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Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake is the healthy, cheesy, and easy recipe that will please everyone at your table. The flavors are simple and appealing, the prep is a breeze, and it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Broccoli Bake
We all love a casserole, right? Especially a cheesy chicken and broccoli combo, which may be the most universally appealing duo.
This one take a detour from classic creamy, cheesy casseroles with its secretly healthy ingredient lineup. In the lineup, you have:
- Gluten free + protein-packed quinoa
- Lean chicken breasts
- Nutrient-rich broccoli
- Just enough melty cheddar cheese to appease the picky eaters
And best of all, this chicken broccoli bake contains NO SOUP (cream of, canned, or otherwise).
Instead, the smooth, bubbly sauce is made of aromatics, broth, whole milk, spices, and cheddar.
This quinoa bake is easy to scale up to feed a crowd, as well as freezer-friendly. It saves and reheats like a dream, making it an ideal option for healthy meals throughout the week.
Recipe Ingredients
This recipe checks all of the boxes for a weeknight win.
Plus, it’s filling and comforting while boasting a wholesome ingredient list.
- Chicken: I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken breasts to keep the casserole lean, however you can also use tenders or thighs.
- Broccoli: You need 4 cups of broccoli florets, which amounts to 1 large crown. Alternately, grab a bag of pre-chopped florets for convenience.
- Quinoa: Quinoa is actually not a grain, but a protein-rich pseudo-seed. It’s nutritious, filling, and one of the only plant-based sources of all nine essential amino acids.
- Aromatics: A mix of garlic and shallots create the aromatic foundation of this quinoa bake. Alternatively, you can use yellow onion.
- Flour: A little flour helps thicken the cheesy sauce mixture. For a gluten free alternative, use corn starch or a 1:1 gluten free baking flour blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill.
- Broth: Use chicken or vegetable broth.
- Milk: I prefer using whole milk, however you can also use cashew milk for a dairy-free alternative.
- Cheddar: Sharp cheddar is my favorite, because a little goes a long way. It’s bold, complex, and a perfect pairing with the broccoli. For a dairy-free alternative, use your favorite brand of cheesy shreds.
The Directions
Step 1: Make Cheese Sauce. Heat butter and oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; cook 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in flour and cook 2 full minutes to remove raw flour taste.
Slowly whisk in broth and milk; increase heat to bring mixture to a simmer. Gently simmer for 5 minutes, until sauce thickens. Stir in poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add cheese and stir until melted.
Step 2: Combine Ingredients in a Casserole Dish. Pour cheese sauce overtop, and carefully stir to make sure all components are submerged in sauce.
Step 3: Bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the quinoa and chicken are cooked through.
Step 4: Top with more cheese, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheesy is bubbly.
How to Store and Reheat:
- To Store. Refrigerate quinoa bake in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a small baking dish in the oven at 350ºF. Alternatively, you can rewarm individual portions in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Note:
- You can freeze either before or after baking it – just be sure your dish is freezer-safe.
Recommended Tools to Make Chicken Broccoli Bake:
- 4-quart Casserole Dish: Love that this one comes with a lid for easy storage and travel.
- Small Saucepan: For making the cheesy sauce.
- My Favorite Measuring Spoons: These double-sided spoons have one narrow end designed to fit in spice jars, and one round end for measuring liquids. They’re also magnetic for easy storage.
More Healthy Casserole Recipes to Try:
If you try this chicken broccoli bake, snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth so I can see your beautiful creations. Also, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for the latest recipe updates!
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Quinoa Bake
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion or shallots
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp. black pepper, divided
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup dry (uncooked) quinoa
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups broccoli florets
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.Heat butter and oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in flour and cook 2 full minutes to remove raw flour taste.Slowly whisk in broth and milk; increase heat to bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, whisking often, until sauce slightly thickens. Whisk in poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Remove from heat.
- Cut chicken into small bite-sized pieces, and season with remaining 1/2 tsp. each of salt and black pepper.Grease a 4-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Add quinoa, chicken, and broccoli to dish. Pour cheese sauce overtop and carefully stir, making sure all components are mostly submerged in sauce.
- Bake for 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the quinoa and chicken are cooked through. (If the quinoa and/or chicken are not cooked through at this point, stir and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.)Remove from oven, stir again, and top with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheesy is bubbly and golden. Serve with toppings of choice (I love adding a few dashes of hot sauce.)
Notes
- To Store. Refrigerate in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a small baking dish in the oven at 350ºF. Alternatively, you can rewarm individual portions in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- You can freeze either before or after baking it – just be sure your dish is freezer-safe.
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
I made this with some with a few modifications (below). I had a too-much-liquid issue, but it was fun to make!
I added fresh mushrooms, used 2% milk, swapped half of the poultry seasoning with paprika and ground mustard seed, and I and added a teaspoon of fresh, torn sage.
The sauce smelled delicious and tasted great when I tested it.
I also made this ahead – put everything together and refrigerated for about 3.5 hours before baking.
At 5,280′ elevation, the casserole was very liquidy after 45 min. I gave it another 10min. Then another 10min. Still a lot of liquid but I didn’t want my chicken to be outrageously dry, so I tried to drain some of the liquid. I’m sure the mushrooms added a bit of liquid, but since I cooked them first, I don’t think the liquid was all from the shrooms.
Taste overall was fine (probably would have been better with whole milk!). I wish I had added more herbs and maybe some crushed red pepper.
I think I’ll stick to making chicken, broccoli and quinoa as separate items so I can better control the seasoning, liquid and cook time, but it was a fun dish to make 🙂
So good! We added a bit more poultry seasoning to fit our taste. This was a very low effort meal that was perfect for a simple dinner. It takes longer than a normal casserole, but it’s worth it! The cooking time and liquid worked great for me. We used tricolor quinoa. Just make sure to mix everything well so it can absorb correctly.
I just made and ate this! It was fantastic! Not sure about the comments that it wasn’t enough cooking time, or the wrong amount of liquid. It was just perfect for me. Very tasty. The quinoa was well softened and the chicken was very tender despite being in small chunks. I added extra cheese. I might try to add some zesty spices next time or eat with some hot sauce as I like the stronger flavours.
This recipe was delicious. I made some modifications based on others comments and doubled the chicken for more protein.
I added 1/2 cup of extra broth, though if I made it again, I would try only 1/4 cup more. I cooked it covered at 375 for the first 22.5 min then realized it wasn’t even bubbling so increased the temp to 400. I cooked it the remaining time of my 45 min timer. The quinoa was still not cooked at this time. Then uncovered it and baked for 25 min longer, added the cheese and broiled for 3 min. This took like 2 hours whew. Happy with the 62g of protein with the doubled chicken.
This was a hit! I altered the recipe with the ingredients I had on hand. I used rice instead of quinoa and cauliflower instead of broccoli. I cooked it at 400 degrees for 45 minutes with foil on top and then added the cheese and put it under the broiler and it turned out fantastic. It’s a keeper recipe.
Oven temperature too low. Time to cook not nearly long enough time to cook. Quinoa not cooked thoroughly