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Chicken Broccoli Stuffing Casserole is old-fashioned, cold-weather comfort food! The easy dinner recipe only requires about 20 minutes of prep, can be assembled in advance, and appeals to even the pickiest little eaters. The simple combination of shredded rotisserie chicken, cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup, broccoli florets, and Pepperidge Farm or Stove Top stuffing is delicious alongside a simple green salad, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin muffins!
Chicken broccoli stuffing casserole is one of those recipes that just takes me back to my mom’s kitchen table. The smell alone can transport me to my childhood home, and I love that my own kids have now learned to love the meal, too. In fact, I’d say it’s probably the most popular casserole recipe that I serve in this house!
While my mom prepared something similar back in the 80’s, this particular dish is actually a slight twist on a recipe from my mother-in-law’s friend, Lois. She wrote down the recipe on a card and gave it to me at my bridal shower almost 20 years ago. The note that she wrote on the bottom of the recipe card says, “I have been making this for 35 years!”
Use Stove Top Stuffing or Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix
This casserole uses a store-bought mix such as Stove Top stuffing or Pepperidge Farm stuffing as a shortcut for the moist, flavorful topping. You’ll prepare the stuffing according to the package instructions, and then spread the warm stuffing over a creamy, tender chicken and broccoli filling. Bake the dish covered until it’s warmed through, and then remove the cover at the end so that the stuffing can get a little bit crispy on top. It tastes like Thanksgiving dinner in a single pan!
Ingredients for Easy Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an easy chicken broccoli and stuffing casserole. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken: you’ll need about 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken. I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for great flavor and quick-prep, but you can boil your own chicken at home if you prefer.
- Broccoli: frozen baby broccoli florets are a nice shortcut, but you can substitute with fresh broccoli florets that you steam until crisp-tender.
- Cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup: form the base of the creamy casserole sauce. You can substitute with two cans of your favorite flavors of condensed soup. I like the “Healthy Request” line of soups, but any similar variety will work.
- Milk: to thin the sauce.
- Stuffing mix: I prefer one (12 ounce) package of Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing, but you can also use two (6 ounce) boxes of Stove Top stuffing. You will need the additional ingredients called for on your box of stuffing mix (typically chicken broth or water, and butter).
How to Cook Chicken for a Casserole
While it’s possible to cook a casserole with raw chicken, you’ll need cooked chicken for this recipe, and a variety of options will work. Pick the most convenient method for you:
- Boiled and Pulled Chicken: Boil about 1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through (about 15 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken. You’ll need a total of about 3 cups shredded. I find that 1 ½ lbs. of chicken breasts yields about 3 cups of pulled chicken, but there’s some flexibility here — it doesn’t need to be exact.
- Rotisserie Chicken: This is a great shortcut! Purchase a rotisserie chicken (or two) from the grocery store, shred the meat, and use in the recipe as instructed. One very large rotisserie chicken should yield about 4-5 cups of meat.
- Leftover Chicken: If you have leftover grilled or baked chicken from a previous meal, put those extras to good use in this casserole.
- Canned Chicken: Yep, even canned chicken from the pantry will work in this recipe.
Do you have to cook broccoli before putting it in a casserole?
This recipe calls for thawed frozen baby broccoli florets, which have a slightly soft texture and therefore do not need to be cooked before adding them to the dish. If you prefer to start with fresh broccoli florets, I recommend steaming, parboiling, or precooking the broccoli in some way so that it softens a bit before you add it to the rest of the casserole. Otherwise the fresh broccoli will not have time to cook through and soften in the oven.
Can I substitute fresh broccoli for frozen in a casserole?
Yes! I prefer the ease of frozen baby broccoli florets, which are soft enough when thawed so that you don’t need to steam or pre-cook them before just adding them to the dish. The baby florets are also small enough that you don’t need to chop them. Just thaw, drain, and stir into the casserole! However, if you prefer to use fresh broccoli florets, those will work equally well. I recommend cutting the florets into bite-sized pieces and then steaming or parboiling them just until crisp-tender.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Stuffing Casserole
This easy chicken and broccoli casserole with a moist stuffing on top tastes like Thanksgiving in a pan!
- Whisk together the condensed soups and milk in a large bowl.
- Add the chicken and broccoli, then stir to combine.
- Transfer the chicken mixture to a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been greased or sprayed with cooking spray.
- Prepare the stuffing according to the package instructions (mixing the stuffing cubes with the broth or water and butter).
- Spread stuffing on top of the chicken mixture.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil, then continue baking for 10-15 more minutes. The casserole is done with the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve!
What to Serve with Chicken Broccoli Casserole
You’ve basically got an entire meal in one dish, thanks to the meat, veggies, and stuffing. That said, you might like to offer some additional options on the side. Here are some easy ideas to serve with chicken and stuffing casserole:
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad or House Salad with Candied Pecans
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Skillet Cornbread, Honey Cornbread, Corn Sticks, Mexican Cornbread or Corn Muffins
- Crusty French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins, Applesauce Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Bread
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables
- Southern Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Perfect Oven Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Brown Sugar Roasted Acorn Squash
- 5-Ingredient Easy Cranberry Salad
- 3-Ingredient Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
Make Ahead
- This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes.
- You can freeze the casserole before baking. Wrapped tightly, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw a frozen casserole in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to the recipe instructions. If the dish is still cool when it goes into the oven, you will likely need to increase the total baking time.
Storage
- Leftover chicken casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat the casserole: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through (about 20 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Almost any packaged stuffing mix will work. I prefer one (12 ounce) package of Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing, but you can also use two (6 ounce) boxes of Stove Top stuffing. Try different flavor varieties, too. Cornbread stuffing is delicious, and so is the herb stuffing and turkey stuffing.
- Substitute fresh broccoli florets for the frozen baby broccoli. If using fresh broccoli, you’ll need to steam or parboil it until crisp-tender before adding it to the casserole filling.
- Use any flavor combination of condensed soups that you prefer: cream of chicken, cream of mushroom or cream of celery are all nice options.
- If you’re sensitive to salt, feel free to substitute with the Healthy Request or 98% fat-free varieties of condensed soups for lighter options with less sodium.
- Try adding different vegetables to the dish. Frozen mixed vegetables, canned or frozen corn, frozen peas, or sautéed mushrooms would all be great additions, too!
- Add a layer of cooked rice to the bottom of the dish before adding the chicken filling.
- For a cheesy chicken and stuffing casserole, stir some shredded cheddar cheese into the filling, and sprinkle a layer of grated cheese on top before adding the stuffing.
- Stir some herbs or other seasonings into the sauce. Try dried or fresh parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, chives, or garlic. A squeeze of lemon juice is also a nice, bright addition!
Tips for the Best Chicken and Stuffing Casserole Recipe
- Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut.
- If you prefer to cook your chicken at home, use about 1 ½ lbs. of raw boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs. Boil the chicken for about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, chop or shred with forks and use in the recipe.
- Prepare the stuffing according to the instructions on your specific package. Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix recommends adding sauteed celery and onion as well. I do not use these ingredients (but you can if you want). Instead, I follow the instructions with the chicken broth and butter, but omit the extra veggies. Stove Top stuffing mix, by contrast, only requires water and butter for preparation.
- If you like your stuffing really moist, keep the dish covered for the entire baking time.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half (using a single 6-ounce box of Stove Top stuffing mix) and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. You can reduce the total baking time by 5-10 minutes, too. Alternatively, you can prepare the full recipe, but divide the ingredients between two 8-inch square baking dishes. Freeze the extra dish for a later meal.
More Chicken and Stuffing Casserole Recipes to Try
- Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Stuffing Casserole
- Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken and Cornbread Stuffing Casserole
Chicken Broccoli Stuffing Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 cups frozen baby broccoli florets, thawed and drained
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (NOT diluted)
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup (NOT diluted)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 (12 ounce) package Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix (or two 6-ounce boxes of Stove Top stuffing mix), plus additional ingredients called for on the package*
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together condensed soups and milk. Stir in cooked chicken and thawed baby broccoli florets.
- Transfer chicken mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, prepare stuffing according to package directions.
- Spread prepared stuffing evenly on top of the chicken mixture.
- Cover the dish with foil. Bake, covered, at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until heated through and lightly browned on top. If you like your stuffing really moist, leave the dish covered for the entire baking time.
Notes
- Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut.
- If you prefer to cook your chicken at home, use about 1 ½ lbs. of raw boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs. Boil the chicken for about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, chop or shred with forks and use in the recipe.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half (using a single 6-ounce box of Stove Top stuffing mix) and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. You can reduce the total baking time by 5-10 minutes, too. Alternatively, you can prepare the full recipe, but divide the ingredients between two 8-inch square baking dishes. Freeze the extra dish for a later meal.
- Almost any packaged stuffing mix will work. I prefer one (12 ounce) package of Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing, but you can also use two (6 ounce) boxes of Stove Top stuffing. Try different flavor varieties, too. Cornbread stuffing is delicious, and so is the herb stuffing and turkey stuffing.
- Substitute fresh broccoli florets for the frozen baby broccoli. If using fresh broccoli, you’ll need to steam or parboil it until crisp-tender before adding it to the casserole filling.
- Use any flavor combination of condensed soups that you prefer: cream of chicken, cream of mushroom or cream of celery are all nice options.
- For lighter options with less sodium, feel free to substitute with the Healthy Request or 98% fat-free varieties of condensed soups.
- Try adding different vegetables to the dish. Frozen mixed vegetables, canned or frozen corn, frozen peas, or sautéed mushrooms would all be great additions, too!
- Add a layer of cooked rice to the bottom of the dish before adding the chicken filling.
- Add cheese. Stir some grated cheddar cheese into the filling, and sprinkle a layer of grated cheese on top before adding the stuffing.
- Stir some herbs or other seasonings into the sauce. Try dried or fresh parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, chives, or garlic.
La trovo molto buona, economica e versatile ! Grazie da parte della mia famiglia
Thank you, Valeria! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.