Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

Like most moms, I am extremely busy juggling work, family, and now blogging. Regardless of how demanding my schedule is, my kids are my priority and making sure they have a great time is a must.

I had promised my younger daughter to take her to the city. In order to keep my promise, dinner must be a quick fix.  What better than Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole to make my crowd happy.  I must confess, I had leftover cooked rice and chicken which saved me even more time.  This is how I made this flavorful dish.

Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 medium head broccoli, cut into small florets

2 cups of cooked white rice

1 cup of sour cream

¼ cup of mayonnaise

¼ cup heavy cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups of cheddar cheese

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp pepper flakes

1tbsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray the baking dish

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat a pan, add the olive oil, cook the chicken about 2 minutes each side.  Let them cool then shred them.  Transfer the shredded chicken to a bowl, combine the chicken soup, the sour cream, the heavy cream, the mayonnaise, the lemon juice, and half of the cheddar cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook your white rice as you would normally do.

Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets, and boil until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread the rice in an even layer in the baking dish. Make a second layer with the broccoli. Pour the chicken mixture over the broccoli and top with the remaining Cheddar and parsley flakes.

Bake for 40 minutes; let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetit