Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole
This Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole is the ultimate "dump and bake" lifesaver that cooks dry pasta and raw chicken directly in the oven for a perfectly creamy, 10-minute prep meal. It’s foolproof, family-friendly and designed to stay cheesy and creamy, even when life gets busy.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 (10.5-oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
- ½ teaspoon EACH of dried parsley, dried thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt, plus black pepper to taste
- 3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth Using low-sodium lets you control the saltiness so it doesn't get overwhelming.
- 1 (12.6-oz) bag frozen baby broccoli florets Thawed and drained, so they don't water down your sauce.
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast Diced into small ½-inch pieces, so they cook through at the same rate as the pasta.
- 1 (16-oz) box uncooked short pasta Elbows, rotini, or shells work best. Avoid extra-large shapes like rigatoni, as they might not cook through evenly in the steam.
- ¾ cup half-and-half This adds that final touch of richness, you can use heavy cream or evaporated milk if that's what you have.
- 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese Divided into ½ cup for the mix and 1 cup for the top. Grating it yourself from a block always melts better!
Instructions
- Prep:Get that oven heated up to 425°F. Give a 9x13-inch baking dish a light grease - a little cooking spray does the trick. Get your ingredients ready.
- Mix it up:In a big bowl, whisk together the cans of soup and all your seasonings. Slowly blend in the chicken broth until it's smooth.2 (10.5-oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup, ½ teaspoon EACH of dried parsley, dried thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt, plus black pepper to taste, 3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Assemble:Stir in the thawed broccoli, the raw chicken pieces, the dry pasta, and ½ cup of that cheese.Tip: Make sure the pasta is mostly submerged in the liquid so it cooks evenly.1 (12.6-oz) bag frozen baby broccoli florets, 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 (16-oz) box uncooked short pasta, 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
- Cover & bake (Part 1):Spread the whole mixture into your prepared dish. Cover your dish up super tight with foil. This is the secret - you need to trap every bit of steam to cook that dry pasta.Bake at 425°F for 40–50 minutes. You’re looking for the pasta to be almost tender (check it around 40 minutes).
- Stir & cheese (Part 2):Carefully pull it out and remove the foil (watch out for steam!). Give everything a good stir to redistribute the sauce. Stir in the half-and-half and then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of the cheese on top.¾ cup half-and-half
- Finish & serve:Pop it back in the oven, uncovered this time, for another 5–10 minutes. Everything should be cooked through and the cheese all bubbly and perfect.Let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes before you serve it. Don't skip this - it's when the sauce "sets up" and gets that perfect creamy texture rather than being soupy. If you scoop it immediately, it'll be too thin!
