Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Back when I first posted this cheddar broccoli chicken casserole, I’d been on a bit of a “hotdish” making kick.

I’d made more hotdish in the past 2 months, than I have in the previous few years. By that, I mean I’ve made it twice. LOL.

For some reason, I felt compelled to rant about hotdish vs tater tot CASSEROLE, my wild search for a Totino’s Pizza substitute as comfort food for my husband, “Duck, Duck, Grey Duck” (It’s GOOSE. Come on now!), and my apparent “failure” at making my first hotdish ever*.

I guess I’d really been in the mood for a rant. A few years back home has chilled me out, so I’m cleaning up this post a bit!

Anyway, this broccoli chicken casserole recipe more closely follows the “guidelines” for a hotdish.

Basically, you need a protein, a vegetable, a binder, and a carb. The binder is generally a can of some kind of condensed cream soup, usually mushroom.

The carb is usually tater tots, but can be other things as well... in theory, anyway. Tater Tots are #1, so far as I can tell... and really, I like the texture they crown this cozy weeknight casserole off with.

A Tasty, Easy Dinner!

It’s the perfect weeknight casserole when the weather starts to get a little cooler.

The base is flavourful, tender chicken in a well seasoned, creamy cheese sauce. That broccoli cheddar chicken mixture is topped off with even MORE cheese, then a layer of tater tots.

The end result is a complete meal - protein, dairy, vegetables, and a starch - in a single pan. It’s the perfect dinner for the whole family - even picky eaters love it!

The best part? It doesn’t require any particularly hard work, AND it’s a great way to meal prep - it works well as leftovers!

IMHO, there’s nothing better on busy weeknights, than being able to dole out some hearty, satisfying comfort food and just have to heat it up!

Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need for this delicious chicken and broccoli bake recipe!

* If you’re interested in how the “failed” hotdish went down, I’ve moved the story down to just below the recipe card, at the end of this post.

Ingredients

This delicious dinner recipe requires only a few simple ingredients - you won’t have trouble finding everything you need at pretty much any grocery store.

As always, I have a few ingredient notes for you:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

I start this recipe out with raw chicken breasts, but you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs - or a mix of breast meat and thigh meat - if you prefer.

Alternately, you can use leftover chicken if you want to cut a step.

A whole rotisserie chicken, cut or shredded up, works great and almost guarantees you’ll have juicy chicken.

Also, you can do my Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken with your chicken breasts, ahead of time.

Just keep in mind - the longer it’s been since your chicken was cooked, the shorter the life on your finished cheesy broccoli chicken casserole.

I recommend keeping it no longer than 4 days from when you actually cook the chicken.

Condensed Cheese Soup

I generally aim to use a basic Cream of Cheese type condensed soup for the cream sauce, but I’ve definitely used other soups when I can’t find it.

Cream of broccoli cheddar soup, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, and cream of asparagus soup all work great!

You can even mix and match them, to further customize your creamy sauce.

Fresh Broccoli

I use fresh broccoli florets for this, but you don’t have to.

You can use frozen broccoli - aim for about 3 cups. Just defrost and drain it before adding it to the pan - you won’t need to cook it before adding the soup.

Just be prepared for a softer / mushier texture, if using previously frozen broccoli.

If you’re not into broccoli, you can always use cauliflower, asparagus, and/or green beans. Again, aim for about 3 cups of it, and defrost it first if using frozen.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Sharp Cheddar Cheese / Old Cheddar Cheese
Tater Tots / Tasti Taters
1 Medium Onion
Fresh Garlic Cloves (Or 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder)
Olive Oil
Ground Black Pepper
Smoked Paprika
Mustard Powder
Salt

... I just don’t have anything to add, as far as these last few ingredients go. Pretty basic ingredients!

A Note on Seasonings

I’ve written this recipe out to be as “authentic” as possible - as I know it to be - and it should be non-offensive to most 🙂

That said, I do tend to make this a bit different for our household.

I use more smoked paprika and mustard powder than called for, which is why I suggested adding more to taste, before putting it in the pan.

In addition to the smoked paprika, a bit of cayenne or - ideally - smoked serrano powder - really kicks it up a notch. I love the combo of cheese, mustard, and spice. It really works well with the chicken and broccoli, and just really ties the meal together.

In my outsider opinion, anyway 🙂

Feel free to swap out the mustard powder for a tablespoon or two of Dijon mustard, or something with a bit more kick - Horseradish mustard, a bit of Russian mustard, etc.

How to Make Chicken and Broccoli Tater Tot Casserole

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, here’s a visual walk through with step-by-step recipe directions.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x 13" baking dish with cooking spray of choice, set aside.

In a large pan, brown chopped chicken breast in olive oil over medium-high heat. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Once chicken is browned on all sides, add onion and garlic.

Continue cooking until onion starts to go soft and translucent, then turn the burner down to medium-low heat.

Add broccoli, smoked paprika, and mustard powder.

Continue cooking until broccoli turns brighter green and starts to soften a little.

Stir in cheese soup, making sure to evenly coat everything. Taste, season with salt, pepper, and/or additional smoked paprika or mustard powder if desired.

Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole dish or baking pan.

Sprinkle shredded cheese over mixture.

Arrange tater tots in a single layer on top of the cheese.

Bake for about 1 hour, or until the tots are golden and crispy.

Serve hot!

Leftovers

For best results, allow leftovers to cool almost to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. Will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Reheat in a microwave-safe dish before serving.

More Midwest Inspired Recipes

Looking for some more delicious recipes inspired by my time living in Minnesota? Here's a few for ya! (Oh ya, you betcha?)

Beer Battered Corn on the Cob
Boozy Sparkling Cider Float
Candy Bar Salad
Chicken Based Swedish Potato Sausage
Doubles Hotdish
Jalapeno Artichoke "Backfire" Dip
Mafioso Hotdish - Italian Tater Tot Casserole
Midwest Goes Southwest HotDish
Spinach Hand Pies
Tim Walz' New Ulm Hotdish - Upgraded!

The “Failed” Hotdish Attempt

I'll be honest, I was a bit confused when my husband first explained it to me. No seasoning? It sounded pretty bland, so - using his basic guidelines - I came up with my own version - Midwest Goes Southwest HotDish.

... and I was swiftly informed - by friends, not him - that this was not hotdish.

Yes, there was a protein, vegetable, binder, and carb. It followed the rules as I knew them.

... but there were jalapenos, poblanos, pepper flakes, salsa... etc.

My husband jokes that the 3 seasonings in Minnesota are salt, pepper, and ketchup. Personally, I’d add “ranch dressing” to that - if ketchup counts - but I digress.

He looks back on his kitchen before me as being “extra fancy... because I had Mrs Dash!”.

Anyway, this is all to say that I’m not making any claims about this being an “authentic” hotdish, as I am not an authority on the manner, and there are nuances that I do not understand.

This recipe may or may not count, I don’t know. I’m not sure if the smoked paprika is a disqualifier!