Yep! This is your favorite chicken & rice or chicken & broccoli casserole from your childhood… redone to be a much healthier, full of protein cozy fall meal!
I made my own cream of chicken soup, and it took only seconds. Feel free to use 1 regular sized can instead, if you’d like.
But after making the homemade version myself for the first time… I’m pretty sure I’ll never go back to the canned stuff!! (I will have a whole post on this soup soon… but I’ll include the recipe below also!!)
This casserole is so comforting and cozy. And now you don’t need to feel guilty about eating it because it’s also good for you!
I just ate a hugenormeous* bowl of this and am having a really hard time not dishing up another. It’s that good!! (*yes, I am aware that I just made that word up. I like it.)
Enjoy!!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups homemade cream of chicken soup* (or one can)
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 3 tablespoons lowfat milk
- juice of one lemon
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- dash of nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (1 1/4 cup + 1/2 cup)
- 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli, in small pieces
- 2 cups cooked quinoa**
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9" square casserole dish.
In a large bowl, stir together the cream of chicken soup, mayo, milk, lemon, and spices until smooth. Stir in the cheese, chicken, broccoli and quinoa and spread into the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese (If you're making this ahead, stop here and refrigerate or freeze until needed!) and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling and golden brown.
Rinse 3/4 cup quinoa thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear.
Combine in a small saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 18-20 minutes, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the quinoa is clear & fluffy with a visible 'ring & tail'.
(This makes a little over 2 cups, so just measure out the 2 cups and use the rest for something else!)
https://sweetannas.com/2011/12/chicken-broccoli-quinoa-casserole.html
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 cup lowfat milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, whisk together the chicken stock and spices and then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- While that is coming to a boil, in a small bowl, whisk together the cold milk & cream and the flour until well blended to make a slurry. (No clumps of flour left!)
- Turn the heat down to medium and slowly pour the flour/milk slurry into the boiling stock, whisking constantly, and continue to cook and whisk until very thick, like a can of condensed soup, about 5 minutes or so.
- Let cool before using in any recipe that calls for condensed cream of chicken soup.
- *This recipe makes 2 cans worth, or about 3 cups. You can freeze half for another time, if you only need one can worth!
