I grew up in a home of 9 kids, 4 boys and 5 girls, so keeping us fed and happy I’m sure was a challenge for my mom. She did an amazing job of that too, yet I didn’t really appreciate it until I had a family of my own. Sorry Mom! While growing up in a home that large, life was pretty chaotic sometimes and I usually found my peace by being outside, on my bike, or building a fort somewhere. But one of my favorite memories is of coming home for dinner time to scarf down my mom’s chicken, broccoli and cheese casseroles.
With Mother’s Day on my mind, I had a flashback of that and decided to make my own version of this classic, with a slight update to it, since I am so darn picky. Like most of you I imagine, we’ve usually had this made with a condensed soup of some kind, mushroom or chicken perhaps. I’m not a huge fan of either, so instead I went with sour cream and cream (heavy). I also swapped out the onions for something a little more mild, shallots. And let me tell you, this Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole was ridiculously good and enjoyed by all of us here.
And Mom, if you happen to see this post, thank you for all you’ve done and sacrificed for us. I am so incredibly blessed to have you in my life and I see so much of your spirit in me. And guess what? I’m making this for you soon, perhaps for Mother’s Day. However, it’s my way this time!
Yield: 6
Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour5 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups broccoli florets
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper, finely ground
4 pieces bacon
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream
2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence, or your preferred seasoning
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/3 cups rice, uncooked
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
Blanch broccoli by bringing 3 water and 3 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Plunge florets into water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook bacon. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Crumble cooked bacon and set aside. Cook chicken on each side until just brown, about 2 minutes (chicken may not be cooked throughly, but will be once baked). Remove from pan and set aside.
Add in shallots and cook until transculent. Add 1/2 cup marsala wine and deglaze pan. Let Marsala reduce to 2 tablespoon, then stir in chicken stock. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, cream, parmesan, seasoning and crumbled bacon.
Assembly: Add uncooked rice to casserole pan. Pour liquid mixture on top. Add chicken and broccoli and press into rice mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese on top and bake at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until casserole is creamy.
NOTE: (1) The rice used for this recipe is short grain Japanese rice with a 1 1/2 cup rice to 2 cups of water ratio. (2) For the cream, any kind can be used ie. heavy cream, whipping cream, half and half or whole milk.
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This looks so much better than the soup-based versions, you did a great job updating this recipe! I also like that you used shallots instead of onion, I’ll have to try that the next time I make a casserole. By the way, I’m hosting a link party on my blog right now and I’d love for you to stop by and share this recipe. Have a great weekend!
Matt, I love your version of this casserole dish! Marsala wine and shallots? yes! and oh my gawd, 9 kids?! I hope you’re getting your mom a nice, big gift for Mother’s Day! 🙂 Happy weekend!
I love that this doesn’t a can of creamed soup. My mom used to make casseroles all the time, and I never make them anymore because of the canned stuff. This recipe looks fabulous, and I love the meaning behind it for you. Almost forgot mothers day was coming so fast! Thanks for sharing! Pinned for later 😉
Ok, holy yum. I’m usually not one for casserole dishes because almost all of them have a can of cream of whatever in it. But this dish seriously sounds amazing, love the marsala addition to this. Pinned this for sure Matt, gorgeous pics as always!
Pure comfort food at its best! This casserole looks so delicious and perfect for enjoying lots of leftovers throughout the weekend. Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend.
What fun memories! Growing up in a large family too, we had a lot of casseroles. I share some with my boys now and then. (Don’t think they’d go for the cream tuna on toast, we always had when I was younger…) But, my boys actually love broccoli. So, I know they would love this dish!
I’m not sure why but rice just isn’t cutting it for me since I’ve become pregnant 🙁
Do you think it’d work with substituting rice for whole-wheat pasta? My brother and his fiance are coming over tomorrow night and I really want to make this!
Hi Jovana, I haven’t tested it with pasta so it’s hard to say if the liquid ratio will work out the same. Although, if I were trying this, I would definitely make sure the liquid completely covers the pasta. And if you do try it with the pasta, please come back and let me know if it works out. Thanks!
Such a sweet post! I love that you’ve honored your mom in this way. I make a similar dish for my son and he loves it! I use penne instead of rice, and cream cheese and milk to make it creamy. I love that you’ve added bacon, and he would love that even more!!!
Just made for dinner tonight!!! Very Delish! The cream sauce is so good you could thicken it a bit and use it for other recipes, like just to throw over boiled noodles with sausage or sundried tomatoes. It’s also a “make ahead” recipe, like when the baby is napping and throw in the oven when the husband is on his way home from work. Thanks for the recipe!!
This looks delicious! Has anyone tried it as a make-ahead meal? Or how does it re-heat? I am looking for a recipe for children at a local shelter facility that can be made ahead. Thank you!
I think I might cry… the recipe is not appearing here anymore! I have it pinned and now I’m just getting photos and your blog post! We LOVE this casserole!
Soooo, I REEEEEEALLY want this, but I’m unwilling to buy wine for recipes bc we don’t drink it, so it makes recipes expensive. Can you think of a substitute that might work?
The same thing happened to me. I could see the recipe the other day when I was in the grocery store and purchased all of the ingredients, now I can’t see the recipe anymore only pictures and the story behind it. Kind of disappointed as I was all ready to start cooking.
Hi! I can’t wait to make this recipe. I have looked at the ingredients list for the last 10 minutes and I can’t seem to find Chicken in it. Am I crazy? Probably. Anyways I was just wondering if you use chicken breast or thighs and how much. Thank you!
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If you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and review. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Your support means a great deal to me.
44 comments to " Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole "