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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 chicken casserole!
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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 chicken broccoli 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-cheese 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 the mixture 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 for extra flavor.
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
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hello Tieghan
Can you please tell me if l am suppose to put lid on while pasta is cooking ? Not sure why l had a very runny dish 🙁
Hi there! No I don’t usually put the lid on while cooking! xT
Every recipe I have made of yours has been FANTASIC! I love your site so much. I only leave this review because this is the only recipe I’ve made of yours that wasn’t good, I think the liquid (like others have mentioned) to pasta ration is off and the flavor is compromised because of that as well. Maybe it should be a half pound of pasta instead? Thanks so much for sharing all your recipes with us, I appreciate you!!
Thank you so so much Leslie! xT
this is the most ridiculous recipe ever I have tried.
1. if you dont have an army of 8 kids, this is way to big to make.
2. the spices are not needed, and make something that is supposed to be comfort food, you are trying way to hard.
3. Cooking chicken with thyme and pepper overtakes the point of chicken.
4. adding carrots is pointless. You get no flavor out of them sataying them with chicken.
6. Stop coming up with clever recipes. This is supposed to be a basic, easy recipe and you may as well have poured salt all over it.
Hey Mike, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe! Thanks for the feedback.
Tieghan, I’ve been reading your replies to these comments for years. You’re gracious, kind and helpful even when you don’t have to be. Thank you for all your creativity that you express, the hundreds of free recipes you share, and all you do help people who try to make your recipes. Oh and btw, I’m sure when Mike writes his carrot-less, spices-less, cookbook with recipes that feed no more than 2 people, it will certainly be a runaway hit leaving your NTY bestsellers in the dust. But until then, I’m very happy to get fun and tasty dinner ideas here. Thanks again and have a great day.
Hey Elizabeth, this is SO kind of you! Thank you so so much for leaving such a sweet comment and for being apart of the HBH community! Have a wonderful weekend! xT
YES. All. Of. This.
Agree with other commenters that there’s not enough liquid- you need at least 1-2 cups more. I realized that as I was cooking though and it turned out fine. We skipped the oven step altogether as I had a hungry toddler. Overall this recipe didn’t wow me but it was minimal work and simple ingredients that I often have on hand, plus my toddler loved it and it made tons of leftovers, so we’ll definitely be making again!
Thanks for the feedback Amy! xT
This was a nice and light Mac and cheese style dish since it is mostly broth and milk! Adjusted based on comments and added the broccoli in the last 2 minutes which also left more room for the pasta to cook. Used salted chicken broth and an extra cup of water and broiled for 10 mins to avoid overcooking.
Overall pretty easy and tasty!
Thank you for giving this recipe a try! So happy to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Whole family loved this! Both grandkids cleaned their plates, which is quite extraordinary. It made great leftovers for daughter-in-law to take for lunch, as well as enough for “Leftovers Thursday”. This recipe is now in regular rotation.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend! 🙂 xT
Not enough liquid to cook the pasta! Had to add an extra 2 cups of broth. Hoping it turns out as yummy as it looks, but please adjust the liquid amount. I wish I would have read the comments prior to starting this- groceries are so expensive these days.
I read the comments when the pasta was not cooking according to directions. I added about two extra cups of broth and followed the rest of the recipe exactly. It was good, and I was grateful for the community‘s help.
Oh no I’m so sorry about that! Did it turn out okay? xT
I usually love recipes from this site but this one was a complete disappointment. Followed it to the letter, and there was no sauce. It was extremely dry. The cheese just stuck to the noodles when it was in the oven. Either the recipe calls for too much pasta or not enough liquid.
Hey Jamie! I’m really sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you! Thank you for letting me know! xT
I wish we liked this more. It doesn’t have a lot of flavor, and I needed to add almost a cup more liquid to make sure the pasta didn’t dry out and get all gummy and gross.
Oh I’m so sorry to hear that! Thank you for letting me know! xT
This is a great quick and easy meal. I used rigatoni and did run low on the liquid even with turning the heat down while the noodles were cooking. I would recommend turning the heat down and adding liquid as needed while noodles are cooking and before putting in the oven.
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Have a great week! xT
Made this tonight and it was perfect! Followed recipe exactly as written and it came out creamy. People complaining about pasta not being cooked: PUT A LID ON FOR THE 8-10 MIN COOK TIME TO TRAP MOISTURIZE IN! Problem solved. Also, the noodles are supposed to be al dente, not fully cooked. Maybe you don’t know what al dente means? Tieghan, another great recipe! Love making your dishes for our family.
Made this tonight. Subbed out the dry pasta for homemade. It was so easy and delicious!!
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! I’m SO glad you enjoyed it! xT
Overall the flavors of the dish were very tasty. However I wish it turned out more saucy and runny. I followed the recipe to a T, just to make sure I didn’t add too much liquid and have it be soupy and pasta be gummy. However, that was not the case, it was on the drier side coming out of oven and dried up even more after serving. I would make this again but I would definitely opt for 4 cups of broth and 2 cups of milk.
3 cups of broth I mean!
Hey Marissa! Thank you so so much for the feedback! I appreciate it! xT
I love so many of your recipes but this was a fail for us. Made it for dinner tonight and it was SO dry by the time it came out of the oven (which I even cut back to 15 minutes. I used barilla mezza rigatoni. It’s almost like 1lb was the wrong amount. Maybe 1/2 lb would have been better for us. I agree that the broccoli was over cooked by the time this was done. I wanted to like it…sorry.
Hey Laura, I’m really sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you! Thank you for the feedback! xT
What is a short cut noodle?
Just any smaller noodle that isn’t too long! For example: penne, rigatoni, bowtie, etc! xT
Looks delicious! can this be frozen and then baked?
I haven’t ever frozen this dish before so I can’t give a recommendation on how to freeze and bake! So sorry!
What kind of pasta is best?
I would recommend a smaller noodle!
Such good flavor! I’ll make again but I would use a little more carrots and chicken and less pasta.
Thank you Lisa! xT
This recipe is terrible. Followed the recipe to a “T” but it turned out bland and runny and the pasta didn’t cook right.
Hi there! I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you, is there anything I can do to help? xT