Cajun Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Bake
The following recipe and photography was provided by recipe developer and food photographer, Ashley Durand of Plate & Pen.
There’s a lot to unpack in this casserole, and it’s all extremely delicious!
We love chicken in this household, and a chicken bake smothered in Cajun seasonings and sauces is my idea of a dreamy fall dinner.
Where I’m from in the south, casseroles are a way of life and since moving to the Midwest, I’ve noticed a similarity in the casserole craze.
Cheese is usually a casserole staple, but in Louisiana we prefer cream of mushroom soup, so I used both in this recipe to create a true melting pot of flavors. I also couldn’t skip the blessed trinity of celery, bell pepper, onion and well, garlic. So a trinity, plus one.
Serve this casserole on any crisp fall night and every belly at the table will be satisfied.
Cajun Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Bake
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
- 4-6 Gerber's CARE Certified chicken breasts
- 1 large shallot or 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 1 Tbsp. mined garlic
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- Salt and pepper
- 3 Tbsp. cajun seasoning, divided
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. green tabasco sauce
- 2 cups broccoli florets, blanched
- 8 strips Heinen's bacon, cooked and chopped
- 8 oz. Heinen's sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 8 oz. grape tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Blanch the broccoli and cook the bacon. Set both aside. Save the cast iron skillet or pan used to cook the bacon as that will be used to cook the chicken.
- Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and 2 Tbsp. of the Cajun seasoning.
- In a cast iron skillet or pan, with the bacon grease, brown the seasoned chicken breasts on both sides for about 7-10 minutes over medium heat. Before flipping, douse the chicken with the Worcestershire sauce.
- Remove the chicken breasts and place them into the baking dish in a row.
- In the same skillet, cook the celery, bell pepper, shallot and garlic with the 3 Tbsp. of butter for about 15 minutes on medium- medium low.
- Add the cream of mushroom soup, green Tabasco sauce and remaining 1 Tbsp. of Cajun seasoning. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Pour the vegetable and cream of mushroom mixture into the baking dish over the chicken breasts.
- Sprinkle the broccoli evenly overtop, followed by the bacon.
- Sprinkle on a layer of cheddar cheese.
- Finish by topping with the cherry tomatoes.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven, add more cheese and serve!
