Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken and broccoli casserole was a staple in our house growing up.  It's fast and easy and delicious.  In recent years, though, I have been trying to cut back on processed foods like condensed soup in order to try and be a little more healthy.  I took my inspiration from Mel's Kitchen Cafe where she reinvented the sauce for Hawaiian Haystacks.  I adjusted the ingredients and the amounts to get the flavor and consistency that I wanted.  Now I don't make it any other way!  My sister and husband (who are both used to the old way) both agreed they like this way even better.  It's nice when the healthier way ends up being more flavorful. 

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic salt, to taste
2 cups chopped broccoli

Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth (I use fat free, low sodium)
1 cup milk
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

grated cheddar cheese, to taste
rice, for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and start cooking rice.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt and cook in a little bit of olive oil over medium heat until the chicken is done.  Remove from heat.  Meanwhile, steam your broccoli until crisp tender.  Set aside.

Prepare sauce by melting butter over medium high heat in a medium saucepan.  Add onions and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes.  Whisk in flour all at once and cook for a minute or two.  Slowly pour in milk and chicken broth while whisking continuously.  Add salt and pepper.  Whisk constantly until sauce thickens.  Stir in cooked chicken.

Assemble casserole by spreading the steamed broccoli evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking pan.  Pour chicken and sauce over the broccoli.  Top with grated cheddar cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 15-20 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Notes:
--Even though this way is healthier, it is also more time consuming to make the sauce from scratch.  If you're in a pinch for time or just want something even more simple, just mix one can cream of chicken soup with 1/2 can (the empty soup can) of milk and mix with the chicken.  Assemble casserole in the same way.
--If your kids (or you!) don't like pieces of onions you can substitute onion powder (add it with the flour) or 1/4 onion grated (add it with the milk and chicken broth) in the sauce.  You can also use garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic on hand.

Enjoy!
-Jennie