Broccoli Chicken Casserole

I was catching up on the videos of one of my favorite YouTubers, Beryl Shereshewsky, and she reminded me in one of her recent videos about the existence of one of those classic staples of the church potluck, the broccoli chicken casserole! The video as a whole really took me back to that world of very classically American potluck cookery, and left me with a craving for some broccoli chicken casserole in particular! (Also, I had some broccoli and chicken that I needed to use up...)

What follows is a bit of a blend of a few recipes that I found while googling mixed together with some of my personal favorites. (Seriously, why doesn't everyone make this with onion, garlic, and parsley?!) Thanks again to Beryl and her awesome channel for the reminder about this delicious classic!

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of butter

1 medium-large onion (chopped)

2 chicken breasts (cubed)

4 to 6 cloves of garlic

Parsley (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Salt (if desired)

1/8 cup of water

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup of sour cream

3 cups of broccoli (cut into small pieces)

2 cups of brown rice (cooked)

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar

1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella

1/8 cup of parmesan

Extra parmesan (to taste)

Directions

1) Set the oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter or spray a 9x13 baking dish.

2) Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pan and fry the onion until translucent, then add the chicken and sauté until cooked through.

3) Add the garlic and seasonings and sauté another minute or two until fragrant.

4) Lower the heat, add the water to deglaze the pan, and then incorporate the remaining ingredients, stirring thoroughly to evenly combine everything (especially the shredded cheeses).

5) Pour the contents of the pan into your baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

6) Sprinkle the top of the casserole with some extra parmesan (as much as you like) and bake another 3 to 5 minutes.

7) Remove the casserole from the oven and allow to set for a few minutes before serving as is or with a bit of sriracha to give it some heat, and enjoy!