Dairy-free cheesy broccoli chicken casserole
This cheesy broccoli chicken casserole is gluten-free, dairy-free, and high in protein! It’s a perfect family and kid-friendly dinner for a busy weeknight. You can make it in advance, heat, and eat.
Let’s just open the clouds and hear the angels sing:
I made a dinner that my children ate.
We’ve been in a serious dinner rut over here. I’ve been making *real dinners* pretty much every night, and I never know what the girls will actually eat. I’ll plate up something that was once their favorite, and they’ll groan as I set it on the table. Or even better, P will be like, “I just wanna go to a restaurant.”
Me too, P.
So, they currently hate things they used to love and sometimes will clean their plates when I make something new or exotic. So basically, I have no clue what to do. Nothing like having young kiddos to give you a true kitchen skills reality check. I went from feeling pretty confident in my abilities to feeling like I suck.
Last week, I was on a mission to make dinners that were as kid-friendly as possible. Sloppy joes: check. The girls ate two bites, didn’t like them, and guess who had sloppy joes leftovers for lunch the next couple of days?
The next night, I made them mac and cheese with fruit and roasted broccoli (always a hit) and heated up an Eat Fit Go meal for myself.
The night after that, I was determined to make something they’d actually want to eat. I thought of the creamy chicken and rice casserole my mom used to make growing up, and created something kinda similar, using the ingredients I had on hand.
Some major changes:
– I used Banza pasta (from Thrive Market) since we all love it
– I used So Delicious coconut milk mozzarella to keep it dairy-free (I don’t eat a ton of dairy, and found that when P eats a lot of it, her stomach gets really upset)
– Added some cooked chicken, spices, and broccoli, and it ended up being a seriously comforting and delicious dinner casserole
Macros (8 servings): 354 kcal // 19g fat // 31g carbs // 16g protein
I highly recommend it if you have picky kiddos, or if you’re just looking for an easy make-ahead weeknight meal. The leftovers were amazing, too!
Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a whirl:
Dairy-free cheesy broccoli chicken casserole
20 minutes prep // makes 8 generous servings
Ingredients:
– 1/2 sweet onion, diced
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 tablespoon butter (dairy free: avocado oil)
– 1 cup almond milk
– 1 tablespoon flour of choice (I used brown rice)
– 8oz mozzarella (I used the So Delicious brand)
– 8 oz pasta, cooked almost all the way (I used Banza)
– 6 oz steamed broccoli (drain and pat dry)
– 9 oz cooked chicken breast, diced (hack: use rotisserie chicken!)
– 1/4 cup grated parmesan (or more dairy-free cheese of choice)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375.
In a large pot on medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt.
Stir in the onion and garlic, season well with salt and pepper, and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant and soft.
Add the flour and stir well, and then the milk. Reduce the heat to medium low and allow to thicken slightly (1-2 minutes) before stirring in the mozzarella. Stir well until creamy.
Remove from heat, and add the pasta, chicken, broccoli, and season well with salt and pepper.
Pour into a casserole dish and sprinkle with the parmesan on top.
Bake, covered, for 15-20 minutes until bubbly. If desired, pop the casserole dish until the broiler for a minute or two to brown the cheese on top.
Note: The casserole is totally customizable depending on the veggies you have on hand! The sauce is what makes it.
So, tell me, friends: what was your favorite thing your parents cooked for dinner when you were growing up? My mom’s enchiladas will always be #1.
xo
Gina
Today’s Summer Shape Up workout: This leg workout + steady state. Can’t wait to do this at the gym later today!
19 Comments
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It’s dreary and rainy here in New York and I was thinking a casserole type dish would be perfect for dinner tonight. Now I know what I’m making!
I do have a question about the So Delicious cheese. I try to go as dairy free as I can for my lactose intolerant husband, but he’s a picky eater already! How much coconut flavor is in the cheese? I’ve tried So Delicious ice cream and the coconut flavor was a bit much for me and I like coconut. Will other seasonings mask the coconut flavor? Thanks!
Yum! I recently purchased Banza pasta and have yet to make a meal with it. Meal planning this week just got easier. Thanks!
Did you use a dairy-free parmesan? I have a dairy allergy and haven’t found a suitable alternative.
yes! try this one: https://followyourheart.com/products/parmesan/
My boyfriend sounds like your kids! I can never tell what he’ll be in the “mood” for. He also just got his blood work back and has high triglycerides and A1C (pre-diabetic) so, needless to say he’s resolved to start eating like me.
Of note, butter does indeed qualify as dairy thus it is not a dairy-free recipe ??
*it states avo oil for a dairy free option
amazing recipe gonna try it out tonight.
Made this for dinner tonight using Daiya cheese and Earth Balance for the butter. Easy comfort food! Great recipe 🙂
yay, i’m so glad you liked it!
This looks delicious! And for it to be dairy free makes it so much better! Will be cooking this soon!
Great recipe, really though to make food for kids they will eat.
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healthstyletip.wordpress.com
Hey! This looks great. Could you use rice rather than pasta? We just have a lot in the pantry. Thanks!
What would you recommend for substituting the mozzarella. I can’t have dairy and was confused by it being in the recipe.
i used the coconut milk mozzarella from so delicious – it’s dairy free 🙂
Do you cook the pasta before adding to the pot?
nope!
By the horn of Zeus! 😉
Hello!
Just wanted to let you know that my wife and I tried this recipe the other night. It so happens that my inlaws were there too. They like the recipe so much that they ask for the leftovers to go!
Anyways, thanks a lot for sharing this. Excited to send the next recipe here to my wife.
Have a great day!