Ooey, gooey….golden colored cheesy goodness waiting to be devoured. That my friends is the memory of sitting down to nearly every casserole of my childhood.
They still spell comfort to me and I’ve yet to meet a casserole I don’t adore.
Unfortunately dairy free casseroles that had the same texture and felt like childhood favorites were hard to find. Until I put this bad boy together!
Healthy Chicken Broccoli Casserole
The cheesy bug was hitting me hard this week and I NEEDED a solution.
I’ve tried using nutritional yeast as a natural dairy free option.
It works in some cases, but not all, which is why I was open to trying new vegan cheese for a dairy free chicken casserole. Turns out that it was surprisingly easy, tasty and helped keep me feeling good.
I remember my mom making chicken broccoli casserole all the time as a kid, but in truth I knew that if I made it now…my stomach would be so angry with all the dairy and the unhealthy fats.
This is a SUPER EASY, one of my main requirements, healthified version of a classic. It’s filling without being heavy.
A bonus is this gluten free broccoli casserole is also perfect for other allergies and my favorite thing…sneaking in veggies!!
Because they’re surrounded by gooeyness and flavor, I find even picky eaters happily down their veggies.
Healthy Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 cups broccoli
- 4 cups Spinach
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1-2 tbsp EVOO
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella Shreds
Instructions
- Place chicken on baking sheet in oven at 375 (40 minutes)
- Meanwhile start cooking your quinoa in chicken broth (about 10 minutes)
- Heat second pan, add 2 tbsp EVOO and garlic
- As garlic starts to sizzle add 1 cup chicken stock and veggies
- Cover to lightly steam broccoli and carrots lightly (5 minutes)
- Combine with quinoa
- Add garlic powder, minced garlic, and a dash of salt
- Spray a large glass cooking pan with nonstick cooking spray
- Mix {lightly) diced chicken, quinoa/veggie mix, spinach, carrots,GO Veggie! shreds
- Pour in to dish
- Place dish in oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes
Time Saver:
If you want to cut steps, you can buy a rotisserie chicken and frozen veggies, which can just be tossed straight in to the quinoa to bake.
Or many people will dump and cook it all together…I am just really cautious about making sure my chicken is well cooked!
Cheese Notes:
This dairy free casserole required a little experimentation because we know the cheese doesn’t cook the same. I tried making this dish two ways, one with the cheese only added for the last 10 minutes and one where I stirred in the cheese.
Personally, I like the cheese stirred in to give me that ooey, gooey feeling I remember from childhood! Maybe a little too much like childhood as I could not stop eating.
Athlete Notes:
As always I like to point out a few things which make this a great recipe for a runners diet plan.
- High quality carbohydrate
- High protein meal
- Extra veggies for minerals and fiber
- Healthy source of fat EVOO
- EASY to make, which means less excuses
Looking for additional dairy free meal ideas?
- Dairy Free White Bean Soup
- Dairy free high protein meal ideas
- Beginners guide to dairy free altneratives
What are your childhood favorite dishes?
Do you ever try to healthify them?
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