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!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says:
Absolutely love these kind of casseroles. These are so comforting and also a good use of leftovers. My boys love broccoli in their pasta. So anytime I make pasta casserole, I need to include broccoli. Looks very comforting.
Christine McMichael replied:
Me too, Sandhya! I agree! Enjoy 🙂
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says:
I can imagine sitting in front of the fire and eating a comforting dish such as this Chicken broccoli Pasta. We put candles in our fireplace so don’t feel badly about using crackling candles. It’s all about the mood!! 🙂
Christine McMichael replied:
Yes, love it!! 🙂 So perfect. Haha ok good, I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Patti says:
This looks amazing. I’m so glad that it’s both gluten and dairy free as I have friend with allergies. I’m always looking for new recipes for when I feed them. I pinned this recipe for later. Thanks for sharing.
Christine McMichael replied:
Thanks so much, Patti! 🙂
prasanna hede says:
That’s an amazing dish and that too under 30 mins! I loved the addition of almond milk and cashew butter sounds so yumm.
Christine McMichael replied:
Thanks, Prasanna! 🙂
Carrie Ditton says:
One dish, pasta, healthy AND delicious! Sign me up! This is perfect for any family weeknight dinner!
Christine McMichael replied:
Enjoy, Carrie! 🙂
Cheryl says:
My son loves chicken with broccoli and pasta, so I may have to try your recipe.
Christine McMichael replied:
That’s so perfect, Cheryl! Enjoy!
Elinor Hill aka Beach Hut Cook says:
Delicious. I would want to have that every night on repeat. So perfect for these cold autumn evenings.
Christine McMichael replied:
Love it, Elinor! Enjoy! 🙂
Kathy says:
This is comfort food to the max! Creamy, healthy and delicious is a huge plus when it comes to great dinners! Delicious!
Christine McMichael replied:
Thanks, Kathy! 🙂
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says:
I simply love the ingredients you use. Say, if you don’t have a chicken already roasted that’s in the fridge, so many stores now have chicken already prepared that is reasonably priced. Then, a person can finish the meal and have a nutritious dinner.
Christine McMichael replied:
Thanks so much, Marisa! Yes, that’s so perfect!
Anne Murphy says:
I love roasting a chicken (or cooking it in other ways) and then using the meat to make easy meals! Perfect for baked dishes like this, where you need to start with it already cooked.
Christine McMichael replied:
Yesssss, makes life so much easier! Enjoy! 🙂
Pam Greer says:
I also love roasting a chicken and then using it later in recipes. This one sounds perfect and I love that you made it healthy!
Christine McMichael replied:
Me too, Pam! It’s the best!
Debi at Life Currents says:
This casserole looks fabulous! I love that it’s healthy, and it’s just the type of thing I love to make for dinner.
Christine McMichael replied:
Thank you! 🙂
Christine says:
Love the healthier twist on this dish! Sometimes casseroles can get so heavy but I could eat lots of this!
Christine McMichael replied:
Thanks, friend! I agree!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says:
It’s yummy and healthy. Win-win! My kids love cheesy broccoli, so I’ll have to make some!
Christine McMichael replied:
Exactly, Marlynn! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Veena Azmanov says:
We love chicken and broccoli casserole in our home. You added Pasta that makes it so perfect for us. I love such simple one pot meals especially on weeknights.
Christine McMichael replied:
That’s so perfect, Veena!