Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Casserole

About

Broccoli and Chicken Alfredo pasta? Yes, please! Simply swap out your pasta noodles for some wide-cut zucchini fettuccine, and you have the perfect vessel for holding LOADS of creamy alfredo sauce. This recipe makes a big batch, so be ready to meal prep or share with others!

*Please note this recipe calls for frozen, steamed broccoli, but you will need to have your broccoli thawed before beginning.

Ingredients

4 tablespoon butter, salted
2 cup whipping cream, extra heavy/gourmet, not whipped
3 ½ cup, shredded parmesan cheese, fresh (hard)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounce broccoli frozen unprepared
1 pound zucchini
¼ each – juice from one lemon lemon juice
¼ cup, shredded parmesan cheese, fresh (hard)

Instructions

Begin by making the alfredo sauce for the casserole. Melt the butter in a medium sized pot over low heat. Then, whisk in the heavy cream. Bring the pot to just below a simmer.
Slowly whisk in the parmesan cheese in half-cup additions, making sure each round is melted before adding more. You may also add black pepper at your discretion to the sauce. Do not add any salt.
Let the alfredo sauce cook at just below a simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken. Then, set the sauce aside to cool for later in this recipe.
Lay the chicken breasts down on a clean surface. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning over the exposed tops of the chicken.
Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pan over medium heat. Place the chicken breasts seasoned side down in the oil, and place a lid over the pan. Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid burning. Set the cooked chicken aside to rest for later.
While the chicken is cooking, roughly chop your broccoli. It should be thawed and soft, as stated in the intro to this recipe. Set the chopped broccoli aside in a large mixing bowl.
At this point, preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Prep 2-3 large zucchinis by removing the ends of the squash and using a vegetable peeler to peel away wide, flat strips. The weight noted in the ingredient list is the total weight of the peeled zucchini, after removing the ends.
Take about 1 cup of your finished alfredo sauce and spread it in the base of a large baking dish (10×12 or larger). Then, fill the dish with the peeled zucchini and squeeze the lemon juice over the top.
Next, chop your cooked chicken into 1-bite or 2-bite pieces and place it in the bowl with the broccoli. Pour the remaining alfredo sauce into the bowl and mix the sauce, broccoli, and chicken all together.
Pour the broccoli chicken mix over the zucchini noodles in the pan. Spread the sauce to all 4 corners. Then, sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the top of the dish.
Bake the casserole for about 30 minutes, uncovered. The edges will be golden brown as well as the melted cheese on top. Use a large spoon for scooping and serving!