Chicken Bacon & Broccoli Casserole
Chicken bacon & Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients:
- 4 slices Bacon cooked
- 13½ oz Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breast
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¾ tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 head Broccoli cut into small florets, (about 135 grams)
- ½ Red Onion sliced, (about ½ an onion or 100 grams)
- ¾ tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cups Water
- ¾ tsp Reduced Sodium Chicken Base
- 3 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 stalk Scallions diced, (about 7.5 grams)
Instructions:
- If you don't have cooked bacon start by cooking the bacon how you normally would, either on a frying pan or in the oven. Once the bacon is done set it aside for the topping later.
- Heat a large deep pan to medium heat. While waiting for the pan to heat up season the chicken with pepper and garlic powder. Once the pan is hot, add the extra virgin olive oil to the pan.
- Place the chicken immediately into the pan, leave it there for 2 minutes, then flip to the other side and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Both sides should start to become golden brown, but the center will still look uncooked…if not golden, give each side another minute…your pan wasn’t hot enough. Turn the heat to low and cover the chicken with a lid. Let it cook for about 7 minutes, then flip and cover again for another 7 minutes.
- After 7 minutes on each side covered, the chicken should be done. But this does depend on the size of the chicken breast…these times are based on 7 oz breasts. It is always best to check the internal temperature of chicken before serving.My rule of thumb is, once covered, cook the chicken for 1 minute per ounce per side, I find that this delivers a perfect juicy chicken breast every time.
- Once the chicken is done remove from the pan, leaving the juices in the pan.
- Keeping the heat at medium add the unsalted butter to the pan. Once the butter starts to melt add the flour in with the butter and remaining chicken juices, stir together. We are creating a rue so we have a nice thick sauce.
- Once the butter has been incorporated in with the flour and chicken juices and has created a thick paste like consistency, add the water and chicken base to the pan. Mix in the water with the flour paste until most of the chunks are gone.
- Now add the broccoli and red onions to the pan. Cook the broccoli in the sauce covered for about 6 minutes.
- While the broccoli is cooking, pre-heat the oven to 375° and shred the chicken with a fork and knife. After the broccoli has cooked for 6 minutes remove the lid, add the shredded chicken, cream cheese, and scallions to the pan. Toss everything together and cook down until the cream cheese is melted and well incorporated.
- Spray a square baking dish with non-stick cooking spay and pour in your creamy chicken broccoli mixture. Crumble your cooked bacon and sprinkle it over top.
- By now your oven should be pre-heated. Place your casserole in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, until it begins to bubble and the tops starts to turn a light golden brown.
- Allow to cool just a few minutes and serve. Or portion out into your meal prep containers, or freezer safe containers to eat later.
Nutrition
Freezer-friendly recipes can come in handy for a variety of different reasons: You don’t feel like cooking. You are going out of town and want to leave your loved ones with tasty meals to reheat. There is a pandemic and you want to have food ready in the event you catch the virus. Or you just enjoy meal prepping and you are not totally positive when you will get to eat the remainder of the meal. No matter what your reason might be for looking for a freezer-friendly recipe, I can guarantee you are going to love this Chicken Bacon Broccoli Casserole. Add this recipe to your meal plan this week and enjoy it whenever you see fit. For those of you counting macros, I haven’t forgotten about you. Under the recipe I include tips on how you can easily make adjustments to this recipe to hit your personal macro goals.
Macro Adjustments:
Below outlines the Items In each macro group that are easily adjustable to meet your specific macros.
Fat:
Bacon and Cream Cheese. You can reduce or Increase based on your fat macro goals.
Carbohydrates:
This is a low carb recipe. There Is not an easy way to Increase the carbs In this recipe. Therefore, if you need to Increase your carbs for the day you will need to adjust In other meals.
Protein:
Chicken Is a great lean cut of meat, providing most of the protein In this recipe. You could adjust the amount of chicken used.
Meal Prep:
Yes. This recipe can be meal prepped. This recipe will last In the fridge up to 6 days.
Freezer Friendly:
Yes. This Is an outstanding freezer friendly recipe! It reheats so well after being defrosted.