Cheddar Makes Things Better!
We love broccoli cheddar! I mean, who doesn’t?! The combination is delicious and we love finding new ways of incorporating it into our day and making new keto recipes that highlight how great cheddar and broccoli are. We recently made a yummy Broccoli Cheddar Soup that will give even Panera Bread a run for its money. It’s creamy and thick, without all the added carbs that come from flour usually added into soup recipes. However, one bite of this soup and you will never believe that it is low carb- it just tastes so good!
We’ve also been munching on a yummy side dish that we have been working on improving. It is basically roasted broccoli with melted white cheddar cheese. Slightly different flavor but still the same classic combo. The possibilities with broccoli and cheddar are endless!
4-Week Keto Meal Plan
- 4 Weeks of Delicious Keto Recipes!
- Leftovers and Bulk Preps Included
- Maximize Your Keto Diet's Success
For this low carb dinner recipe, we decided to take these two classic flavors and combine them in a Cheddar Chicken and Broccoli Casserole! A full meal that highlights the taste of broccoli and cheddar just seems like a perfect idea. And, luckily, the results were amazing, but that’s to be expected with a combo like broccoli cheddar. The inside of the casserole was juicy and moist thanks to the heavy cream and sour cream used in the recipe. We used chicken breast meat that is also thick and super juicy! However, you can easily use shredded rotisserie chicken or meat pulled off of chicken thighs which are often even more tender than chicken breast. The cheddar cheese and creams soaked right into the chicken and imparted their flavors into the chicken meat well. All that chicken casserole taste you love without any of the usual carbs!
We used frozen broccoli in this recipe but you can easily substitute fresh broccoli as well. Use the same quantity of fresh broccoli but, before you mix it into the casserole ingredients, steam it for a few minutes to soften the vegetable. Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl, add about 1/4 cup of water to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 4 minutes. Once the broccoli has steamed and cooled, toss it in as directed!
We decided to add an interesting twist to the chicken and broccoli casserole by adding crushed pork rinds as the top layer. We usually use pork rinds as a coating for things like Low Carb Chicken Parmesan, so we’re using to crushing them. This time, we decided to just sprinkle them on and let them bake and crisp up. This was a great addition to the casserole which played really nicely off the soft and juicy inner casserole. You get that crunch and the juicy finish and some extra flavor thanks to the salty pork. We highly recommend trying this little trick to any casserole!
Cheddar Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
Loved this recipe but looking for a vegetarian option? Check out this keto broccoli casserole from Joy Filled Eats. Cheesy, creamy, and delicious, this dish is perfect if you are in need of a meat-free casserole!
| Servings: servings |
- 20 oz. chicken breast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups broccoli (we used frozen)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 oz. pork rinds
- salt, pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- Preheat your oven to 450°F. If you're using fresh broccoli, set it to steam or boil for a few minutes to get it softer a bit quicker. We used frozen broccoli for this recipe and it turned out great without any precooking.
- If you haven’t shredded your chicken, simply cook the chicken breasts in an oiled pan and use 2 forks to pull the chicken apart into more bite sized pieces.
- In a deep mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, frozen broccoli florets, olive oil and sour cream. Mix to combine thoroughly.
- Place your chicken and broccoli into a greased 8x11 inch baking dish. Spread them into an even layer, pressing firmly. The casserole should be slightly packed.
- Drizzle heavy cream over the entire layer. Add your seasonings of choice in this step as well. Salt, pepper, paprika and oregano will work very well for this recipe.
- Add a cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the top of your casserole all the way up to the edges.
- Into a ziploc bag, add 1 oz. of pork rinds and crush them with either your hands or a rolling pin. Add these crushed pork rinds over the shredded cheese for a crispy casserole top.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes. The entire casserole should be bubbling slightly and the edges brown. Serve with a side of marinara sauce and enjoy!
Loved this recipe? Let us know! Something didn’t quite turn out right? Ask us in the comments below or contact us– we respond to comments every day and would love to hear from you and help you out! And check out all our low carb dinner recipes to learn to make more delicious and healthy meals!
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.
You’ll Love Our Dinner in Five Cookbook!
We believe that the key to success is simplicity and satisfaction with your diet. That’s why we created Dinner in Five – 30 low carb lunch recipes all using just 5 ingredients and 5 net carbs or fewer!
Enjoy unconventional burgers, heavenly steaks, gourmet-style seafood, mouthwatering sauces, sides and much more every day of the month.
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.
- EPIC Keto Krate Haul! - February 13, 2020
- 30+ Low Carb Snacks (Keto Snacks) with Little to No Prep - January 1, 2019
- Keto Browned Butter Pumpkin Spice Latte [VIDEO] - November 13, 2018
I made this, first time, is the cream suppose to be runny, it’s been in 25 mins or so looks fine except for the cream?
It’s runny at first but in the oven, a lot of the liquid evaporates off, making a thicker casserole. Remember, casseroles always set when cooled slightly so that should help too!
A friend was coming to dinner & she eats low carb. I found this recipe online. It was wonderful. I didn’t have pork rinds so used French’s onions. Don’t think I will ever make chicken divan again. This is perfect. Thanks!
That’s great to hear! We hope you enjoy the recipe more and more each time you make it 🙂
Hello I just made the broccoli/cheese Caserole it is DELICIOUs!!! On the Keto diets do you ever eat any fruit?? I just stared to try this out and I love your website and recipes great job!!
Glad you liked it! We do eat fruit sometimes. Berries are the lowest in sugar so try to stick to strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.
Really good, but I think it needs something. Maybe some jalapeños or bacon!
Could I substitute plain greek yogurt in place of the sour cream?
That would be fine, just make sure to adjust the macros if you’re counting carbs!
I made this last night and it was AWESOME! Me and the non-keto BF loved it! I used hot pork rinds since that’s what I had and frozen broccoli right out of the bag. I also used just a seasoning salt. Will definitely be making this again. Very quick to throw together. Thank you!
Great to hear! We used frozen broccoli too, it cooked up just fine!
Just curious how you calculate the macros. I’m extremely new to keto and when I imported the recipe to MyFitnessPal it comes out with 472 calories per serving, with 7 net carbs, 40 grams of fat, and 17 grams of protein. Thank you!
Hey Andrea, it’s normal to have macros that are a bit different. Everyone uses different ingredients – even the same types of cheddar can have different macros depending on the brand! We like to scan the barcodes on our ingredients into My Fitness Pal (as well as shop around for the lowest carb cheeses/sauces etc. to start with).
Hope that helped!
Ty! Also I tried French fried onions instead of pork rinds. Can’t wait to eat, it smells sooo good!!
It’s in the oven now but how much is a serving??
Awesome, enjoy! We simply cut the casserole into 6 equal servings. The calories and macros are for one of those servings (1/6th of the casserole).
My family really liked this and no one knew it fit my keto diet! 🙂 I want it to be a little creamier next time but I’m not sure if more heavy cream or a little chicken broth is the best plan. We did add a few mushrooms which was yummy too. We are adding this to our go to dinner list for sure!
Happy to hear! If you want it creamier, I’d try adding extra sour cream. Mushrooms sounds perfect!
Is the heavy cream half and half?
Half and half is heavy cream and milk mixed together for a thinner and lower fat product. If you’ve only got half and half, I think it would still work! You may want to add some extra cheese for added structure just in case the half and half is too watery.
Do you just pour the heavy cream over the top? How many carbs are in the dinner?
Yep, just drizzle the heavy cream over top in step 5. Each serving of the casserole is 2.6 net carbs, so the entire thing is about 16 net carbs.
What can you use if you do not have heavy cream ?
If you’ve got coconut cream, that’ll work. Or sour cream, mayo, ricotta cheese… something creamy and thick.
I was thinking ricotta cheese for this dish and wondered how to adjust for it. Do I need to change any of the other amounts? I’m going to make this for Thanksgiving instead of mac and cheese.
You’d like to use ricotta cheese instead of the sour cream or cheddar cheese? I’d say it’s a good substitute for the sour cream, but I think the cheddar cheese gives a good melty/gooey texture that ricotta just couldn’t.
Just made this tonight. My husband says it’s a keeper and that I could even make this on a non-diet day (he eats carbs on the weekends). He’s never said that about anything else I’ve made so that’s high praise! I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you!!
Wow, that is high praise! So glad to hear it’s non-diet worthy 🙂 enjoy!
What could I use as a substitute for the pork rinds that would still be different and healthy ?
We used the pork rinds purely for some crunch on top. You can substitute for chopped walnuts or cashews or omit it altogether!
I am trying this recipe today. Should the Broccoli be pre-cooked a bit before mixing into the casserole? If left raw, does it cook enough? Thanks
Hey Sophia! Good question… if I remember correctly, we used frozen broccoli and it cooked up just fine. Keep in mind frozen veggies are sometimes blanched and then frozen so they get a bit of cook time. If you have fresh broccoli I would precook it a bit, either steam or boil 🙂
I’ll add these details into the recipe too!
This looks so cheesy delicious!