Low-Carb Chicken & Broccoli Casserole – Cheesy, Creamy and Keto-Dreamy!
One of the many joys of keto… CHEESE! And, this chicken broccoli casserole is full of it.
Oh, this casserole! It’s on my MVP list of keto dinner ideas that the entire family loves, particularly on cold winter evenings. For anyone who adores the marriage of chicken and cheese, it’s a match made in heaven, with tiny broccoli florets to help balance the rich, creaminess of the dish.
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I love casseroles because they’re easy to make ahead of time.
Dinner time is a bit chaotic in my house, so make-ahead meals are a real time-saver. This chicken and cheese keto casserole is super easy to prepare and can be refrigerated until you’re ready to pop it in the oven. The leftovers reheat wonderfully, so I can serve it two nights in a row. And wouldn’t you know it — nobody ever complains!
Keto Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
yield: 10 SERVINGS
prep time: 35 MINUTES
cook time: 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES
total time: 2 HOURS
For anyone who adores the marriage of chicken and cheese, it’s a match made in heaven, with tiny broccoli florets to help balance the rich and creaminess of the dish.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 lbs)
- 3 medium heads broccoli, cut into 1" to 1 1/2" florets (approx. 9 cups of raw, cut broccoli)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup block cream cheese, (8 oz package) softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (8 oz bag), divided (1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup for topping)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, (8 oz bag) divided, (1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup for topping)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon powder (can substitute with one crushed bouillon cube)
- 1/2 cup hot water
Directions
1
Place chicken breasts in a large pot and pour in enough water to cover the breasts. Salt the water. Place over medium/high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until no longer pink, about 40 minutes. Allow chicken to cool, then shred it into small pieces. Set aside.
2
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
3
Add a few pinches of salt to the broccoli florets and steam until crisp-tender using your favorite method. Once cooked, drain to remove excess moisture, set aside.
4
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, blend sour cream, softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, egg, and spices (salt through pepper) until thoroughly combined. Dissolve bouillon in 1/2 cup of hot water and beat into the mixture. Now add 1 1/2 cups each cheddar and mozzarella, mix well. Lastly, add the shredded chicken, stir to combine.
5
Spread about 1/4 of the chicken mixture into an even layer on the bottom of your greased baking dish. Make a second layer using the broccoli, followed by the rest of the chicken mixture. Top with remaining cheese.
6
Bake for 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 10 servings, Serving Size: approx. 1 1/4 cups
Amount Per Serving:
634 Calories | 40.1g Fat | 7.5g Total Carbs | 1.9g Fiber | .1g Sugar Alcohol | 56.1g Protein | 5.6g Net Carbs
Hip Recipe Tips:
1.) You can prepare this dish ahead of time! Just cover it in a sheet of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
2.) Pressed for time? Skip stove-top steaming and use this top-rated, BPA-free microwave veggie steamer.
3.) If you’re away from home for most of the day, use this easy slow cooker method for cooking the chicken: Arrange chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour water (or broth) over the chicken. Add a touch of salt. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
I made this this week and it was AMAZING! I used a rotisserie chicken that I had on hand. We loved it as leftovers the next day and the whole family loved it!
Yipee!! So happy to hear that it was a hit!
What do you make for Keto side or do you not have one
Hi Kelly! Often I’ll serve it as a stand-alone one dish meal but my go-to side is a leafy green salad with an olive oil vinaigrette. Yum!
I made this today! I would say it doesnt need any sides since its very filling and satisfying.
Hi Laura! So glad to hear that you enjoyed it as much as we do🤗
I want the salad… need the salad…gotta have fresh stuff…. something has to balance out the no fresh fruit… so salad… every single day.
It’s an all in one since the broccoli is in there, too!
Yum-love the rotisserie chicken idea. We are a smaller household so I would divide into 2 casseroles: eat one, freeze one. Thanks for great recipe!
Great idea! You are SO welcome! Hope you love it as much as we have!
Do you cook the dish then freeze it
Sodium content?
Hey there, Juanita! The sodium content per serving is 298 mg.
Wow Great tasting casserole
Yay! SO glad you enjoyed it!
Prepared this recipe yesterday and it was delicious. Just served it with a tossed salad. Thanks!!
You are very welcome! Super happy you enjoyed it!
Has anyone successfully cooked this after freezing?
AWESOME recipe! Whole family LOVED it! Will definitely be making again!!!
Woohoo! Happy to hear what a hit it was, Jaycee! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
My husband and I just went low-carb, and I made this last night. It was so good! Thanks for helping us on our low-carb journey!
Hi Jo Ellen! Thank you so much for letting me know. 🤗 This is one of my personal faves! I also REALLY like the spaghetti squash “lasagna” if you decide to try another hearty casserole. https://hip2keto.com/recipes/italian-sausage-spaghetti-squash-casserole/
Best of luck with your new low-carb lifestyle! 🎉 Following Hip2Keto is a great way to start!
That is my personal favorite too!
Can you freeze this before you cook it? Has anyone tried to?!
You could try that or refrigerate until you are ready to make dinner! Hope that helps!
Could you use frozen broccoli for this recipe?
Hi Dawn. Yes, I think that would work fine. Let me know if you give it a shot!
I made this today with frozen broccoli that I steamed in the microwave and poured in a bowl and added so salt to….I will let you know how it is.
I did! It was just as good!
Thank you so much for this recipe – it was SOOO GOOOD!! I used a whole rotisserie chicken, as another commenter suggested. My husband and I both ate way too much because we couldn’t stop eating it. It’s definitely going to be part of our regular rotation now. But, I’m sorry, I have to say it made me so sad that you recommended using disposable plastic bags for steaming food. It really breaks my heart to think about how much plastic we already throw away every day, let alone adding to that just for convenience, when there are plenty of other options which really aren’t that inconvenient.
Hi Sheila! I’m SO glad you liked it! And thanks for your feedback on the bags. Honestly, I rarely use them… you’ve inspired me to update the post first thing tomorrow. No need to encourage wastefulness! ❤️😘
Can you use frozen broccoli?
Hi Pam. I haven’t tried frozen broccoli, however, I think that it will work okay. I’d steam the frozen broccoli for 3-5 minutes. Then drain well and pat dry before adding to the casserole. Let me know how it goes! 😄
Amazing recipe. I used thyme instead of garlic, allergic, 3/4 c. Of sour cream because that’s all I had and used pepper jack cheese instead of mozzarella. OMG. Great.
Yay! SO glad you loved it, Maria! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Am I reading it correctly. 7g net carbs?
Yes, you are reading that right, Kristian!
This was delicious,I cut recipe In 1/2,made in 4×4 pan,had with a small salad! Family loved it!
We’re so happy you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for taking time to share your feedback!
Could you tell me about the sugar content in this Please ?
Hi there! It looks like this will work out to 3g of sugar. 0 sugar alcohols. Hope that helps!
What’s the saturated fat count
Hi Sandra! We calculate the total fat above. You can find the saturated fat content by plugging these ingredients into an app such as My Fitness Pal. Hoping that might help!
I made this tonight and it was fantastic. I halved the recipe and made it a glass 8×8 casserole dish because my boys would not eat it. My daughter and I loved it and I will make the full recipe next time.
Thanks so much for sharing with us how much you and your daughter loved this, Heather!
Looks good
just wondering why adding water is a good idea? makes me think it would take away from the flavor
Hi Maggie! Are you asking about the 1/2 cup of hot water? That is to dissolve the bouillon powder. It may be too thick without it. Hope this helps!
I didn’t have enough broccoli, so used 2/3 broccoli and 1/3 cauliflower. I used fresh cauliflower, but frozen broccoli; steamed and allowed to dry. It was the perfect “go-to” at the end of a long day, also great leftovers! We LOVED it so much!
I’ll be making it again!
Woohoo! Thanks for letting us know how well liked it was, Jennifer! We’re so happy everyone loved it!
Can you use chicken broth instead of bouillon?
Yes! You can do that! 🙂
if using chicken broth would you use 1/2 cup? or can you just eliminate the broth/bouillon/water and use poultry season or nothing in its place?
Hi there! Yes! You can use 1/2 cup chicken broth in place of the 1/2 cup hot water + 1 teaspoon of bouillon powder. Enjoy!
Recipe says 4 chicken breasts, then says “about 3 lbs”. Is this correct or is it supposed to be 3 cups? I don’t think I’ve ever had 4 breasts that weighed 3 lbs. thanks! Looking forward to making!
Hi Kelly! It is correct as written. Marley may have used larger chicken breasts. As long as you have about 3 pounds of chicken, you should be good to go. Hope that helps!
I am really excited to try this recipe! Is there something I could use in place of the mayo? My family doesn’t care for mayo. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Hi April! You could maybe try a 1/2 cup more of sour cream or plain greek yogurt. Hoping that helps!
Or IV used cream of mushroom or cream of chicken. It’s was still pretty good.
I made it tonight and everyone loved it,I didn’t have the bouillon so I just used some chicken stock from boiling the chicken ❤️
Oh awesome! Thanks a bunch for commenting, Susan! We’re so happy to hear how yummy it turned out!
The flavors are fabulous! My sauce wasn’t creamy after baking, it separated. I did make the change of adding diced fresh onion because I was out of onion powder. Do you think that caused it? It is so delicious that I want to make it again and see if I get it right!
Yes, that may have been the issue since the fresh onion would have added moisture to the dish. Hoping you love it even more if you use the powder next time!
This is a large dish for just me and my hubby. Can I half all the ingredients to yield 5 servings or what do you suggest?
Yes! That should work! You may need to lessen the cooking time as well.
Looks great!! I will be trying this recipe real soon!!!
Hope you love it, Natalie! Let us know how it turns out for you!
I don’t like broccoli or cauliflower. What other vegetable could I use?
Hi there! You could try spinach or kale. Those would be yummy too!
Would you use frozen or fresh spinach and how much?
We haven’t tried using spinach in this recipe but if you opt for fresh, 2-3 handfuls of spinach should suffice. If using frozen, try using a 9 oz. or 10 oz. package, thaw, and drain off excess water before incorporating into the recipe. Let us know how that substitution turns out!
I made this tonight. I have never posted a comment on a recipe but I had to. It’s AMAZING!!! I couldn’t keep my boyfriend out of it (who’s not keto). Love love love!!
Wow! Thanks so much for coming back and telling us how much you loved it, Jeannie!
My husband likes chicken, but nit a huge fan. Loves beef and broccoli, so I am going to try it with beef instead, should be interesting and will let ya know.
I’d love to hear how it turns out, Tracy!
Wonder if you could sub turkey (left over from Thanksgiving) for the chicken??
Yes! Great idea, Mendy! We have tried it with Turkey too and it is SO good! 😊
I added bacon! It was delish!! Thanx for the recipe it will be a staple in my house 😋
You’re welcome, Shelley! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Has anybody used green beans instead of broccoli?
Hi Jan! You can swap out with other veggies you might like. Here are some suggestions – https://hip2keto.com/tips/best-worst-vegetables-keto-diet/
Hope that helps!
Why not use frozen veggies? I hate cutting up veggies and broccoli is easy to find frozen. Saves time.
That could work too! A few readers above shared how that worked out for them! Let us know how you like it!
If I were to use chicken broth instead of bouillon, how much should I use??
If you want to use broth instead of bouillon, you can just add 1/2 cup broth and don’t add the water. Hope this helps, Amanda!
It may be keto free but it’s a heart attack on a plate! The cholesterol count on this dish must go through the roof
Hi Thomas! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. We do have a few posts on Cholesterol with eating Keto that you may find helpful –
https://hip2keto.com/tips/keto-nutritionist-cholesterol-glucose/
https://hip2keto.com/tips/keto-cholesterol-facts/
https://hip2keto.com/tips/is-the-keto-diet-healthy-and-safe/
Can I substitute heavy cream for 1/2 of the sour cream
Hi Keith! Unfortunately I believe this may make it soupy & change the consistency. You might be better off trying plain yogurt as a sub. Hope this helps!
Are we supposed to cover the casserole with foil while baking? I’m getting ready to put it in the oven right now, and I will just put it in uncovered and watch it closely. I just wondered if there’s a preferred way to bake it. It looks delicious!
You do not need to cover it, Cindi. If you like your cheese less brown, you could cover it and remove the foil for the last 5 – 10 minutes of cooking.
We, “my family” just calls this meat potatoe pie. Lol
Just made this because I love chicken and broccoli and cheese . It is delicious . I will be living on this .
Hi Krissi! We are so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to let us know❤
Made this tonight. Substituted shredded Muenster cheese (no carbs) chicken bone broth. It was amazing. Totally will make this again. Very rich. So a little on your plate goes along way.
Hi Andrea. What a great idea! Sounds delicious. Thank you for taking the time to share your helpful tips. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe❤
I’m dairy, wheat, corn and soy free. Any substitutions for the cream cheese, sour cream that I can use?
Hi Pam! You could substitute with Kite Hill or Good Karma dairy free products. You could also try Miyoko’s. We have a post on their products here –> https://hip2keto.com/product-reviews/miyokos-creamery-vegan-products/
Hope this helps!
I made this yesterday. It didn’t last long. Everyone loved it! Very good recipe. I’m
Hi Kathy! This is fantastic. So glad that your family loved it! Thank you for the feedback.
is the serving size 1/4 cup or 1 1/4 cup/ 1/4 cup is a very small portion.
Hi Rhonda! This makes 10 servings, about 1 1/4 cups per serving. Hope that helps!
Thanks. I thought that was the serving size. I made it last night it is delicious
Yay! You’re so welcome! Glad to hear how yummy it turned out!
I made this last night and it was a hit. My one daughter is allergic to broccoli so I made a separate one for her and substituted spinach. She loved it! Next time I will add mushrooms and turkey bacon to her spinach one. So many ones to change this around. Love the recipe!!
Hi there! So glad to hear this. What a great idea for a substition! Thanks for sharing❤
Could i use frozen broccoli?
Yes! That would work too! Just be sure to steam and drain the broccoli first. Enjoy!
I have a bag of frozen broccoli florets. Can I use that instead of raw?
Yes! Frozen will work as well. Just be sure to steam and drain before assembling the casserole! Let us know how it turns out!
OMG, this was a huge hit in my house. I have. Three kids in my middle child Is the pickiest eater ever in this is one of her favorite dishes. She’s already asking me when I’m going to make it again.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that! This is one of my favorites, too!
My wife made this casserole today and it was awesome!!
Hi Tom! Thank you for letting us know. This one is definitely a delicious one, so glad that your family loved it too!
Did I miss what temp to bake this casserole for 45 minutes?
Hi Miriam! It is 350 degrees. 😊
added a little rach seasoning powder. amazing dish!
Yum! Thanks for letting us know how your version turned out!