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Half Baked Harvest Cookbook: Colorado Retreat Giveaway!
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Taking inspiration from an old favorite casserole my mom used to make, and turning it into this healthier chicken broccoli cheddar quinoa casserole.
This casserole is honestly this simplest dish ever. It’s one of those recipes you crave on nights when you need something hearty, but want something healthy too. I hate to chat weather, but over here our nights have been turning colder with each passing day. Come morning we’ll have frost on the ground. Now, I know it’s totally still summer and all, and we’ve been having gorgeous mid 70 degree days, but I’m feeling as though we are slowly starting to ease our way into fall. After all, September is just days away, meaning fall is literally right around the corner…and practically knocking at the door…
A little too wordy there? Probably, but I dunno, I think it sounds kind of catchy.
Moving right along…my point here is that this is the perfect recipe to transition us from summer to autumn. It’s totally healthy, but yet feels totally cozy at the same time. It’s good on a warm night, but also awesome for those first few crisp nights that will slowly be creeping in.
Speaking of which, does the start of crisp nights excite you guys like they excite me? For as much as I love summer, I am also so excited for fall. Fall is without a doubt my favorite season. And with the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook being a fall release, I am especially excited for this coming autumn. So much to be thankful for and to be looking forward to. Now, I just need to keep saying this twenty times over in my head to block out all those other anxious feelings. Still so excited though!
You guys, this book is out exactly TWO WEEKS from today! This book has been almost three years in the making, I cannot wait. If you have yet to pre-oder a copy, you can do so here. Just sayin’.
Okay. Sorry. Back to this healthy casserole!
Typically when I think of casseroles, I think of them as a cozy, but probably not that healthy of a meal. With this casserole I really wanted to create a casserole that was both cozy and healthy.
Enter this cheesy chicken broccoli quinoa casserole.
Instead of using a bunch of canned ingredients, I decided to keep the recipe simple and straight forward by using boneless chicken breasts, a little milk, chicken broth, quinoa, mushrooms, and plenty of broccoli. I used thyme as my flavor enhancer and just a pinch of garlic. I finished everything off with a sprinkle of cheddar (because I love the combo of broccoli and cheddar so much) and done.
All (mostly) good for you ingredients, and all ingredients you may even have on hand right this second. <–hello pantry staples!
One of my favorite parts about this recipe though?
ONE SKILLET. Yesssss! Truly nothing better than an entire dinner all made in one skillet. Just makes life, especially busy weeknight life, so much easier.
I’m not sure if you guys have noticed, but I’ve been loving the skillet recipes these days, see this salmon, this peach chicken, and this grilled cheese.
Not complaining.
And lastly? This is the perfect comfort meal to make just about any day better. The real reason I made this was for my sweet mom. Since my grandma’s passing, I have been making a conscious effort to make her some of her personal favorites. Chicken and rice, and broccoli and cheddar, are two of her all time favorites, so this casserole was really for her.
Verdict? She LOVED it.
Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 396 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups roughly chopped broccoli
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus more for topping
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the broiler to high.2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet. 3. To the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is fragrant and the mushrooms have caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. 4. Slowly pour in the milk and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the quinoa, broccoli, thyme, and garlic powder. Stir back in the chicken. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa is tender. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Transfer to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 5. Top with fresh thyme and EAT!
The perfect balance of healthy…and cheesey.
This might be odd to comment on such an old recipe, but just wanted to say that I made this tonight and both my kids, who usually just want to eat pasta and white rice (toddlers 🙄), absolutely devoured it! My daughter even said “mom I LOVE quinoa!”. So thank you!!
Thank you so so much Agnes! So glad you’re loving this recipe! xT
Do you think I could use Orzo with this dish?
Hey Lauren,
I would recommend just using this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/broccoli-cheddar-orzo-bake/
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I was looking for a healthy recipe to use the ingredients I had on hand(rotisserie chicken, broccoli and mushrooms). I loved that this was a one skillet dish and relatively easy. It was delicious!! I used my leftover rotisserie chicken instead of cooking chicken breasts (that made it even easier) and used fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. I loved that you didn’t have to cook the quinoa separately. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for a healthy, delicious one pot dinner!!
Hey Leslie,
Happy Friday!!🌟 Love to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
I made this today with frozen broccoli and rotisserie chicken and it is FABULOUS! I’m going to freeze half of it for my pregnant friend so she has a meal ready when the baby comes. Any tips on how she should defrost it so it doesn’t dry out?
Hey Brittany,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xx
Made this tonight using a rotisserie chicken. Thought about using frozen broccoli but I had fresh on hand so figured I would use fresh the first time I made it- might experiment with frozen next time. Also realized I was out of milk, so used 3/4 c heavy cream and 3/4 c water- probably still a bit thick but it worked just fine.
It came together easily and clean up was a breeze. Perfect after work recipe. Between pregnant me and my super-hungry husband, we almost polished off the whole skillet. It just needed a tiny bit of finishing salt to make it pop, but this one is a total winner. My husband said to keep this one in the rotation for sure and he’s incredibly picky, so I’m thrilled!
Hey Elizabeth,
I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try!! xxTieghan
Could I use frozen broccoli and how would that affect cook time?
Hey Elizabeth,
Frozen broccoli would work just fine, I would add it right into the dish, no adjustments needed. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, Tieghan, made this last night. I replaced chicken with vegetarian sausage. My daughter said, “this tastes like broccoli cheddar soup!” That’s high praise, indeed. Thank you for the recipe.
Hey Lori,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This is one of my top go-to weeknight casseroles. I usually add a bit of dried Thyme as well as the fresh called for in the recipe. This is an ideal recipe to use store bought rotisserie chicken. 2% milk works in this too. When I don’t have mushrooms, I just add more chopped broccoli. Overall, this is comfort food that I feel great serving to my family. Whole food, real ingredients, and reminds me of childhood meals.
I am so happy to hear that, Robin! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
I’ve made similar casseroles before, but yours is by far the best. My husband, son, and I all loved this. Thanks for another great recipe!
That is so amazing to hear Erin! Thank you for trying this recipe! xTieghan