The Best Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole (with Stuffing!)

Are you searching for the ultimate easy and crowd-pleasing comfort food casserole? A warm, bubbly, and incredibly cheesy one-dish meal that the whole family will adore, and is the perfect, most delicious way to use up leftover chicken or turkey? This amazing, Contest-Winning Broccoli Chicken Casserole is that perfect recipe. It’s a brilliant and easy combination of a rich, creamy chicken and broccoli filling, all topped with a savory, buttery, and golden-brown stuffing crust.

This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to your new family-favorite dinner. We’ll show you how to transform a handful of simple, convenient ingredients into a stunning, from-scratch-tasting casserole that is pure, unadulterated comfort. This is the kind of satisfying, one-dish wonder that will have everyone asking for seconds and is a true lifesaver for busy weeknights.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Comfort Food Casserole

What makes this Broccoli Chicken Casserole so spectacularly delicious is its incredible combination of creamy and crunchy textures and its classic, comforting flavors. This recipe is a masterpiece of efficiency, using smart shortcuts to create a gourmet-tasting meal in minutes. The filling is a simple but luscious mixture of tender cooked chicken, crisp-tender broccoli, and a can of condensed broccoli cheese soup that creates an instant, velvety sauce. The real star, however, is the topping: a box of classic chicken stuffing mix, which bakes up into a wonderfully savory, herbaceous, and slightly crunchy crust, all under a final blanket of gooey, melted cheddar cheese.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	45 minutes
Active Prep Time	10 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy
Servings	6

The Essential Ingredients for This Cozy Casserole

This iconic dish uses a handful of smart shortcuts and pantry staples to create its signature comforting and cheesy flavor.

• The Shortcut Topping & Sauce:
  • Chicken Stuffing Mix: This is the ultimate, all-in-one shortcut for the perfect topping! A 6-ounce package of your favorite brand of dry chicken stuffing mix (like Stove Top®) provides the breadcrumbs, the savory herbs like sage and thyme, and a buttery flavor all in one convenient box.
  • Condensed Broccoli Cheese Soup: Another brilliant time-saver, a can of condensed broccoli cheese soup creates an instant, perfectly creamy, cheesy, and flavorful sauce base with zero extra work.
• The Hearty Filling:
  • Cooked Chicken: This recipe is the absolute best and most delicious way to use up leftover cooked chicken or Thanksgiving turkey! If you don’t have leftovers, about 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken is a fantastic and convenient substitute that makes this a wonderful and easy year-round meal.
  • Fresh Broccoli Florets: Using fresh broccoli florets adds a wonderful, vibrant green color, a healthy dose of nutrients, and a fantastic, crisp-tender crunch that perfectly balances the creamy sauce.
• The Cheese: A generous sprinkle of shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top is the key to that beautiful, bubbly, and irresistibly gooey, golden-brown crust.

Step-by-Step to the Best Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This delicious, one-dish meal is incredibly simple to prepare.

Step 1: Prepare the Stuffing Topping and Filling

Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease an 11×7-inch baking dish.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, prepare your stuffing mix according to the package directions, but be sure to use only 1 1/2 cups of water.

Step 3: While the stuffing is absorbing the water, prepare your filling. In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups of cubed cooked chicken, the 2 cups of fresh broccoli florets, and the 1 can of undiluted condensed broccoli cheese soup.

Part 2: Assemble and Bake Your Casserole

Step 1: Transfer the chicken and broccoli mixture to your prepared 11×7-inch baking dish and spread it into an even layer.

Step 2: Top the chicken mixture with your prepared stuffing, spreading it evenly across the surface.

Step 3: Sprinkle the 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the stuffing.

Step 4: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Pro Tip: Baking the casserole covered at first is a crucial step! It traps the steam inside the dish, which helps to heat the creamy filling all the way through and perfectly steam-cook the fresh broccoli florets until they are tender.

Step 5: After 20 minutes, carefully remove the foil. Return the casserole to the oven and continue to bake, uncovered, for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the cheesy stuffing topping is a beautiful golden brown.

Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before serving.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This Broccoli Chicken Casserole is the perfect make-ahead meal for a busy week or a potluck.

• Make-Ahead: You can fully assemble the entire, unbaked casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Simply cover it tightly with foil and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, you may need to add 10-15 minutes to the total baking time since it will be starting from cold.
• Storage: Store any leftovers, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Reheating: The best way to reheat this casserole is to cover it with foil and bake it in a 350°F oven for about 20-25 minutes, until it is hot and bubbly. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.

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Creative Recipe Variations

1. Make a From-Scratch Cream Sauce: If you’re not a fan of using condensed soup, you can easily make your own simple cream sauce. In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups of milk and let it simmer until it has thickened. Remove it from the heat and stir in about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese until it is smooth.
2. Add Some Rice or Pasta: For an even heartier, more substantial casserole, you can stir about 2 cups of your favorite cooked white or brown rice or a small pasta shape (like elbow macaroni or rotini) into the chicken and broccoli mixture.
3. Use a Different Vegetable: If you don’t have broccoli on hand, this casserole is also absolutely fantastic with an equal amount of frozen, thawed cauliflower florets or a classic frozen mixed vegetable blend (with peas and carrots).

Enjoy The Ultimate Comfort Food Casserole!

You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, classic ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This “Contest-Winning” Broccoli Chicken Casserole is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch-tasting meal to bring the whole family together. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new, much-requested family favorite.

We hope you enjoy every last, warm, and delicious bite!

If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, and comforting meal!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)