Description
So I was staring into my fridge one night wondering what to do with leftover chicken, some sad-looking broccoli, and a bag of potatoes that were one day away from growing eyes. Boom! This casserole was born—and it’s become a family favorite. It’s basically the love child of a loaded baked potato and chicken-broccoli casserole, all melted together with ridiculous amounts of cheese. Pure comfort food that even veggie-haters will devour!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Base:
- 6 medium russet potatoes (about 2–3 pounds—the starchy ones work best)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more for sprinkling)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Filling:
- 3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded (rotisserie chicken is perfect here)
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium onion, diced (yellow or white, whatever you’ve got)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (or more, I won’t judge)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1½ cups milk (2% or whole works best)
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (regular works too, but the smoky kind adds magic)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, but adds a nice kick)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Cheesy Goodness:
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp is better!)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (for that stretchy cheese pull action)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (because why not?)
- 3 green onions, sliced (for that pop of color and freshness)
- ¼ cup sour cream (for serving)