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Feeling the need for a little comfort food but don’t want to kick healthy eating to the curb? Give my Healthier Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken a try! Creamy, cheesy, and so satisfying. It’s got lots of broccoli and tasty chicken, but not a lot of fat!
Comfort Food for Cold Days
Lately, it’s been rainy and gray and cold around here, that wet kind of cold that seeps into your bones. Weather like that calls for comfort food.
However, since I’m finally making some progress in shedding my Covid-15, I’m trying to make healthier choices and avoid the carb-heavy culprits that I’m tempted to turn to on gloomy days. But let’s face it, when it’s rainy and stuck in the thirties for days at a time, crudites and a piece of poached salmon just don’t cut it.
Times like this call for something hot, and gooey, and cheesy, and well…comforting.
That’s where my Healthier Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken comes in. It’s a comfortingly satisfying dish that’s a lot healthier than you might suppose.
A Healthier Twist on the Classic Broccoli Rice Casserole
I often think of comfort food as those dishes I grew up with. I think most of us do. For me, the list includes macaroni and cheese, rice pudding, fish sticks, tater tots, and my mother’s corn and sausage casserole. (That last one really should be eaten in close proximity to a defibrillator and served with a side of Lipitor.)
But when my family and I spent a few years in Georgia in the ’80s, I added a whole bunch of new comfort foods. My updated list included pecan pie, cheese straws, hush puppies, and broccoli rice casserole.
The fact that the classic recipe has broccoli in the title might fool you into thinking it’s veggie-centric. And while the dish includes a good amount of broccoli, it’s really about the rice and the cheese – SO much cheese. Depending on the recipe you use, it might also include butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, plus crushed Ritz crackers with more butter sprinkled on top.
My mouth is watering as I’m typing because it really tastes so good. But if you’re trying to focus on healthier eating, that classic broccoli rice casserole is definitely a recipe you should either try to avoid or make adjustments to.
I opted for the latter. The result is a very tasty, still comforting and much healthier broccoli rice casserole with chicken for some extra protein. (And also because one-dish dinners are a working girl’s best friend.)
A Few Adjustments for a Healthier Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken
To begin with, I really upped the amount of broccoli and opted to use fresh because I like mine a little bit al dente. However, frozen broccoli will still work just fine in the recipe and might save you a little time. So, if you’ve got some on hand feel free to use it.
I also chose to use brown rice instead of white and low-fat cheese instead of regular, putting in modest amounts of both. Instead of sour cream, butter, or mayonnaise, I used non-fat Greek yogurt in my healthier broccoli rice casserole with chicken. It gives the dish a deliciously creamy consistency and just a little bit of tang. I also used low-fat milk.
As I said, there is a lot of variation among recipes for broccoli rice casserole but nearly all of them involve canned soup. Condensed cheddar cheese, cream of chicken, or cream of mushroom soup are common ingredients. I opted for cream of mushroom.
If you’re really, really concerned about reducing fat in your diet, you can use the fat-free version. However, I tested this recipe with both regular and fat-free and found that the casserole made with the regular cream of mushroom soup tasted noticeably better so I went with that.
Herbs and Spices for Extra Flavor
Because I am all about one-dish dinners, I added cubes of cooked chicken breast to my recipe. Rather than go with plain broiled or boiled chicken, I opted to cook mine on the stove with a little oil and a lot of Italian seasoning, thyme, and a bit of garlic powder.
I also tossed a little bit more thyme in when I combined the ingredients. It’s amazing how much flavor those herbs and spices add to the dish. I love thyme. However, if it’s not your favorite you can use dried oregano, basil, or more Italian seasoning.
My Healthier Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken is a comforting and deliciously satisfying take on the crowd-pleasing classic. It’s great for a family dinner or potluck. Try it this week!
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Healthier Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 6 cups fresh broccoli florets (can substitute frozen)
- 1–1.5 lb uncooked chicken breasts
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried thyme, divided
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- ½ cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup 2% milk
- 2 cups low-fat shredded cheese, divided (cheddar or cheddar blend)
- 10.5 oz can condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (can sub fat free)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cook broccoli florets in boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes, under tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
- Rinse chicken breast and pat dry. Cut into 1 to 2 inch cubes and place in bowl. Sprinkle Italian seasoning, garlic powder, ½ tsp of dried thyme, and a little salt and pepper onto the chicken, stirring to distribute spices evenly.
- Place olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook until cubes are cooked through nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes.
- Place cooked chicken cubes, cooked broccoli, brown rice, Greek yogurt, 2% milk, 1 cup of the cheese, and the condensed soup in a large bowl. Add remaining ½ tsp of thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- Lightly spray a 9×13 ovenproof casserole dish with cooking spray. Place broccoli and rice mixture in pan, smoothing it into an even layer. Sprinkle remaining cup of shredded cheese on top and cover with foil.
- Cook in preheated oven for 15-20 minute. Remove casserole from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
