This creamy chicken broccoli pasta bake is done without boiling and all from scratch - no canned soup needed! Just 10 minutes of prep, then the oven does the rest, and you can make it even easier with leftover chicken. Get ready for delicious comfort food made from scratch!
An Easy Chicken Dinner That Always Delivers
I've made this recipe for years now, and every time I am surprised by just how good it is. It sounds so simple - but the result is incredible. It's cheesy, filling and very comforting - but there's also quite a lot of broccoli in there, for some added nutrients.
And it's one of those recipes that's just SO easy to make. Or how about 10 minutes of prep, and then dump it all in a casserole dish and let it cook itself.
Unlike most other dump-and-bake casseroles, this one uses no condensed soup or other shortcuts - it's just chicken, cream, milk and cheese for a comforting dinner made from scratch.
Want to make it even easier, with almost no prep at all? Just use leftover chicken, or shredded rotisserie chicken.
Or prep it 1-2 days ahead, store in the fridge, and pop in the oven when you get home from work. You can also cook it ahead of time - it's even better the next day!
And if you love dishes like this creamy chicken casserole - make sure to check out my Sundried Tomato Chicken Pasta, Gorgonzola Tortellini Casserole and all my other cheap and easy casseroles as well! Or try a Cajun Alfredo for something a bit different...
"This casserole was delicious and easy to prepare! I liked that the pasta did not have to be precooked. My husband really enjoyed this dish." - Cynthia
Simple Ingredients for Amazing Flavor
What Chicken to Use
I love using chicken thigh filets, as they have more flavor than chicken breasts, but you can use any cut of chicken without bones.
You can also use leftover shredded chicken or other leftover chicken, or grab a rotisserie chicken at the store. You can use the same seasoning anyway unless it's already heavily seasoned. Just skip the actual cooking-the-chicken part if it is already cooked!
What Cheese to Use
I like a combination of 2 types of cheese for this recipe. One flavorful cheese like parmesan, grana padano or pecorino - and one that melts really well for the perfect texture. For the second cheese I like mozzarella, cheddar, gouda or a pre-shredded melty cheese blend.
If using pre-shredded cheese, just make sure it's 100% cheese, without any added ingredients like anti-caking agents.
Full Fat Dairy
To avoid the sauce curdling you want to use full fat dairy products. Using a mix of cream and milk already reduces the amount of fat versus using all heavy cream, so you don't want to reduce it further with low fat products.
Should the Pasta Really Go In Raw?!
Yes, it should! This is what makes this casserole sooo easy and the prep so quick. The pasta cooks just as well in the milk and cream, or actually better - it gets so much flavor and everything combines really well.
How to Make It in 3 Simple Steps
1. Mix
Cook the chicken and place in a casserole dish with everything except the cream, milk, and half of both cheeses. Mix until well combined.
2. Cheese + Liquids
Top with the rest of the cheese and pour over the cream and milk. Make sure all pasta is submerged.
3. Bake
Bake until golden brown, set, and the pasta is cooked through. This will take about 1 hour. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then serve!
Top Tips
To avoid the sauce curdling, you need to choose the right ingredients. If the sauce curdles this is generally due to using low-fat dairy and/or pre-shredded cheese with added anti-caking agents. You need to use full-fat cream, milk, and shred your own cheese or make sure it is 100% cheese.
Use frozen broccoli at your own risk. Frozen broccoli tends to release a lot of liquid, which can make the casserole watery. It's still going to be "fine", but the texture might not be as nice. So I recommend using fresh broccoli for this recipe.
Make sure all the pasta is well submerged. Any pieces sticking out will not cook.
Lower the temperature if your oven runs hot. You need to strike a balance between the pasta getting done, and the casserole not drying out. If your oven tends to run hot, bake at 325°F (175°C) instead.
Make sure it doesn't burn. If it does get too much color, tent with foil for the remaining bake time.
Allow to rest before serving. It can be a bit watery when coming out of the oven, just let it sit for 10 minutes and it will firm up and become super creamy and nice.
Prep ahead! You can prep it fully 1-2 days before and just stick it in the oven an hour before you want to have dinner. Either bring to room temperature first, or add 10-20 minutes to the cook time.
Make it ahead of time! This casserole is even better the next day or the day after - and they hold up well in the freezer as well.
What to Do with Leftovers
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Store leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Reheat the whole casserole in the oven: Place covered in the middle of the oven and bake at 325°F (175°C) for 20-30 minutes or until it reaches 165°F (74°C) in the center.
Reheat individual servings in the microwave: Reheat in 30-second increments. Add a splash of milk or cream if it starts to look dry.
More Easy Hands-Off Pasta Bakes
- Dump-And-Bake Chicken Spinach Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes1 Hours 20 Minutes
- Cheesy Steak Pasta Casserole45 Minutes
- Ricotta Spinach Tortellini Bake30 Minutes
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake1 Hours
More Easy Weeknight Dinners
- Spicy Sausage Pasta15 Minutes
- Bacon Wrapped Salmon with Garlic Butter20 Minutes
- Cajun Alfredo Sauce with Pasta15 Minutes
- Sundried Tomato Pasta with Chicken20 Minutes
Recipe
Creamy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake (No Boil, No Canned Soup)
Print RateIngredients
- 2 tablespoon butter divided
- 1 lb chicken thigh filets cut in bite-size pieces; or other bone-less cut of chicken, or leftover/rotisserie chicken
- 2 teaspoon paprika powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ lb dry penne pasta uncooked
- ½ lb broccoli cut in bite-sized pieces, stem peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed, but in one piece
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley optional
- 1 cup shredded cheese divided
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C)
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add in the garlic and sauté 1 minute.2 Tbsp butter
- Add the chicken to the pan and season with paprika powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix well to spread out the seasonings. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, until the chicken has nice color. It does not have to be cooked all the way through at this stage as it will finish cooking in the oven.1 lb chicken thigh filets, 2 tsp paprika powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp salt
- Bring out a casserole dish that measures about 9x13 inches (23x33 cm). Grease with 1 tablespoon of butter.2 Tbsp butter
- Place the uncooked pasta in the greased casserole dish. Follow with the cooked chicken, including any leftover fat from frying. Then add chopped broccoli, parsley and half of both the shredded neutral cheese and the shredded parmesan. Mix as well as possible.½ lb dry penne pasta, ½ lb broccoli, 2 garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp chopped parsley, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 cup shredded cheese
- Top with the remaining cheese, then pour over the cream and milk. Make sure all pieces of pasta are completely submerged.1 cup shredded cheese, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Place in middle of the oven and cook for about 1 hour, until the pasta is cooked through. Check often toward the end, and cover with aluminium foil if it starts to get too much color. Then bring out, and let sit at least 10 minutes before serving.
Equipment (may contain affiliate links)
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
- Casserole Dish
Video
Notes
What to Do with Leftovers
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing: Store leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheat the whole casserole in the oven: Place covered in the middle of the oven and bake at 325°F (175°C) for 20-30 minutes or until it reaches 165°F (74°C) in the center. Reheat individual servings in the microwave: Reheat in 30-second increments. Add a splash of milk or cream if it starts to look dry.Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
CB
Huge fail. I followed the directions to the tee. It was highly dry. Trying to fix it, I added a lil' broth, lil' more half/half, a lil' more cheese. No dice.
The pasta should be semi-precooked. It was hard and dry (even with pre-mixing).
Honestly, none of the ingredients came together. Sorry.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi, sorry to hear it didn't turn out for you. Would love to help figure out what went wrong. How long did you bake it for? What type of pasta did you use? All the best, Emmeline
Michele
I made this tonight and it was terrible! The milk cuddled and was left with a soupy cuddled mess. I would suggest cooking the noodles before adding to casserole dish and adjusting the milk/cream. However, making a cheese sauce on the stove top is much easier and better. I will not make this again.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Michele! Sorry to hear that. You can cook the noodles before but then you need to use a lot less milk/cream or it will definitely become soup! May I ask what type of noodles, milk, cream and cheese you used? /Emmeline
Jenni
Would chicken sausage work in this recipe?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi,
You can try, but the flavor will be quite different and depending on what sausage you use they can add quite a bit off fat which can turn this dish a bit oily. I haven't tried it myself 🙂 /Emmeline
Adrianna
Me and my husband loved it! I used uncooked cheese tortellini and whole milk mozzarella. Thank you so much adding it to my rotation!
Angel
I followed the recipe exactly, but used cooked shredded chicken. I even warmed and seasoned it as the instructions said. I ended up with curdled milk and cream. It was so disgusting we couldn't eat it!
I had high hope. Most of the other comments praise this recipe. I'm not sure what went wrong but I won't try this again. Takes longer than 10 minutes to prep and I had to to throw it out.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Angel! So sorry to hear that! Not sure why your milk and cream curdled but happy to help troubleshoot. First thing that comes to mind is the cheese - what type of cheese did you use and was it pre-shredded or not? /Emmeline
Tracy
Made this tonight and it was delicious and simple!! I had asked previously if the broccoli would get soft, and indeed it did. It was perfect. Mine was not runny at all. For those who say it's bland, just use a different chees than Mozella as Mozzarella is a very mild flavored cheese. I used shredded Gouda & Parmesan and it was full of flavor. Thank you for a great recipe!
Tracy
Hello, I was just wondering if the broccoli gets soft or if it stays crunchy? I prefer a softer cooked broccoli. Thanks!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Tracy! The broccoli comes out quite soft. If you want to make sure it's really soft, you can just cut the pieces a bit smaller. /Emmeline
Tracy
Thank you! Will definitely leave review once I make this. It looks delicious and easy!
Ted Kircher
The 8x10 casserole dish was too small to mix the combined ingredients after step 4. I dumped everything into a 9 x 11 dish which worked just fine. Letting the casserole stand after removing it from the oven sopped up the liquid. I used heavy cream and 2% milk.
I also found the dish somewhat bland for our taste, but my spices were old. Next time I make this I will double the garlic and paprika. Also, instead of using onion powder I will try sliced shallots or yellow onions. It's a matter of taste and prep time, of course.
The leftovers heated perfectly the next day in the microwave on low power. That's a huge bonus making six servings for two people!
Bridget F Griffis
Good recipe, I will add a 1/2 cup more of milk or heavy cream next time. It was a tad dry. Easy to make for sure. Thank you for sharing.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Bridget! Happy to hear you liked it! That's too bad it came out a little dry. Did you use regular pasta or gluten-free? And did you use half heavy cream and half milk? Asking so I know if this is something I need to re-test and adjust 🙂 /Emmeline
Cynthia
This casserole was delicious and easy to prepare! I liked that the pasta did not have to be precooked. My husband really enjoyed this dish.
Anya
I've been trying to add more protein into my diet and this was a great recipe to do that while still having delicious comfort food. Also a sneaky but yummy way to eat more veggies. I made this recipe with gluten free noodles (100% corn noodles), followed the instructions exactly as listed and it came out fantastic! The size of the dish is perfect for saving the leftovers to be had for lunch over the next few days - it tastes just as good reheated!
Linda Lorenzo
I like the idea of this but it was bland, needed more seasoning.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Linda! Sorry to hear that. Did you cook the chicken with the spices or use leftover chicken?
Linda Lorenzo
I had rotisserie chicken which I sprinkled with dry ranch seasoning.
Emmeline Kemperyd
The pan fried chicken is pretty heavily seasoned, which is why no extra seasoning is added later. So it might be that you added too little seasoning - or our tastes are just different 🙂
Catherine
Hi, what part of the recipe is supposed to thicken the sauce? After cooking, mine is still watery. What do you think I did wrong?
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Catherine! The starch from the pasta should thicken the sauce. Mine can usually have a bit of liquid but that settles once it has time to sit for a while. I haven't had it come out watery though. Did you use frozen broccoli perhaps? /Emmeline
BJ
I like the receipe- but wish it was in lbs and ounce
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi! Happy to hear you like it! You might have already found it, but if you click the link that says "US Customary" under the list of ingredients you will get the measurements in lbs, ounces and cups instead. /Emmeline
Jacqueline Piper
who doesn't love extra cheese, right? Such an easy prep meal, perfect for a busy day!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Never met someone who doesn't! 🙂
Emily Liao
This is one of my all tim favorite meals to make on a weekday! So easy and bursting with flavors.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Emily so happy to hear that!
Angela Allison
Nothing better than a dump and bake dinner! My family loved this dish. And I love that the veggies are already in it so no side dish necessary! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Emmeline Kemperyd
So happy to hear that, Angela! And yeah I'm far too lazy to bring along separate veggies for my lunch so I have to have it all in one dish 😉