Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole Recipe
It doesn’t get much easier than this Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole for dinner. Creamy, savory, delicious, perfect for hiding veggies, and SO effortless! Even my picky kiddos like this one. It’s that good! Here’s what I’m loving about it:
- Other than cooking the pasta, it’s a one-pan (rather, casserole dish) meal – so easy clean-up!
- It can be prepped in advance and/or frozen and reheated.
- It’s great for feeding a crowd.
- It can be made lower-carb by using chickpea or lentil-based pasta.
- If you use cooked chicken and pre-cut broccoli florets, this recipe can be made in 30 minutes flat!
- The recipe is mostly dairy-free, but can be made completely dairy-free by using vegan cheese instead of regular.
- It’s one of the quickest, easiest healthy dinner recipes ever and I know you’re going to love it!
Did I mention how this recipe legitimately tastes like comfort food heaven? It’s the BEST. Happy no-fuss cooking, friends!
RELATED: 15 Easy Weeknight Healthy Pasta Recipes
Ingredients/Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe.
Creamy Cashew Sauce
This cashew sauce is INCREDIBLY easy to make! You’ll need cashew butter, chicken (or vegetable) broth, unsweetened plain cashew milk (or almond milk), a small amount of almond flour, garlic powder, paprika, dried parsley, and salt/pepper to taste. Simply whisk it all together and you’re set!
Cooked Chicken + Broccoli
You’ll need to have cooked chicken and broccoli florets ready to go! You can also save time by cooking the chicken and chopping these ingredients up the night before so that they’re ready to go for a quick and easy dinner the next day.
Other hidden veggies ideas for this casserole include frozen or canned peas, carrots, chopped spinach or kale, and/or mushrooms!
RELATED: Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Whole Wheat or Chickpea Pasta
I’ve made this recipe with both whole wheat pasta and chickpea pasta, and both always turn out great! If you use the lower-carb chickpea pasta option, be sure to lower the amount of time for cooking the pasta (as it gets soft pretty quickly) by 1-2 minutes. This will keep it from getting mushy when you bake it with the other ingredients!
The Cheese Topping
To fully make this recipe dairy-free, I used vegan shredded cheese to top off the dish. However, regular shredded cheddar cheese is great as well! You can also add more or less cheese on top, to taste.
TIP: Take it up a notch with a little fresh parsley and chopped walnuts, if you want!
Make This Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole in 30 Minutes
As in ACTUAL 30 MINUTES! The best healthy dinner win. Here’s how to make this Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole in just 30 minutes:
- Roast the broccoli florets in a 9×13 casserole dish with a little oil and salt for about 15 minutes.
- While the broccoli florets are roasting, cook the pasta.
- Whisk together the cashew sauce ingredients.
- Add the cooked, pre-cubed chicken and cooked pasta into the casserole dish along with the sauce and 1/2 of the shredded cheese.
- Mix together and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake in the oven for another 10-15 minutes (or until the cheese is melted).
You’ll Also Love: Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake
Tips for a Next-Level Healthy Chicken & Broccoli Pasta Bake
- This recipe uses pre-cooked chicken. Have this Roasted Chicken on hand or purchase a rotisserie chicken to make this recipe quickly during the week!
- Make sure that the cooked chicken is seasoned well. I 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 my full review of Butcher Box if you’re interested in learning more.
- I like to buy pre-cut broccoli florets from the grocery store to save time, but you can also prep the broccoli but cutting it earlier in the week or the night before.
- Want to meal prep this recipe? Simply roast the broccoli according to the recipe directions below and put it all together (except for the cheese topping) in a glass casserole dish like this one the night before. Add the airtight lid and store in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, give it another stir and add the cheese topping. Bake until the cheese melts and everything is hot!
RELATED: 23 Healthy Casserole Recipes
More Healthy Comfort Food Recipes
- The BEST Coconut Lentil & Chickpea Curry
- Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Spicy Southwest Butternut Squash Casserole
- Creamy Healthy Chicken Enchilada Skillet
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to give it a rating below and tag your photos @jar.of.lemons!
Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta Casserole
- 8 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta (or any pasta)
- 3-4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
- 2 cups regular or vegan shredded cheese (divided)
Cashew Sauce
- 1/2 cup creamy cashew butter
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plain cashew milk (or almond milk)
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- salt/pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- At the same time, begin boiling a pot of water for the pasta.
- Place the broccoli in a 9×13" casserole dish and drizzle with avocado oil.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, then roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.
- While the broccoli is roasting, cook the pasta according to directions, drain, and set aside.
- Whisk together the cashew sauce ingredients.
- When the broccoli is done roasting, add the cooked pasta, precooked chicken, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and the cashew sauce to the casserole dish.
- Mix it all together and top it with the remaining cheese.
- Place the casserole dish back in the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
- Let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!
Nicole says:
Hi, can I substitute the cashew butter with another type of nut butter?
Christine McMichael replied:
Almond butter or sunflower butter could work great, too!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says:
This sounds like such a great recipe! I love the option for the lower carb pasta and vegan cheese. So tasty.
Sarah says:
This looks so delicious! I love new casserole options.
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!
Stephanie says:
This casserole looks insanely good! I’m always looking ways to break up our dinner rut and this looks like the perfect recipe to do that!
Natalie says:
Looks delicious and it’s so healthy too. Love that you used whole grain rotini here. Sounds delicious. I will definitely give this a try.
Stephanie McKercher says:
You really can’t beat a good cheesy broccoli casserole! This sounds so delicious and I love that you can make it dairy-free!