Grain-Free Chicken + Broccoli Casserole
This Grain-Free Chicken + Broccoli Casserole is one of my family’s favorite dinners. We love how incredibly delicious and healthy it is, that it’s low in carbs and it’s a great way to sneak some veggies into a picky eater’s diet! 😉
Happy Weekend, Friends!🥦🥦🥦
We’re taking a trip to savory town again this week with our chicken + broccoli casserole! And there’s more to come–our twice baked jalapeño + cheddar potatoes will be here next week. Clearly we’re on a comfort food bender!
And this dish is comforting, indeed. It’s perfect fare for a cool, fall evening–it’ll warm you right up with it’s soothing, familiar + delicious flavors.😌 This casserole has a savory bread crumb mixture that is doubled to provide a crusty golden exterior as well as a delicious base that adds texture and flavor for the perfect bite every time.
Tips For Today:
-Read through the instructions prior to baking, it will make the process easier and more fun overall!
-You can create bread crumbs from any savory bread recipe of your choosing that works with your diet. This version is quick, easy + delicious. Links to our Paleo + Low-Carb versions below.
-For the Paleo version, make sure to use plain almond milk and omit the cheese and add 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning + 1/4 tsp salt to the bread crumb mixture and then follow recipe as written. You can make bread crumbs from our Paleo Bread Recipe or our SCD bread Crumb Recipe.
-Low-Carb Version uses our SCD Bread Crumb Recipe. Keep in mind that the 2 3/4 tbsp of tapioca starch in this recipe will add about 26g of carbs to the entire recipe which is ten servings– this comes to 2.6g carbs per serving. You will have to factor in the carbs from the broccoli and almonds as well. Cheese and chicken is negligible. Overall, it’s a good low carb choice.
-And feel free to mix and match ingredients, one of our favorite casseroles growing up was turkey and asparagus, for example, so yummy!
Happy Baking + Enjoy The Recipe!!😊
Grain-Free Chicken + Broccoli Casserole
- Total Time: About An Hour
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
Description
7.3 net carbs per serving, nutrition facts below recipe
Ingredients
- Chicken:
- 2Â large chicken breasts (skinless + boneless)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Broccoli:
- 2 cups broccoli florets (lightly cooked or blanched)
- Topping:
- 3 cups bread crumbs (we have paleo + low carb versions, see tips section in post above for links)
- 2 cups shredded cheese (we use a blend of cheddar + parmesan) dairy-free can use “Daiya” brand. See tips section in post above for Paleo version.
- 1/4 cup melted butter (or ghee), Earth Balance for dairy-free
- Sauce:
- 1/4 cup melted butter or ghee (Earth balance for dairy-free)
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon potato starch (not potato flour) No substitutes
- 2Â cups whole milk or half + half for less carbs (plain soy milk or coconut milk with plain almond milk for dairy-free)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Chicken: Place your chicken breasts in an 8×8 baking dish (or something similar). Brush the tops of your chicken breasts with olive oil and then sprinkle the lemon pepper over top. Place into the oven uncovered for about 30 minutes or until just cooked through.
- Remove chicken from oven, place onto clean cutting board and slice into bite size pieces. Set aside.
- Broccoli: Blanch or lightly steam broccoli florets, set aside.
- Topping: In a large bowl, add your bread crumbs, shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Toss until evenly incorporated. Set aside.
- Sauce: Make sure to have your milk and your potato starch measured in separate dishes before you start the sauce.
- In a medium sized pot, melt 1/4 cup of butter at medium heat. After butter is melted, slowly whisk in the potato starch, stir rapidly for about 30 seconds. Then add in your milk, about 1/2 a cup at a time. The mixture will thicken very quickly, so whisk very vigorously, this way it will be nice and smooth. After you have incorporated all the milk, add in your salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder to taste. Allow it to come to a boil while stirring and then remove from heat. Then add in your chicken and broccoli and combine with large spoon until incorporated evenly.
- Putting Casserole Together: Press half of your bread crumb mixture on the bottom of your casserole dish. Add your chicken + broccoli filling and spread it evenly over the bread crumbs. Finally, sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs evenly on top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes until golden brown and bubbling around the edges. (For low-carb + paleo version, cover for the first 20 minutes with foil, then uncovered 15). Serve hot and store leftovers in covered dish or airtight container + refrigerate. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
Catherine, your photos are spectacular! This chicken and broccoli casserole looks perfect. The crumb texture on top- I can taste it now. This is truly a wonderful meal to start off the season!
Oh my goodness, thank you so much Noelle!! You are incredibly kind, I’m really enjoying this one, I just love a meal you can eat the whole week long! 😀
Lemon pepper sounds fabulous in this casserole. I’m a broccoli and casserole lover so this is right down my alley! Pinning, it looks soooo comforting! Thus exactly what you were going for! ha! Love it and can’t wait to try it! Thanks Catherine!!
Haha yes!! Thank you so much Kim! It really is such a comforting dish, I hope you’ll love it! 😀