Cheesy Creamy Low-Carb Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole

By CJKK

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into lengthwise strips
• 1 tsp. poultry season
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• water or chicken stock to cover the chicken while cooking. (Can also use 4-5 cups shredded rotisserie chicken.)
• 6 cups bite-sized broccoli pieces
• 1 cup mayo, light or regular (do not use fat-free)
• 1 cup sour cream, light or regular (do not use fat-free)
• 1 T lemon juice (see notes)
• 2 tsp. sweet curry powder
• 1 tsp. hot curry powder (Use any combination of curry powders you prefer.)
• 1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 cups grated cheese blend (We used a shredded Colby Jack Cheese blend, but any cheese blend that includes cheddar will also work. Use less cheese if you prefer.)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 35mins
Cooking time 65mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Spray a 9″ x 13″ glass or crockery casserole dish with non-stick spray.
Trim chicken breasts and cut each breast into 3 or 4 lengthwise strips. Put chicken strips into a saucepan, add water or chicken stock to cover by an inch or so, add the poultry seasoning and dried thyme, and bring the chicken to a low boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, turn heat as low as it will go and cook the chicken for 12-15 minutes, or until it’s firm.
Drain chicken into a colander placed in the sink. When it’s cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred the chicken strips apart into bite-sized pieces. (If you have leftover rotisserie chicken you can use 4-5 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own chicken.)
While the chicken cooks, cut up enough broccoli to make 6 cups of bite-sized broccoli pieces. Put the broccoli into a large glass bowl or large 8-cup glass measuring cup, cover with cling-wrap, and microwave on high about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. (You want the broccoli still quite crisp; it will cook in the oven.) Drain the broccoli into a colander if it seems very wet. (You can steam the broccoli if you prefer, but be sure it is drained well before you add it to the casserole.)
Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, sweet curry powder, and hot curry powder in a small mixing bowl or 4 cup glass measuring cup. (If you’re a curry fan, you might want to taste at this point and see if you want a little more curry powder.) Then mix in 1 1/2 cups of the grated cheese blend and the Parmesan cheese.
Put the shredded chicken and barely-cooked broccoli into the casserole dish and gently stir so ingredients are evenly distributed. Use a rubber scraper to spread the cheesy creamy topping over the chicken/broccoli mixture. Top with the other 1 1/2 cups grated cheese.
Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling hot and the cheese is nicely browned on top. Serve hot.