Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

This creamy chicken and broccoli casserole is one of my favorite new recipes to come out of my elimination diet. This unbelievably stick to your ribs homestyle meal can be eaten even in phase one of the elimination diet! 

Many casseroles contain a bunch of off limits ingredients such as dairy, wheat, corn, or eggs. This elimination diet friendly casserole is a filling meal that has zero common allergens. If you don’t like or can’t have coconut milk you may swap it for oat milk but it is going to be a bit less on the rich and creamy side due to the lower fat content.

I can always tell that I’ve found a real winner of a recipe when my husband goes back for seconds. He scarfed this one down and went back for more before I even finished my first serving. It has all of the appeal of a traditional casserole with none of the trigger ingredients like wheat or dairy. I’m a big fan of dairy free recipes that still feel hearty. Although I love butter and cream they definitely tack on a ton of extra calories and make me feel more weighed down. This is a great option for a healthy weekday meal.

You will dirty up a few dishes making this one but I promise it’s worth it. If you make a big batch of the vegan nut free parmesan topping it is easy to store and use for several recipes over a few weeks. That will save you some time with the food processor. The vegan alfredo sauce comes together quite easily and is the key to making this casserole feel creamy and delicious. 

On top of being super tasty this creamy chicken and broccoli casserole even freezes well so make sure to keep some on hand for those unfortunate struggles in an elimination diet when you need to go through another detox phase. You’ll be so glad you have something worth craving for those setbacks.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

How to freeze leftovers

If you’re doing an elimination diet you’re going to want to keep some phase one meals stocked away for any relapses. Any time you reintroduce an ingredient and see a reaction you’re going to need to start all over again. This is easiest if you already have a handful of meals on standby. Then you don’t have to drop everything and start cooking immediately.

Many of my recipes here at Flavorful Elimination Diet are easily frozen. I’m a big meal prepper and always have extras. Most leftovers will stay safe in the freezer for 2-6 months. Just aim to rotate through them on a regular basis. It’s helpful to keep freezer safe labels on hand so that you can write dates on the containers to make sure everything stays fresh.

I’ve found that the easiest way to store leftovers is to portion out individual servings and put them into freezer safe containers. I have at least 2 dozen of these containers that I use for bringing my lunch to work and for storing leftovers in both the freezer and fridge. I love the twist tops so I don’t have to worry about them leaking.

Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded chicken
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 4 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 batch vegan, nut free, alfredo sauce
• ½ batch vegan, nut free, parmesan topping
• olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. heat a skillet over medium low, drizzle with olive oil
3. saute the onion and carrot for 7-10 minutes until onions turn clear
4. add the broccoli and heat just until the florets turn bright green, about 2-3 minutes
5. in a large mixing bowl combine sauteed vegetables, chicken, rice, and vegan, nut free, alfredo sauce
6. in a small bowl whisk together chicken broth and mustard, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper
7. place the chicken mixture in a greased 9×13 casserole dish
8. pour chicken broth mixture even over the casserole
9. top with vegan, nut free, parmesean topping
10. bake for 20 minutes to heat all the way through
11. serve hot!

rate this recipe!