I have fond memories of Mom making chicken and broccoli casserole when I was a kid. I hadn't had it in years. But found myself suddenly craving it while pregnant, so I asked her for the recipe. Turns out it was chicken divan + rice! She pointed me at a recipe from the Cozy Cook as something that looked pretty close to her version. I tried it out and it was nice, but came out a bit stodgy. I think that was probably down to the rice that I used though. I only had jasmine rice on hand, so I went with that, but I think that basmati would probably give a better result. Or maybe even a long-grain brown rice. I also think that her version went heavier on the broccoli and maybe a bit lighter on the chicken. Not that this version wasn't good, but I did find myself missing the extra broccoli a bit. So I might try adjusting the proportions slightly next time. Otherwise, it was quite nice though.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Adapted from The Cozy Cook

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 750g skinless boneless chicken breasts (or ~3 c. chopped cooked chicken)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 celery stalks, chopped
• 5 c. broccoli florets
• 1 can (~300mL) condensed cream of celery soup
• 2/3 c. sour cream or mayonnaise
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika (optional)
• ~2 c. grated cheddar cheese, divided
• ~2 c. cooked rice
• 1/2 c. crushed Ritz crackers or panko breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a large casserole dish.
2. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
3. Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter over medium heat.
4. Add the chicken, onion, and celery and cook until chicken is about halfway done (~3 minutes).
5. Add the broccoli and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the soup, sour cream/mayo, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard, and paprika (if using).
7. Stir in half of the cheese.
8. Spread the rice in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish and top with the chicken and broccoli mixture.
9. Top with remaining cheese, cover, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 15-20 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter over medium heat and add the crushed Ritz crackers/breadcrumbs and stir to coat.
11. Remove casserole from oven, increase heat to 200°C (400°F), uncover, and top with buttered crumbs.
12. Return to oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
13. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.