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.
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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 40 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
- ½ 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 ¼ 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 thickens. Stir in poultry seasoning, 1 tsp. salt, ¾ tsp. black pepper, and ½ cup of the shredded cheese. Remove from heat.
- Cut chicken into small bite-sized pieces, and season with remaining ¼ tsp. each of salt and black pepper.Grease a 4-quart casserole 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 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the quinoa and chicken are cooked through.Remove from oven, stir again, and top with remaining ½ cup shredded cheese. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheesy is bubbly and golden. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
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.
JPN
This was the perfect dish on a cold fall day.
Ended up adding cubed butternut squash pieces, mixing brown rice with the quinoa, and a splash of white wine.
Delicious and still nutritious!
Jennifer Barton
Very tasty. I used violife cheese and oat milk in the sauce and it turned out just fine. I didn’t cover and the quinoa/chicken was done in 40-45 minutes. I had some internal debate on what size pan to use bc the linked (and pretty pan) was smaller in dimension than my Pyrex that said 3 quarts. I made two batches so I just spread between two large Pyrex’s and it worked. I used cornstarch bc my flour was embarrassingly out of date. I also didn’t have poultry seasoning so I used thyme, sage and a dash of nutmeg. I used real cheese to top one dish and the rest of the violife on the other. Now we have lunch for at least half the days this week. Woohoo!
I do prefer Jamie’s newer more-veggie heavy recipes but this had chicken and was a nice cozy option for the cool front hitting.
Jamie Vespa
Hi Jennifer, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking time to leave a review!
Leanne
I made this on a whim because I happened to have almost everything on hand, love when that happens! The one thing I didn't have was quinoa so I subbed a Thai jasmine rice and it still turned out great. I covered with foil like some others mentioned. And I did take it out at 35 minutes, stirred, sprinkled the cheese on top and put the foil back over the top for a couple of minutes to help it melt instead of doing the broil step. We all loved it!
Rebecca
Enjoyed this! It did taste healthy but I may have not seasoned my chicken enough. I didn’t cover with foil like other comments suggested and my quinoa still cooked after 40 minutes.
Carla
Followed the recipe exactly as I am still learning and trying new thing. Turned out amazing!!! Defiantly adding this to my favourites. The only thing I did was cover the dish as per a previous comment and it turned out great! No problems with the quinoa cooking at all
Jamie Vespa
Hi Carla - I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back and leaving a review!
Steph
Cathy, did you use the same amount of liquid for the sauce? I'm thinking of cooking the quinoa in the 2 c of broth, and then making the sauce just with the milk, adding in rotisserie chicken, and using gruyere. Thoughts?
Christina M
I recommend covering the dish while in the oven to make sure the quinoa cooks properly. This was delicious and pretty easy for a weekend meal!
Kristen
This recipe changed! I’ve been making this for a few years and came back to it today to make it, and it’s quite different. The chicken, quinoa, and broccoli were all cooked before. I’m going to try and make it the old way as comments suggest the new way isn’t quite working.
Jamie Vespa
Hi Kristen,
Yes, I did update the recipe a few months ago in an attempt to make it more streamlined. My hope was for all of the components to cook in the same pan, rather than cooking them individually and then baking together. Less dishes is always a win in my book!
I tested the new version many times with success, however I have seen commenters have issues with the cook time so far. I am going to revisit it again soon to address these issues.
I apologize for the confusion, and hope it turns out the way you have enjoyed it in the past.
Cheers
Cathy
I used leftover cooked quinoa and leftover rotisserie chicken. I kept an eye on it after 20 mins and ended up cooking for 30 mins plus the time for browning the cheese. This is going into my fall/winter meal rotation 🙂 thank you!
Steph
Cathy, did you use the same amount of liquid for the sauce? I'm thinking of cooking the quinoa in the 2 c of broth, and then making the sauce just with the milk, adding in rotisserie chicken, and using gruyere. Thoughts?
Anna
First time I used a slightly larger (I didn't realize) pan and the quinoa wasn't fully submerges so not edible. The second time right pan but still, the quinoa isn't as fluffy as the picture - more of a soupy mix 🙁
Jamie Vespa
Hi, Anna! I'm sorry the recipe did not turn out - I can't figure out why your quinoa turned out soupy? Was the milk mixture thickened before you added it to the baking dish?
Kelly
My fam didn't complain about this meal. I think I'll be making it again in the future. Thanks for sharing it! I might suggest noting the size pan in the recipe section, I took a stab with using a 9-x13 and see now, after scrolling through comments to use that size.
Sara
This was so delicious!
Amy
This was seriously so good! We made it gluten free by substituting corn starch for flour. Excellent!
dishingouthealth
Hi Amy—so glad to hear!! And thanks for letting me know about the success of your substitution—it's always great for me to include tidbits like that in the recipe notes. Cheers!
DM
What size casserole pan?
Melanie @ Nutritious Eats
It looks delicious. I want some!