It doesn’t get much easier than this Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole for dinner. Creamy, savory, delicious, and SO effortless! Here’s what we love about it:
- It’s a one-pan (err, casserole dish) meal – so easy cleanup!
- It can be prepped in advanced and/or frozen and reheated.
- It’s great for feeding a crowd.
- It can be lower-carb (more on that below).
- It’s one of the quickest, easiest healthy dinner recipes we’ve ever made!
Did we mention how this recipe legitimately tastes like comfort food heaven? It’s the BEST!
RELATED: 15 Easy Weeknight Healthy Pasta Recipes
Make this Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole in 30 minutes!
As in ACTUAL 30 minutes! Here’s how to make it happen:
- This recipe uses pre-cooked chicken. Have this Roasted Chicken on hand or purchase a rotisserie chicken for making this recipe quickly during the week!
- We’re all about using pre-cut or frozen broccoli to speed up the process if you need to.
- The pasta and broccoli cook (in the same casserole dish as everything else) while you make the creamy cashew sauce, which saves time!
The creamy cashew sauce
This cashew sauce is INCREDIBLY easy to make! You’ll need cashew butter, chicken (or vegetable) broth, unsweetened almond milk, a small amount of almond flour, garlic, paprika, and salt/pepper. Simply mix it all together and you’re set!
The pasta
There are a few options for the pasta! We used whole wheat pasta in this recipe. However, we also love using this lower-carb pasta that’s made with chickpeas! If you use the lower-carb option, be sure to lower the amount of time for cooking the pasta (as it gets soft pretty quickly) by about half. Check it often to make sure that it stays firm before adding in the broccoli and remaining ingredients!
The cheese topping
Since this recipe is dairy-free, we used vegan shredded cheese to top off the dish. However, regular shredded cheese is great as well! You can also add more or less cheese as desired.
Tips for taking this Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole to the next level
- Make sure that the pre-cooked chicken is seasoned well. We love this seasoning!
- Use high-quality, organic chicken for this recipe! Butcher Box is a great option for affordable, free-range organic chicken. Here’s our full review of Butcher Box if you’re interested in learning more!
More healthy comfort food recipes:
- The BEST Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
- The BEST Coconut Lentil & Chickpea Curry
- Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Creamy Healthy Chicken Enchilada Skillet
Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz. whole wheat rotini
- 3 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 medium broccoli head (about 2 cups florets)
- 1 1/2 cups precooked chicken, cubed
- 1/3 cup cashew butter
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 2 Tbsp almond flour
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- salt/pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese (or regular)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spread the pasta evenly on the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Pour 2 1/2 cups of the broth over the pasta and place in the oven for about 7-10 minutes (ensuring that the pasta is softened, but still firm).
- Add the broccoli florets over the layer of pasta and pour another 1/2 cup of broth over everything.
- Bake for another 10 minutes.
- While the pasta and broccoli are baking, mix the cashew butter, almond milk, remaining broth, almond flour, garlic, paprika, and salt/pepper to create the sauce.
- Add the chicken and sauce to the casserole dish and mix.
- Add a layer of cheese over the entire casserole, then place back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes (or until everything is warm).
- Serve and enjoy!
amy says:
What recommendations do you have for prepping this on a Sunday and eating Monday or Tuesday
Just cook and then reheat? Or prepare, and cook on the day of.
Also – using gluten free pasta wont change anything?
Christine McMichael replied:
Hi, Amy! I would recommend cooking, storing in a microwave safe container, and storing in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply place the container in the microwave and heat up for about 4-6 minutes (depending on the quantity). For gluten free pasta, I would cook it for less time in order avoid it becoming mushy!
Doris says:
Loved this though I made a couple changes. I used Smart Balance Original cause I didn’t have cashew butter and regular flour as I had no almond flour. Also used regular pasta. Husband said it is a keeper! I used veggie cheese on a third of dish as I am lactose intolerant but others in home are not. It worked out great! Thanks for recipe!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says:
I am in love with one pot meals and always look forward to recipes to use for my weeknight dinner. Love the cashew sauce that you have used and I am a big fan of whole wheat pasta. I still have not ventured into gluten free options.
Byron E Thomas says:
Another great recipe! I feel like I’m cooking everything you publish. Ha! I substituted the chicken with turkey, because I had a lot of turkey left over after our Canadian Thanksgiving. It was delicious!