Cheesy Chicken Casserole with Broccoli and Bacon — The Meal That Proves Carter’s Kitchen Is Home

Year five ends. Week two hundred and sixty. I stand in my kitchen — the kitchen that Mama said is "a good kitchen" — and I look at the tools: the grill on the balcony, the smoker beside it, the cast-iron skillet on the stove, the spice rack on the wall, the step stool where Zaria stands, the drawings on the fridge, the name — Carter's Kitchen — on the paper next to the drawings. This is a kitchen that feeds a family. Someday it will feed a neighborhood. Someday it will feed a city. But today it feeds me, and Aiden, and Zaria, and that is enough. That is more than enough. That is everything.

When I looked around that kitchen tonight — Zaria on her step stool, Aiden at the table, Mama’s voice in my head calling it “a good kitchen” — I didn’t want something fancy off the grill or a long smoke. I wanted something that filled the whole space with warmth and said, plainly and without any fuss, this is ours. This cheesy chicken casserole with broccoli and bacon is exactly that: the kind of dish that belongs in a kitchen with drawings on the fridge and a name on the wall. It feeds three people like it means it. It always will.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole with Broccoli and Bacon

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 3 cups broccoli florets, steamed until just tender
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers or seasoned breadcrumbs (for topping)
• 1 tbsp butter, melted (for topping)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, steamed broccoli, crumbled bacon, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, mayonnaise, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir until everything is evenly coated.
3. Fill the dish. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish in an even layer.
4. Add the topping. In a small bowl, toss the crushed crackers or breadcrumbs with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the casserole, then scatter the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top.
5. Bake. Bake uncovered for 30—35 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
6. Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before scooping. Serve straight from the dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 490 | Protein: 39g | Fat: 29g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 840mg