Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

CFRP's Note:

This recipe, from Cooking Light September 2005, is easy, tasty and low fat. Although I don't normally prefer recipes with cans of soup in them, this is a great weeknight meal and also freezes well. The original recipe calls for 1 cup of low fat mayo - I eyeball it but tend to use only 2/3 cup or 3/4 cup. I also use a blend of cheeses including cheddar, parm, and whatever else I have on hand. If you only have uncooked chicken breasts on hand, cube them and poach them with the broccoli.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 3 quarts water
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
• 4 (6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 (12 ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 dash nutmeg
• 3/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
• milk
• 1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese, divided
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Bring water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, and cook 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer broccoli to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Add chicken to bowl with broccoli.
3. Combine evaporated milk, flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add mayonnaise, next 4 ingredients (through soup), and 1/2 cup cheese, stirring until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, add milk to thin it out until it has reached the desired consistency. Add mayonnaise mixture to broccoli mixture; stir gently until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 30-40 minutes or until mixture bubbles at the edges and cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven; let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes.

Reviews

[Roxygirl in Colorado]

You would never think this was a light recipe. It is very rich and substantial. I ate it a "low carb" way plain but served over rice for the rest. Next time I will decrease the sherry a bit. Thanks for posting, CFRP. Roxygirl

[hepcat1]

This is the most awesome chicken-broccoli casserole EVER!! I swear I looked through every single similiar recipe on this site trying to find "THE ONE", and I knew this was it the second I saw it. I just wanted something more than the typical cheese-chicken-canned soup kind. This has an extra depth of flavor that puts it at a much deserved outstanding five stars. I didn't have fat-free evaporated milk, so I used regular. Also, I grilled the broccoli on my spankin' new grill pan to boost the flavor. Served it over rice, which in my opinion is a must! Thanks tons for posting this great recipe!