If you're stuck for ideas this weekend, try this super simple chicken and broccoli casserole recipe. It's light, it's healthy, it's Moorish, and best of all, it only uses minimal kitchen equipment and takes 30 minutes to prepare for a family of up to 6 people.
Steam the broccoli florets until just under tender and place them in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat, then add the chicken, sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder, then cook until done - stir frequently and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Using a strainer, remove the cooked chicken from the pan and arrange it in the dish with the broccoli.
Leave the liquid in the pan and lower the heat a little, add the diced onion, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until beginning to brown.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 2 more minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high, add the mushrooms and cook until they have released most of their liquid, about 5 - 6 minutes.
Increase heat to high, then pour in the wine, and boil until the liquid reduces by about half, about 3 minutes.
Using a fork, whisk the flour, cream cheese, sour cream and stock together until blended, then stir into the sauce and simmer until it begins to thicken, about 3 - 5 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli, and bake in the oven about 25 - 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the croutons bits over the top about 10 minutes before the casserole is done.
This goes really well with a heartier grain like wild or brown rice or whole-wheat pasta - although it's also very good by itself with a nice crusty bread.
Recipe Notes
For a heartier meal, add pasta to the dish for an extra source of carbs and use cheddar cheese for a richer cheese sauce flavor. If you fancy adding a bit of spice to your casserole, add a few red pepper flakes and a touch of cayenne pepper. This will give your broccoli & chicken casserole a spicy kick.
If you have a can of cream of chicken soup hanging around in your cupboards, you can use that instead of cream cheese and sour cream to make the sauce.
Feel free to mix it up with mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese if you are a cheese lover. It works really well with broccoli chicken casserole recipes. Also, adding extra cheddar cheese won't hurt!
If you are in a hurry and on time-saving mode, buy some frozen broccoli and a rotisserie chicken on your shopping list to save you time in the kitchen.