Healthy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Without Canned Soup

Most chicken broccoli rice casseroles start with a can of cream of chicken soup and a pile of cheese. This healthy chicken broccoli rice casserole gets its creamy sauce from a quick stovetop milk sauce and a scoop of Greek yogurt instead, and it still bakes up bubbly, cheesy and sliceable. One 9×13 dish gives you 6 big servings at about 442 calories and 40 g protein each, in under an hour.

It is the kind of dinner I make on a Sunday when I want leftovers for two lunches. If you cook your rice ahead (or use a pouch of cooked brown rice), the hands-on work is about 20 minutes.

Serves: 6 · Prep: 20 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 55 min · Dish: 9×13-inch

Ingredients for healthy chicken broccoli rice casserole

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (110 g), diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 cup (113 g) shredded sharp cheddar, divided
• 3 cups cooked brown rice (585 g)
• 4 cups small broccoli florets (about 360 g)
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Cut the broccoli small, about the size of a quarter. Big florets poke out of the casserole, dry out on top and make it hard to scoop a neat serving.

How to make chicken broccoli rice casserole from scratch

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Put the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tbsp water, cover and microwave 2 to 3 minutes, until bright green but still firm. Drain well.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken with 1/2 tsp of the salt and the pepper and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until browned on the outside. It finishes cooking in the oven. Move it to a bowl.
4. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion to the same skillet and cook 4 minutes, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute.
5. Slowly whisk in the broth, then the milk. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
6. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 1 minute. Stir in the mustard, garlic powder, paprika, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 cup of the cheddar, then the Greek yogurt.
7. Fold the rice, chicken and broccoli into the sauce. Spread it in the baking dish and scatter the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar on top.
8. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and the center reaches 165°F. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Why the yogurt goes in last, off the heat: Greek yogurt can split if it hits a boiling sauce. Once the flour has thickened the milk and the pan has cooled a little, it blends in smooth and gives the casserole that tangy, sour-cream feel without the extra fat.

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Calories and protein per serving

One serving is 1/6 of the dish, about 440 g, which is a full plate. I calculated the numbers from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (spices left out). Here is where the protein comes from:

Ingredient (per serving)	Protein
Chicken breast (113 g raw)	25.5 g
Sharp cheddar	4.6 g
Brown rice	2.7 g
Greek yogurt	2.4 g
1% milk	2.1 g
Broccoli	1.5 g
Onion, garlic, flour, broth, mustard	1.6 g
Total per serving	about 40 g

Per serving: about 442 calories, 40 g protein, 39 g carbs, 14 g fat and 3.4 g fiber. The salt adds most of the sodium, so if you are watching it, cut it to 1/2 tsp and let the cheddar do the seasoning.

What makes this a healthy chicken casserole

Nothing here is a diet trick. It is a normal casserole with a few smarter defaults:

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• A real sauce instead of canned soup. Flour, broth and 1% milk take 5 minutes and you control the salt and fat.
• Greek yogurt for creaminess. Nonfat Greek yogurt has about 10 g protein per 100 g, so it adds body and protein instead of butter or sour cream.
• Lean chicken breast as the main event. At 22.5 g protein per 100 g raw, it carries most of the protein in each serving.
• Plenty of broccoli. Four cups spread over six servings means every forkful has some green in it.
• Brown rice. It holds its shape better than white rice when baked and adds a little fiber.

If you like this kind of make-once, eat-twice dinner, our chicken and rice meal prep boxes use the same idea for packed lunches, and the healthy fall dinners roundup has more cozy oven meals.

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Easy swaps and variations

• Rotisserie chicken: use about 4 cups shredded meat, skip step 3 and cook the onion in the olive oil. Skinless breast meat keeps it closest to the numbers above.
• Frozen broccoli: thaw it, then press it dry in a towel. Skip the microwave step.
• Quinoa instead of rice: use the same 3 cups cooked.
• Chicken thighs: juicier and more forgiving, with a bit more fat per serving.
• Crunchy top: toss 1/3 cup panko with 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkle it over the cheese before baking.
• More vegetables: fold in a diced red bell pepper or a handful of chopped spinach with the broccoli.

Make ahead, freezing and leftovers

Make ahead: assemble the casserole through step 7, cover and refrigerate, then bake it within a day. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time since it goes in cold, and check that the center hits 165°F.

Fridge: FoodSafety.gov lists cooked meat or poultry leftovers at 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Portion it into containers once it cools and it becomes ready-made lunch.

Freezer: the same chart gives 2 to 6 months for cooked meat or poultry leftovers (that range is for quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe). Freeze single portions, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until it reaches 165°F, the safe temperature for leftovers and casseroles. A splash of milk before reheating loosens the sauce. For a whole afternoon of make-ahead cooking, see our freezer meal prep plan.

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Mistakes that ruin a chicken and rice casserole

• Watery casserole: almost always wet broccoli. Drain it after steaming, and dry frozen broccoli well.
• Dry chicken: it was fully cooked on the stove and then baked again. Brown it, don’t cook it through.
• Stiff, dry rice: the sauce was too thick. It should pour slowly off the spoon before you add the rice, since the rice keeps soaking it up in the oven.
• Grainy sauce: the yogurt went into a boiling pan. Cool it for a minute first.

FAQ

Can I use uncooked rice?

Not with this recipe. Raw rice needs far more liquid and a longer covered bake, and the broccoli and chicken would overcook by the time it was tender. Cook the rice first, or use pouches of cooked brown rice.

Can I make it in a crockpot?

The oven gives you the browned cheese top and keeps the broccoli green, so I prefer it here. If you want a hands-off chicken dinner, try one of our healthy slow cooker chicken recipes, which are built for the crockpot.

Is chicken broccoli rice casserole good for meal prep?

Yes. It reheats well, holds 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes in single portions. Pair it with our family-friendly healthy recipes to round out the week.

Sources

• USDA FoodData Central values via getfoodfacts.com: chicken breast, raw (FDC 171077), brown rice, cooked (FDC 169704), broccoli, raw (FDC 321900), Greek yogurt, nonfat (FDC 170894), sharp cheddar (FDC 170899), 1% milk (FDC 173441), low-sodium chicken broth (FDC 171609), plus olive oil, onion, garlic, flour and mustard.
• FoodSafety.gov: Cold Food Storage Chart
• FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures