook the noodles. Perhaps the noodles should be pre-cooked? I had to add an extra 2 cups of broth and 1 cup of milk just to cover everything, which inevitably screwed everything up, giving me a cross between casserole and soup. I have made several of your dishes before, but this one might need some re-tooling.
Hi David,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you had some issues!! I have tested this recipe a lot and it’s a fave at my house, so I don’t think the measurements are incorrect. Could be the size of the noodles that you used. Let me know how I can help! xx
This was fantastic!!
Hi Katie,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
I’ve made this twice now and both times it was delicious! My husband said “it had the perfect amount of everything in it”, and my daughter said “yummy, mommy” <3
Hey Ashley,
Happy Wednesday! ⛅️🌈 I’m so glad to hear that this recipe worked well for you and I appreciate you giving it a try! xx
Made this tonight & loved it! It did make a lot more than I expected, so I ended up transferring it to 2 casserole dishes, & baked just the one tonight. Do you think I could freeze the other?
Hey Amy,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Yes, you could totally freeze it! xx
Hello..making this today but need to pre make most to save on time..eating it tomr.. could I make the pasta ahead separately then add to other ingredients when ready to put together?
Hi Barb,
I would just make this recipe through step 4 and then finish step 5 when you are ready to serve:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Can I substitute cauliflower instead of broccoli?
Hi Maria,
Sure, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I’m excited to make this and I’m a fan of so many of your recipes. I’m wondering about your thoughts if I were to prep the dish all the way up through step four and then put it in the fridge…. To be baked at a later date say the next night? Do you think that would work?
Thank you so much for all these awesome recipes!
Thanks so much Shefaali! Yes, I think that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe:) xx
It worked and was delicious! Thank you!!!
Awesome!
Sorry, Tieghan, I might have missed this question in older comments. Do you add all the Parmesan with the Cheddar in Step 4 for the “1 cup of cheese?” Then the remaining Cheddar on top? Thanks!
Hi Becky,
No worries, yes you can go ahead and add the parmesan ins step 4 as well! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you, I hope you love it! xx
Tieghan, I made it last night…very good! I halved the recipe for just two of us but should have made the full recipe for more leftovers. I only used 5 oz. of penne which seemed like plenty with the reduced ingredients. I did still need to increase the liquid using 1 cup milk and 2 cups broth for the half recipe. Thanks…total winner for us!
Hey Becky,
Wonderful!!🍀 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out:)
Another great recipe Tieghan. I found the amount of liquid to be perfect, I usually fumble on recipes that require noodles cooked in the pot instead of separately but this was easy peasy. Great recipe for me and my husband, I was able to focus on eating the brocolli and protein while he got his pasta fix too.
Hey Simi,
Happy Friday!!🍍🥥 Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
This was so yummy. But I needed more liquid, was it really supposed to be a pound of pasta. The flavors were great, mine doesn’t look as cheesey but was a big hit.
Hi Cherie,
Happy Sunday! 😃 Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Hi! Every recipe I’ve made from you has been delicious! I want to make this one so bad and this probably sounds silly but I can’t have milk or half and half but I can eat cheese lol would this still be good without the milk? What would be a good substitute? Thank you!
Hi Jenny,
Could you use a dairy free milk? That would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
Easy, delicious, one-pot meal! It was a hit with my family, and I’ll definitely make it again. I did have to add a cup of extra broth to help the pasta cook through.
Hi Jessica,
Happy Friday!!☘️ Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out and sharing your review, I’m so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Can I refrigerate after step 4? I want to bring this to my son and daughter in law’s house who just became parents 💙
Hey Debbie,
Totally, that will work well for you! Congrats to your son and daughter in law! I hope they love this recipe:) xT
The entire time I was cooking this my 5 year old cried about how he didn’t want something new for dinner and that it smelled gross (thank you broccoli). He cried when he sat down to the table and I put his plate in front of him. He reluctantly tried it after a promise of tacos tomorrow night. He immediately stopped crying and asked if I could make this again. Winner for sure.
Hey Lauren,
Happy Monday!! Lol that is too funny! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
My family raved about this, said it was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever made. Plus it was all in one pot made for east cleanup
Hey Tracie,
Happy Wednesday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
I have made this recipe multiple times. I love it and the kids eat it as well, so it a huge plus!!
Hey Angie,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! ❄️
So I used 2 cans of drained canned chicken from Costco and frozen baby broccoli! Still turned out amazing and saved me some time! I also only used half of the thyme recommended. Makes a lot and is very tasty!
Hey Candice,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Thank you for sharing this Candice! I forgot to grab the broccoli and was wondering if I could try and use frozen! I’m going to give it a try.
Hi Tieghan,
Probably a dumb question here, but when I first add the chicken to the pot, should the cubes go in raw, or do you use already pre-baked chicken in this recipe? Newbie here to the cooking scene!
Hey Alec,
No worries, not dumb at all, yes the chicken is going to be raw and cook in step 2. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT