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–+ servings
Ebonie Garnica

Chicken Broccoli Casserole With Yogurt Cheese For Full GAPS

Full GAPS chicken broccoli casserole with a tangy homemade yogurt-cheese and cheddar sauce, browned chicken thighs and a tiny pinch of nutmeg. This recipe serves six. Use it after butter and the cheeses have been introduced. About 25 minutes to prepare the filling, 35 minutes baking and 5 minutes resting; homemade yogurt cheese is prepared separately.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Full GAPS
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon homemade unsalted sweet-cream butter Already introduced and tolerated.
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs Brown, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar Plain, without added sugar or additives.
  • 2 pounds broccoli Chopped; or use the same combined weight of broccoli and cauliflower.
  • 8 ounces homemade yogurt cheese Thick curd from finished homemade 24-hour yogurt, weighed after draining; not the whey or undrained yogurt.
  • 8 ounces natural organic cheddar Traditionally made, without added starches or additives; grate from a block. Already introduced.
  • 1 tablespoon pure dried onion Plain onion, not a seasoning mix.
  • 1/2 pinch pure nutmeg At 1×, just a tiny amount, less than 1/8 teaspoon.
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon natural sea salt
  • 1/4 cup natural Parmesan Optional; traditionally made without additives, already introduced. Grate and stir into the sauce.
  • coconut oil For greasing the baking dish.

Equipment

  • Four-quart glass, ceramic or enameled casserole dish At 1×. Use additional appropriately sized baking dishes when scaling.
  • Large stainless-steel or enameled skillet and wooden spoon Brown chicken without crowding; batches may need extra time.
  • Kitchen scale, measuring spoons, grater, knife, chopping board and thermometer Weigh yogurt cheese after draining. Check the cooked chicken and casserole center.

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a four-quart oven-safe casserole dish with coconut oil for the original six-serving batch. Use additional appropriately sized dishes when scaling. Have the prepared yogurt cheese and grated cheeses ready, and chop the broccoli.
  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs in an uncrowded layer. Brown for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, working in batches if needed. Lift the chicken onto a plate and let it cool enough to cut. It finishes cooking in the casserole.
  3. Add the apple cider vinegar to the skillet. Scrape up the browned cooking juices with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the yogurt cheese, cheddar, dried onion, nutmeg, pepper and salt. Add the Parmesan now if using it.
  4. Stir for about 5 minutes, until the soft cheese loosens and the cheddar melts into a thick sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the chopped broccoli or broccoli-and-cauliflower mixture.
  5. Cut the browned chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir it into the vegetable-and-cheese mixture. Transfer everything to the greased casserole dish and spread it evenly.
  6. Bake at 375°F for about 35 minutes, until the center is hot, the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F. Give it longer if needed to reach those endpoints. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe makes six servings in a four-quart baking dish. The 2 pounds of vegetables can be broccoli or a broccoli-and-cauliflower mixture, keeping the combined weight unchanged.
At 1×, use 8 ounces of thick homemade yogurt cheese, weighed after draining completed 24-hour yogurt. Keep the curd rather than the whey for this sauce. Prepare the cheese and homemade butter before casserole day.
The 25-minute preparation estimate includes the skillet work. Bake about 35 minutes, then rest 5 minutes: about 65 minutes once homemade ingredients are ready. Extra browning batches or larger vegetable pieces can take longer. The chicken finishes cooking during baking; check 165°F in the chicken and casserole center.
At 1×, the half-pinch of nutmeg is less than 1/8 teaspoon. The optional quarter cup of Parmesan goes into the sauce with the other cheeses. Use this Full GAPS dish after butter and the cheeses have been introduced. It is egg-free and nut-free, but contains dairy.
Refrigerate cooked portions promptly in shallow covered containers and use within three days. Freeze fully cooked portions for longer storage, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F. Complete the casserole before storing; do not put the partly cooked chicken mixture away after browning.

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