Chicken Broccoli Bake
Updated Aug 20, 2025
Chicken Broccoli Bake is a delicious and balanced weeknight meal full of protein, vegetables and pasta; it's a cheesy easy comforting recipe!
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One Pan CHICKEN DINNER!
Chicken Broccoli Bake is a quick and easy recipe I’ve recently started making when I’m looking for a hearty filling balanced meal that can be made in one dish! Along with the cubed chicken breast and fresh broccoli, I use pasta and make a creamy sauce all in one dish.
I love that this chicken broccoli bake has veggies, protein and carbs for an easy meal I can throw in a dish and throw in the oven during busy weeknights. It’s a cheesy, creamy and comforting meal you can make anytime!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Chicken Broccoli Bake Ingredients
- Chicken: Use breast or thighs and cut them into small cubes so they cook fast and they’re easier to serve.
- Broccoli: You can use fresh or frozen and make sure to cut fresh ones into small florets
- Pasta: I like to use elbow macaroni because my kids love it, but any short grain pasta will work like fusilli or penne.
- Broth and milk: I use a combination of both to make the sauce creamy while adding a savory flavor from the broth. You can use just milk for a more creamy sauce or just broth for a lighter sauce.
- Cheese: Use shredded cheddar cheese from a block for the best melt. You can swap with any other melty cheese you like. Low moisture mozzarella makes a good substitution.
- Spices: I use thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Change it up based on what you have or use a tablespoon of a seasoning you like plus and extra ½ teaspoon salt.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Bake
Cover tightly with foil and bake. Remove foil and toss everything together. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
Chicken Broccoli Bake
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces macaroni or any short-cut pasta
- 1 pound chicken breast cubed
- 3 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a 9×13 casserole dish, whisk together the chicken broth, milk, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper until smooth.
- Add the pasta, cubed chicken, and broccoli florets to the dish. Stir everything gently to combine.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and toss everything together. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into cubes
1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
2 cups broccoli florets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups 2% milk
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup Roth Havarti Cheese shredded
½ cup Roth Grand Cru Cheese shredded
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the chicken broth and milk together. Then slowly whisk in the flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until smooth.
Drizzle the olive oil to the bottom of a casserole dish, add the chicken cubes and season with salt and pepper. Add the quinoa and the Havarti cheese on top, then transfer the sauce over the quinoa and chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, tossing halfway through to separate any clumped quinoa.
Blanch the broccoli by cooking it for one minute in boiling water, then transferring it to an ice bath to stop the cooking.
Remove the casserole from the oven and fold in the broccoli, leaving some on top. Sprinkle the Grand Cru cheese on top and return to the oven until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Pre-season the chicken. Toss the cubed chicken with a little olive oil and the seasoning before adding it to the casserole. This gives the chicken more flavor and helps it stay juicy while baking.
- Make it saucier. For a creamier bake, whisk in 1 tablespoon flour with the broth and milk before adding to the dish. It thickens slightly while baking, so the casserole feels more like a creamy mac-and-cheese style bake instead of brothier.
- Uncover a little longer for golden topping. If you like crispy edges and bubbling cheese, leave the casserole uncovered for 12–15 minutes instead of 10. You can even broil for the last 2 minutes for a browned, melty finish.
- Broil at the end. During the last 5 minutes, switch on the broiler to get a golden, bubbling cheese crust on the chicken broccoli bake.
FAQs
Allow the dish to cool completely first. Then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through, or in a 350°F oven (covered with foil) for about 15–20 minutes.
You can freeze before or after baking. If you want to freeze before baking, assemble the casserole up until the cheese topping step, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed, adding an extra 10–15 minutes covered with foil before removing it and adding the cheese.
If you want to freeze after baking, cool fully, portion into freezer-safe containers, and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or microwave until hot.
Comments
If I replace the quinoa with pasta, do I still use 1 cup?
Very yummy! Granted, I did change out the two cheese to what I had on hand (1/2 cup each of feta and cheddar-gruyere). So easy too, especially using some costco rotisserie chicken. I also used about double the broccoli to up the veggies. Would definitely make again.
Thanks for sharing the swaps you made!
Can you please offer substitutes for both of the cheeses? Looking for something a little more common and affordable
Your recipe says you can substitute pasta or rice but doesn’t specify if they should be cooked first?
The rice or pasta would go into the casserole uncooked. I hope you enjoy!
The directions say to use Italian seasoning but it is not in the ingredient list. How much is to be used?
Made this dish for a week night dinner for my family and it was such a hit! It was so good and the perfect amount of cheesy deliciousness! Would make this again and maybe try adding another veggie or trying another grain too 🙂
Yay!! That’s perfect. Yes, so many ways to switch up this casserole and make it your own!
I made this for my family for dinner tonight, and it was a huge hit, even for my brother who is not a cheese lover!! Delicious comfort food for a cold, rainy day! (Note: I used brown rice instead of quinoa and cheddar jack cheese)
So glad to hear it! What an awesome meal on a rainy day…totally agree!
So easy to make ! And delicous
Glad to hear it. Thank you!!
The casserole turned out so good! Except I added some extra chilli as I’m a spice lover. So healthy and easy to prepare for weekdays.
Oh I love that you added extra chili! Yum!
Just made this!! Was delicious and easy, making again on the weekend!
Yay awesome!! Thank you!
I gave this recipe a try today, and I really liked it! I think I would replace broccoli with basil leaves next time though. Thank you Yumna !!
Hi Sara, thanks so much for sharing! I love the idea of adding basil instead of broccoli 🙂
This recipe was really delicious. I made sure to season each layer as directed. I doubled the recipe (used 2.5 lbs chicken). I was confused about the addition of water in the directions , as it wasn’t in the ingredient list or the video. I ended up making the sauce (doubled) and then added 1 cup of chicken broth.
Consistency was fantastic in the end, not too wet/soupy, but certainly not dry.
Hi Sarah – I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! Sorry the water is a typo and I just deleted that part of the instructions. I’m glad it turned out well!!
Had some broccoli and chicken and hopped over to your site and was so happy to find this recipe. It was such a delicious meal that my whole family loved
That’s awesome! So glad to hear it!
What kind of cheese could I use if I dont have access to Roth Grand Cru?
I would recommend using Gruyere cheese or swiss cheese if you can’t find that. Hope it helps!
Thanks! the recipe says Italian seasoning, but doesn’t say how much. Also, is adding two cups of water necessary. It says to add water in the recipe, but that step is not shown in the video.