Creamy Rosemary Chicken and Broccoli Bake
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A bed of whole grain brown rice topped with a creamy chicken and broccoli casserole. The casserole is made with low fat milk as well as lean grilled rosemary chicken breast.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded*
  • 2 small heads of broccoli, roughly chopped (about 3 heaping cups)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, finely chopped or ¾ teaspoon dried
  • 1 cup milk (I used 2%. If using lighter, increase cornstarch to 2½-3 teaspoons)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, or one cube
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 oz. cream cheese (I used fat free because I accidentally bought it. Worked great though!)
  • ⅔ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 3 cups cooked brown rice
Directions
  1. **Begin cooking rice according to package directions. Begin cooking chicken or use a shredded rotisserie chicken or boil the breasts for 12 minutes. (If you choose boiling, salt and pepper the chicken after shredding to add more taste.)
  2. Prepare ingredients by mincing garlic and rosemary. Rosemary leaves should equal 1 tablespoon before chopping. After chopping it should yield about 1½ teaspoons. Wash and roughly chop mushrooms. Finely chop onion. Wash and roughly chop broccoli heads.
  3. Melt butter in medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir frequently during all these additions.
  4. In a bowl mix cold milk with cornstarch. Stir to dissolve. Add mixture to onion and mushroom mixture. Add rosemary, chicken bouillon, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil and cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese. Stir until fully melted. Salt and pepper sauce to taste. Remove from heat.
  5. Place broccoli in a microwave safe container with 4 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Drain. Lightly grease an 8 X 8 casserole dish. Distribute broccoli evenly in dish.
  6. Shred chicken and layer evenly on top of broccoli.
  7. Pour sauce to cover all chicken. Spread evenly. Bake in oven at 350 degrees uncovered for 25 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and layer with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Return to oven for additional 10 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff rice before serving.
  9. Serve each bowl with ½ cup of rice and broccoli casserole on top. I like to garnish mine with toasted chopped pecans. Oh, and this tastes almost better the next day! No complaining for leftovers.
Notes
*My favorite method of cooking chicken is heavily seasoning it with salt, pepper, crushed rosemary and garlic. Grill for 5 minutes on each side until no longer pink in middle.
**I always cook my rice in chicken or vegetable broth to give it more flavor.
Recipe by Breezy Bakes at https://www.breezybakes.com/creamy-rosemary-chicken-and-broccoli-bake/