Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken is comfort food at its best! Tender and juicy chicken breasts topped with broccoli, then absolutely drowned in cheese! A scratch-made cheese sauce (super easy, I promise) plus shredded cheese on top AND a crunchy buttery topping to finish it off!
Want to save this recipe for later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it anytime!
🔍 COPYCAT SECRETS UNCOVERED!
I’ve eaten this dish a few times but then I took to the interweb to do research and found out exactly how they make this comfort food favorite! Don’t miss these tips to be sure your Broccoli Cheddar Chicken is identical to Cracker Barrel:
- Make your own cheese sauce – every other recipe out there is using canned soup to make their sauce! That is their big mistake! Making your own sauce is really easy (and only takes 5 minutes) – you just need cheese and milk! I used Velveeta & Cheddar cheese. And – double up on the cheese – after the creamy sauce – we’re adding shredded cheese!
- I like using the combo of Velveeta and Cheddar – it melts super quickly and gives it the same creamy texture as Cracker Barrel.
- Frozen broccoli – yup – that’s what they use! I bought a 12 oz bag – and hey – spring for the expensive brand without the stems! 😉
- Quick baking time – 30 minutes is all you need — most recipes overcook chicken because they’re paranoid. Pull it at 160°F internal temp and it’ll be juicy every time. (it comes up to 165º in the time it takes you to serve it!)
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole Ingredients
Super simple ingredients here – and you’ll be shocked at how EASY it is to make a creamy cheesy sauce for this casserole! (You could even use it to make your own mac & cheese – I used it on these Trash Can Nachos!) Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken – boneless skinless chicken breasts are great for this – if you buy the big ones from the store – you can butterfly them and then cut to make 2 “normal” size chicken breasts
- Dairy – 2% milk (or half & half), Velveeta and Cheddar Cheese
- Broccoli – based on research, Cracker Barrel uses frozen so I did too – but fresh would work
- Ritz Crackers – gotta have those buttery Ritz for a tasty crunch on top!
- Seasonings – butter, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper, garlic
How to make Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
Making cheese sauce for this fabulous copycat recipe is so easy – grab a pan, some milk and some cheese – boom done! After that – it’s just layering in a baking dish! Can’t get any easier! Let’s make some cheesy broccoli chicken!
- SIMMER milk in a sauce pan over medium heat
- WHISK in Velveeta until melted – low and slow – so it doesn’t burn.
- ADD in 1/2 cheddar, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Whisk until all cheese is melted!
- SEASON chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic.
- LAY chicken in 9×13” baking dish & Top with frozen broccoli florets
- POUR on 3/4 of the cheese sauce, set aside remainder for serving
- MELT butter in microwave. Remove and add crushed crackers to butter and stir until coated.
- SPRINKLE crackers over top of cheese sauce
- BAKE for 30 minutes at 350º. Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese.
- BROIL on low for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted. Be sure to check chicken with an instant read thermometer and be sure it’s 160º. Serve with the famous Hash Brown Casserole.
Salt Pepper Garlic
This is my new favorite in the kitchen! This all-in-one seasoning is so easy – I’m always using salt, pepper and garlic – now – IT’S ALL IN ONE JAR!!!!
Shop Now
Supplies Used
- 9×13″ Baking Dish – I only have one true 9×13 – my others are all strange (but similar) sizes
- Silicone Whisk – you need a good whisk to make your cheese sauce
- Nonstick Sauce Pan – I love my little HexClad sauce pan – it’s nonstick so the cheese sauce won’t burn!
How to Store & Reheat
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
- Reheat in the microwave for 60 seconds
- For best texture, cut chicken into bite-size pieces before reheating.
Freezer Tips
Because we have a cheese sauce and frozen broccoli – you could freeze leftovers but – it might not reheat as well and the broccoli will get rubbery.
If you wanted to freeze BEFORE baking – that would definitely work as a make-ahead casserole. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed in the recipe.
More Cracker Barrel Recipes
More Copycat Chicken Recipes
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 8 oz Velveeta cubed
- 8 oz Medium Cheddar cheese block, shredded & divided
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 4 chicken breasts 5 oz
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 12 oz frozen broccoli florets
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
- 4 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Place a small sauce pan on medium heat and bring the milk to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and whisk in Velveeta until melted – low and slow – so it doesn’t burn. Add in 1/2 shredded cheddar, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Whisk until all cheese is melted!1 cup 2% milk, 8 oz Velveeta, 8 oz Medium Cheddar cheese, 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
- Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic.4 chicken breasts, 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Spray 9×13" baking dish with nonstick spray. Lay seasoned chicken into dish.
- Top with frozen broccoli florets12 oz frozen broccoli florets
- Pour on 3/4 of the cheese sauce, set aside remainder for serving
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt butter in microwave. Remove and add crushed crackers to butter and stir until coated.4 tbsp butter, 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
- Sprinkle crackers over top of cheese sauce
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350º
- Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese. Broil on low for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted. Be sure to check chicken with an instant read thermometer and be sure it's 160º.
