Whole30 Chicken Broccoli Casserole (paleo, dairy-free)
297 Comments
Updated Sep 26, 2022
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A must-make Whole30 casserole recipe that’s creamy, cheesy and flavorful – without any cream or cheese! Shredded chicken is mixed with sautéed mushrooms and broccoli, then topped with my Vegan Alfredo Sauce for an easy and healthy weeknight dinner.
Whole30 Chicken Broccoli Casserole
While many people seek out Whole30 recipes as part of a January or September Whole30 reset (the months most do the program), I like to remind folks that Whole30 recipes are still delicious every day of the week. They’re just free of gluten, grains, dairy, sugar and legumes. But they’re certainly not lacking in flavor.
In fact, I’d wager to guess most people think this recipe has dairy, because it’s super creamy and cheesy-like. You can thank my Vegan Alfredo Sauce recipe for that (which on it’s own is a reader favorite recipe).
Whole30 Casserole Recipe Video
Want to know how to make this delicious casserole recipe? Watch the quick tutorial video below!
What’s in this Whole30 Casserole Recipe?
If you’re wondering what’s in this Whole30 casserole recipe, ingredient-wise, let me cut to the chase. It includes shredded chicken, sautéed mushrooms and onions, broccoli, herbs and my Vegan Alfredo sauce. It’s a handful of simple ingredients, then it’s baked to perfection.
The end result is a creamy, savory, packed-with-flavor casserole recipe that gets even better the second day (if you happen to have leftovers).
How to Make this Whole30 Casserole Recipe
Make the Vegan Alfredo Sauce
The most important thing in this recipe is remembering to soak your cashews overnight for the sauce. You could also make the entire Vegan Alfredo Sauce recipe the day before and store it in the fridge until you’re ready. Or you could make it same day. It’s entirely up to you.
Make the Shredded Chicken
Cook the chicken on the stovetop, then transfer the chicken breasts to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Turn the stand mixer on low for 15 seconds and you have the easiest shredded chicken ever. If you don’t have a stand mixer you could use two forks to shred. But if you do have a stand mixer, this is one of my favorite kitchen hacks.
Sauté the Vegetables
Quickly sauté the mushrooms and diced onion, then add the broccoli and sauté a few minutes longer until it’s crisp tender. Super easy.
Assemble the Casserole
Once all of the individual pieces are done, it’s simply a matter of assembly. Add the shredded chicken to the bottom of a casserole dish, then layer on the broccoli and mushrooms. Pour on the Vegan Alfredo Sauce (that’s thinned with a cup of chicken broth) and bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes in a 400F oven.
When the casserole comes out of the oven it’s bubbly, tender, creamy, savory and so delicious you’ll definitely go back for seconds. Enjoy!
For More Delicious Whole30 Recipes:
- Tuna Stuffed Avocados
- Shakshuka
- Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Garlic Shrimp
- Dijon Baked Salmon
- Best Ever Guacamole
Whole30 Chicken Broccoli Casserole (paleo)
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked and Shredded Chicken
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 heads broccoli, florets removed
- 10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 recipe Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
- rosemary, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the Vegan Alfredo Sauce and set aside. This can also be made the day before and stored in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and diced onion and stir for 3 minutes. Add the broccoli florets (make sure they're in bite-sized pieces and not too large) and stir for another 3 minutes or until the broccoli is crisp-tender and bright green.
- Place the shredded chicken in a 9x13-inch casserole dish, covering the bottom. Add the sautéed mushrooms, onions and broccoli in a flat layer on top.
- Stir the chicken broth into the Vegan Alfredo sauce, then pour on top of the broccoli in the casserole dish. Use a spatula if needed to make sure everything is well coated.
- Cook the casserole for 20-25 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling and slightly reduced and thickened. Garnish with fresh rosemary if desired and serve immediately.
Lisa's Tips
- Note that the Vegan Alfredo Sauce requires you soak cashews before making the sauce, so plan ahead when making it.
- This is a great meal prep recipe! For more meal prep ideas, make sure to watch my Meal Prep Ideas video, Spring Meal Prep and Summer Meal Prep.
Nutrition
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This recipe rocked my world! Total winner! I’ve been craving a healthy casserole and the flavor on this is outstanding. Made it two weeks in a row now, and I am sure it will be back on the meal plan for next week too :) Thanks so much for sharing and all you do to create these wonderful recipes!
Hi Melissa – Happy to hear you love this chicken broccoli casserole!
This one is a winner. I used a rotisserie chicken and added a little crumbled bacon on the top. So good. Definitely added to the regular rotation.
Love the idea of adding crumbled bacon on top!
So good! I also added a bunch of finely chopped kale so sneak in more veggies for my family! Soooooo good!!!! Thank you!
More kale is always a good idea! Happy you loved it, Alexandria!
We loved this! My 9 year old specifically loved this. She asked for the leftovers, which has never happened. I made dairy Alfredo. I think with the dairy Alfredo the chicken broth could be cut in half. Thanks for sharing your great recipe.
I’m happy to hear your little one enjoyed this chicken broccoli casserole, Veronica!
This is the recipe that made me a Downshifter. I found Lisa searching for Whole30 recipes. Although I’m no longer on Whole30, I have made this repeatedly. This is one of my go-to recipes. I love the vegan alfredo sauce. Superb!
Happy to hear you’re loving this chicken broccoli casserole, Tracy!
How much is 10 Crimini mushrooms sliced?
If I purchased my own vegan Alfredo sauce, how much do I use for this recipe? What measurement of alfredo sauce?
It will be about 1 cup of alfredo sauce.
I love your recipes. They are what I use 90% of the time. And I cook alot! Super yummy and healthy. I always follow your recipes to the T. There is never any need to change anything. This broccoli, chicken dish with the homemade alfredo is the bomb!!! First time I have ever done a recipe review. Thank you soooo much!!!!
Thanks so much for leaving a review Marjaory! I’m glad this chicken broccoli casserole was a success.
This was a delicious casserole BUT much too time consuming to make. I’m glad I tried it but I will not be making it again but there’s too many steps involved by the time you make the Alfredo Sauce, cook the chicken, saute the vegetables, etc. I just don’t enjoy food prep when it is this many steps.
I make this casserole at least every other week. It is one of my family’s favorites. I have substituted cauliflower or carrots and string beans or asparagus for the broccoli and it is always delicious! Do yourself a favor and add this recipe to your rotation!!!
Happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this chicken broccoli casserole!
Made a double batch of this last night for my house of 4 teenagers and two adults. It was delicious!
This is definitely a family-friendly recipe!
This was unbelievably good. It tasted so decadent I couldn’t even eat a serving. It tasted like something made of cream of mushroom soup. There’s no butter or cream and just some cashews and all real healthy light food, and you’d never ever know it. It was so good it’s shocking.
Glad you enjoyed this chicken broccoli casserole!
Can leftovers of this cassarole be frozen?
Yes, absolutely!
Hi! Can you use coconut milk in place of the cashew cream?
Coconut milk will be a bit too watery for this recipe. If anything, you could try using coconut cream.
I made this recipe because I started Whole 30. I am allergic to cashews so I had to improvise and I found Pistashio and almond milk. I used all the other ingredients to make the Alfredo sauce and I think it tastes great. I would love the sauce to be a little thicker, but all in all it turned out yummy and it was very, very easy.
Happy to hear you were able to make it work with those substitutions!
Hi! I make this version cause my partner is allergic to dairy, but understand being allergic to cashews. For your alt Alfredo sauce, you can thicken it with cornstarch. It works like gravy or pie filling, just pre mix a little with water and mix it in with the sauce. The heat as it cooks will make it thicken.
Absolutely DELISH!!!!!! Easy and full of flavor. SAVED so I can make it again and again!!!
I tried this recipe last night and it was delicious. I used Asparagus instead of mushrooms as I’m not fond if them and it was great! :). I have leftovers for the week now! :). I will definitely make it again.
Thank you for this great recipe!
Glad this chicken broccoli casserole was a hit Nathalie!
Family said it was a keeper! They loved it!
Glad the whole family enjoyed this casserole Katherine!
We have a nut allergy in the house. Any other healthy alfredo recipes? Thanks for all that you do!
Oh no! I don’t have another alfredo recipe. But you could always buy a pre-made alfredo sauce from the market (just make sure it’s gluten-free!).
Thank you for all these amazing recipes and food options. If mushrooms cannot be part of the diet do I leave them out of can I replace them with something else?
You can sub it with other veggies such as eggplant, zucchini, or potatoes!
Hello! My husband does not like mushrooms. Any recommendation on what to substitute the mushrooms with? Thanks!
You could also use zucchini, eggplant, or potatoes!
Hi love the substitution suggestion as my husband does not enjoy mushrooms. How much potato would you use as a substitute?
Hi Megan – 10 sliced cremini mushrooms are about 1.5 cups of mushrooms, depending on how big they are, so I would start with that! But, I just realized that potatoes might need a longer cooking time. So, I would try using a different vegetable that’s a bit softer like zucchini or eggplant.
This sounds really good and I will be making this for tonight. I want to make sure that leftovers can be put in freezer.
Yep, you can freeze leftovers of this!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was great! I’m going to make it again tomorrow for my sister who just had a baby. If I’m assembling the whole thing before she bakes it about 4 hours later, should I pour the sauce over top, hours prior? Or give the sauce to her and tell her to do that right before she bakes it? Thank you :)
I was looking for a good recipe to use up leftover rotisserie chicken and this worked great. The directions don’t actually say when to add salt and pepper to taste (yes, I struggle so much in the kitchen that I need that spelled out for me, hah) so I completely missed adding them until the end, which made the veggies pretty bland in my opinion. I added some salt and pepper to the sauce (I used low sodium chicken broth so knew it would need extra salt) but the dish overall needed more flavor. That being said, the sauce was absolutely delicious and I’ll definitely make this again, adding some salt and pepper and maybe some garlic to the veggies while they cook.
Really good! Your vegan cheese sauce is better than others I have made. I did add some dry mustard to it, because it gives a nice flavor to regular cheese sauce. Hubby and I both went back for seconds.
Hi! I would like to make this with my own sauce—how much should it be? The alfredo sauce recipe
doesn’t say how much it makes so I don’t know how much to use. Thank you!
You’ll need about 1 cup of alfredo sauce :)
I was looking for a good recipe to use up leftover rotisserie chicken and this was perfect! The directions didn’t actually tell me where to add salt and pepper to taste, so I completely missed adding them until the end, which made the veggies pretty bland in my opinion. I added some salt and pepper to the sauce (I used low sodium chicken broth so knew it would need extra salt) but the dish overall needed more. That being said, the sauce was absolutely delicious and I’ll definitely make this again, adding some salt and pepper to the veggies while they cook!
I am allergic to cashews what can I use instead of that to make the sauce
You can use a regular alfredo sauce!
Ok! This was too good! I ended up eating double. So about 800 cal., 80+ g. of protein….
This is my problem – I find something so good I can’t stop. I eat the same things constantly so this was a treat. Better than sugar which I can’t have in the house.
I bought the case of mushrms. from Costco and used 2 cans. Added some red pepper and celery. One would never know there was no cheese or pasta in there. My son who doesn’t eat chicken loved it. What ingredient contributes to the higher carb content? Thank you! I am now going to look at your site for more recipes. I will try to control myself.
Hi! I can definitely relate! What I do is whenever I eat rich meals (like lots of nuts or cheese or pizza or whatever), I make sure to have a side dish that is roasted veggies or yummy salad, or a veggie and bean soup or raw veggies with a dip, etc. Something that will fill me up because usually the rich food alone I would need a lot of calories of it to feel full. Mentally I tell myself, it will taste better tomorrow b/c even though I want it and I could eat it all, I’m not as hungry now, after just eating, as I will be for my next meal and things taste better when I’m hungry. That’s how I fight the urge to eat it all now, haha! Hope you have a great day!
Looking forward to trying this but for some reason my stove cooked chicken lately has been ‘gummy’ what exactly do you do to cook yours? I have been doing boneless chicken breast as of late.
Hi there – you can follow my shredded chicken recipe to see exactly how I cook it to make sure it’s moist!
Could I use another recipe instead of the vegan alfredo sauce? Hoping to make it AIP friendly.
Yes, you can use another alfredo recipe if you’d like, just use the same amount :)
What is the serving size please
This casserole is divided into 6 even slices, with each slice being one serving.
I liked this a lot but wanted more Alfredo sauce. I used the six serving casserole with the 4 serving Alfredo. Next time – and there will be one! – I’ll add sliced water chestnuts and pehaps kalamata olives. Sundried tomatoes could also be nice.
Is this recipe freezer friendly?
Yes, you can freeze this!
This was incredible! I had to go dairy free 9 months ago and have been really missing meals with creamy sauces. This made me so happy. Very yummy.
Can’t get the Vegan Alfredo Sauce recipe to open.
You can search for the alfredo sauce using the search button at the top right hand of the website.
made for dinner and it was very tasty….definitely a make again recipe
where are the videos you keep posting about, when i click the video button on your site, I’m taken down the page to a set of photographs. Is this what is supposed to happen?
Hi Gideon – Scroll up just a smidge and the video section should be there. But, you’ll also need to disable your ad blocker to be able to see the video.
what size casserole dish should I use?
This is baked in a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Love all your recipes
You explain the process very well, that is so easy to follow every step and always get a yummy result
Thank you
God bless
Making this using Primal Kitchen’s Vegan Alfredo Sauce. How much sauce should I use?
You’ll need about one cup of alfredo sauce.
Would this work with frozen broccoli?
Frozen broccoli might become a bit mushy, so I suggest using fresh broccoli.
This was so good, hard to believe it’s dairy free! I thought I’d miss a carb/starch like rice or noodles, but it wasn’t needed. My husband and I both really loved this recipe and can’t wait to make it again!
This recipe is amazing, I have now made it several times and continue to do so!
Glad you love this one Marissa!
Just made this tonight, with the alfredo sauce. First time I’ve made them both. SO GOOD! Even my husband, who is not a fan of broccoli, reported after his second helping (also unusual) – “I’ve never eaten so much broccoli in my life.”
Meaning it was so good, even the broccoli was delicious!
This will be a regular in our menu rotation :)
Happy to hear you both enjoyed this chicken broccoli casserole Amy!
Oh my goodness! Made this exactly as written and it was AMAZING!
Glad you enjoyed this one Andrea! :)
Made this yum yum and my husband who loves to eat very unhealthy was fooled and went for seconds.🥸
Glad both of you enjoyed this recipe!
This was delicious! I added rice and mixed all the ingredients together in the casserole dish before I baked it. I also shredded the chicken in the kitchen aid mixer and OMG, what an amazing hack! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe and the shredded chicken hack! :)
This was amazing! Highly recommend!
Hi there I had to cook this recipe for an assessment and was wondering how this dish is a healthy recipe
Hi Ava – this dish is both gluten-free and dairy-free. And gluten and dairy are both common allergens. :)
Just thought I’d pop in here and note that when you look at the ingredients, including the sauce, everything is fresh whole food, gluten free and dairy free, which are not only common sensitivities, but also highly inflammatory.
Hope your assessment went well!
I can’t wait to make this dish tonight with my mountain of shredded chicken and broccoli I’m creatively trying to use up.
XxOo