WW SmartPoints Recipe of the Day: Skinny Chicken Broccoli Casserole
This skinny chicken broccoli casserole is a lightened up version of my Mom's yummy creamy cheesy chicken broccoli casserole from childhood.
It was one of her favorite recipes for leftover turkey and chicken.
And what's not to like? It's quick, tasty and economical.
She always called it chicken and broccoli casserole or turkey broccoli casserole.
Skinny Chicken Broccoli Casserole (Chicken Divan)
But it's really just a quick and easy version of Chicken Divan, an American classic dish created by NYC's Divan Parisienne Hotel back in the early 1900s.
(Classic Chicken Divan calls for making Mornay sauce, a white sauce to which you add grated Swiss and Parmesan cheese.)
It's delicious, but a little more work than Mom's quick and easy version that uses cream of chicken soup instead.
If you want a skinny chicken broccoli casserole calling for homemade sauce, check out this Lightened Up Chicken Divan from Gina at Skinny Taste.
Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe Notes
I made this skinny chicken broccoli casserole by using 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, non-fat evaporated milk and reduced fat cheddar cheese.
I also added more broccoli and used only a light dusting of grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs.
And I skipped mixing the breadcrumbs with melted butter and opted to coat the top of the casserole lightly with olive oil from my pump spray bottle.
We enjoyed this skinny chicken broccoli casserole recently with warm whole wheat French bread and a simple green salad.
I barely had time to snap a picture before it disappeared!
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Chicken Casserole?
According to my calculations, each serving of this lightened up chicken & broccoli casserole has about 362 calories and:
7 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
9 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Skinny Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe Variations
no cooked chicken - leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey works well
no broccoli - really any cooked vegetable of your choice will work
no cream of chicken soup - any cream soup would work. So would gravy or a combination of canned soup and gravy
no breadcrumbs - skip them, or substitute other crunchy crumbs - cornflakes, rice krispies, corn chips, potato chips, crackers, etc.
Are You Ready To Firmly Plant Yourself
On The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?
If you've made this Enlightened Chicken Divan, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Skinny Chicken Broccoli Casserole (Chicken Divan) Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked and diced
- 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen broccoli cuts, cooked and drained
- 2 cans (10-¾ ounces each) 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
- ¾ cup non-fat evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup Italian-flavored dry bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, toss together the cooked chicken and broccoli.
- In a smaller bowl, mix together the soup, milk and lemon juice. Add this to the chicken and broccoli and stir to combine.
- Spread the mixture evenly into the greased baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the shredded cheddar. Toss the bread crumbs and parmesan together and sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350F degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly.
Recipe Notes
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More WW Friendly Recipes Using Thanksgiving Leftovers
More Weight Watchers Casseroles
- Slow Cooker Broccoli Corn Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken Rice and Broccoli
- Weight Watchers Casserole Recipes
- Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole Made Lighter
This video shows how to make a low carb chicken broccoli casserole:
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
Subscribe to Get: Top 10 Reader Favorite Recipes
The Top 10 Most Popular Recipes (PDF) on Simple Nourished Living + Weekly Support Emails with Tips & Easy Healthy Recipes Not Found Anywhere Else!
Naveel
I noticed that the amount of Parmesan needed for this isn't included in the ingredients list. How much is needed for this?
Martha
Thanks for letting me know about this oversight. I've corrected the recipe to include 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan in the ingredient list
Kathy ZS
So is this 9 points plus for 1/6th of the casserole or 1/8th of the casserole?
Martha
It's 9 PointsPlus for 1/6th of the casserole.
KathyZS
Thanks Martha, we are having this for dinner tonight!!!
Cindy McKenna
Just okay. Extremely bland. I would make it again and add salt, pepper and maybe a little dry mustard.
Becky H.
I kept checking the points because this did not at all taste like a "diet" meal to me. It was really good. I did feel like it was missing something...maybe pepper...maybe dry mustard like another person suggested. But it was very good. You could also serve it over rice if you wanted...that would be more points of course. But not only was it very good, I stayed full for a long time.
Susan Jansen
Martha,
Could this be made w regular fat free milk instead of the evaporated?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Susan, It would be as creamy if made with regular fat free milk.
L. Saunders
I used low fat Swiss cheese, garlic pepper, & herbs de Provence. Also used a package of Birdseye veggie penne pasta. This is a great base recipe! Hubbie said to keep it in the rotation! If you have not tried the veggie pasta, do so. Nearly half the points of whole wheat. Get the penne with olive oil rather than ones with sauce.
Thanks for this great idea to use up leftover turkey!
Anne
How much per serving 1 cup? It doesn’t say and it’s 5 points on weight watcher free style?
Lisa
1/6 of a 9 x 13 pan
Annapearl
This recipe needed seasoning. I sautéed onion, carrots,mushrooms and garlic and onion and added this. I added one t of worcheshire and 1/4 t of dill and some pepper and parsley. Honestly it was tAsty but it tasted like pot pie without the pie. It should be served with rice or noodles or over toast or refrigerated biscuits should be put on top before baking. If you want to lose weight, this is not the recipe to use. Two of us had this for dinner and really there was only about one portion left. We did not have anything else for dinner. So eating only one 16th of this would not satisfy most people. If one wants to lose weight I woughy suggest just a simple sauteed sautéed chicken breast and maybe a cucumber tomato salad on the side. This would have much less calories. Eating plain food without sauces etc have much less calories.
Lisa
I think the serving size was 1/6, not 1/16. Being on Weight Watchers in the past, this was satisfying. I'm sorry you didn't have the same experience.
Lisa
The recipe was very easy to make. I'm glad that it shows both Points Plus as well as Smart Points, as I reverted back to Points Plus for weight management. There is a lot of flavor and you don't miss the carbs! The cheese and creaminess of the sauce is very satisfying!
Cortney
Wow, wonderful recipe and flashback to my childhood! My mom used to make this all the time. This version sounds lighter than hers, can't wait to try it.
Pam Taylor
This is comfort food made lighter! I halve the recipe and add in 1/4 c diced onion, a clove of garlic and 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning... Like you, we play around with the flavor factor. Keeps things exciting! Cooked carrots and a small salad round out this meal. I love your recipes!
Cindy
Delicious! I used about 1/2 cup of fat free half & half and about 1/8 c sherry in place of milk
Renee Powers
Awesome!
Candi
I only had regular cream of chicken soup and regular evaporated milk. And I had a 6oz serving, did I make it totally over the 7 point for green? It was delicious ?
Annice E Harrison
I added this recipe in WW create a recipe. I altered the recipe to show the ingredients for 2 people. Cooked in individual casserole dishes. 5 pts. However, does need a little salt and pepper.