Veggie Loaded Rotisserie Chicken Casserole

 The Veggie Loaded Rotisserie Chicken Casserole is exactly what your dinner menu rotation needs! Family friendly, low-carb, and seriously packed with vegetables. It’s super easy to modify and makes the best leftovers!

One of my very first casserole-making related discoveries: using greek yogurt instead of cream. Greek yogurt – so versatile, so yummy, so creamy – and not heavy cream.

I normally use Fage Total All Natural Greek Yogurt, or the Trader Joe’s brand if I’m already there. I’ve graduated to the level of always having some in my fridge. We use it that often.

This greek yogurt substitution has been around the internet for a while now. And, based on my own experience, I approve. It’s an easy way to avoid heavy cream when you just don’t need it.

Watch how to Make Veggie Loaded Rotisserie Chicken Casserole (2 min):

What are the ingredients in this Veggie Loaded Rotisserie Chicken Casserole?

There are tons of veggies in this casserole, and as the recipe name says, a whole rotisserie chicken. Pick one up during your weekly grocery haul and use it for this recipe!

The rest of the ingredients are pretty standard, including things like cheese and Greek yogurt. Here’s what I used in this recipe:

• heads of broccoli & cauliflower – So when I say veggie loaded, I mean veggie loaded! This recipe uses a whole head each of broccoli and cauliflower. You can also use Steam Fresh bags or pre-cut florets from the store.
• olive oil – For sauteing the veggies and adding some flavor!
• onion & baby spinach leaves – More veggies! These veggies add more flavor and veggie bulk to the recipe.
• garlic – I love garlic and I put it in everything.
• eggs – Eggs are the binder for this recipe, they help things stick to other things once cooked.
• greek yogurt & milk – This makes the casserole creamy. The casserole does not taste like Greek yogurt. Don’t skip!
• sharp cheddar cheese – Cheese cheese cheese! Use your favorites or stick with a ton of cheddar. Cheese is what makes this recipe delicious!!
• rotisserie chicken – We want all the meat pulled from one chicken which is usually around 3-4 cups of meat.
• red chili pepper flakes – For some spice!
• dried basil & parsley – Adds more flavor to the chicken and the veggies, and you don’t have to get fresh herbs 🙂
• salt & pepper – Add to taste, I prefer to use fresh ground black pepper and fine sea salt for this recipe.
• parmesan crisps – Adding crispy cheese to the top of this casserole is the best way to finish it off. Parm crisps are recommended here (use store bought or make your own – see notes).

Can I substitute frozen vegetables for the fresh vegetables?

Absolutely! Readers have reported success using frozen pre-cut broccoli and cauliflower instead of fresh heads of each.

Steam according to the package directions, then continue following the rest of the casserole recipe! Be sure to drain all the excess water off and let them cool for a while to reduce extra moisture in the casserole.

This method should save you a bit of time, and I definitely agree it’s a great shortcut for this recipe. However, when I make the casserole, I do follow original directions. Normally, I prefer to use fresh produce because there’s less packaging waste involved.

I’m also sure you could also use frozen spinach if needed, but I would stick with fresh onion.

I don’t like Greek yogurt. Can I leave it out?

Please do not leave out the Greek yogurt!

This recipe does not taste like Greek yogurt in any way. The yogurt is a requirement to help bring some creaminess to the casserole, instead of using something else like heavy cream or sour cream.

But I promise, the taste is completely covered up by all the spices, veggies and chicken.

However, if you don’t have any Greek yogurt and NEED a substitute, I suppose you could use sour cream.

Can I add or substitute different vegetables?

Definitely. I would always encourage you to play around with my recipes, but especially this one. Just make sure all of your vegetables are cooked before going into the casserole.

Readers have suggested the following vegetable substitutions/additions with success:

• Butternut squash instead of cauliflower (from comments): “I have done a couple deviations of it that all came out great. For example, I substituted the cauliflower with butternut squash and it was awesome!”
• Added zucchini (from comments): “We loved this casserole added some zucchini and rice.”
• Added carrots (from Pinterest): “You can use a steam fresh bag of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, and you can use a defrosted brick of frozen spinach to save time too.”
• Cabbage instead of spinach (from Pinterest): “Tasted great!! Used cabbage instead of spinach, cream instead of yogurt and whole milk instead of reduced. Very good.”

I don’t have parmesan crisps – what else can I put on top of the casserole?

When I wrote this recipe, I recommended my favorite brand of parmesan crisps, but I now understand they are not available everywhere.

Here are some perfectly good options to get that crunch on top of the Veggie Loaded Rotisserie Chicken Casserole, even if you can’t find parmesan crisps at the store.

• Ritz crackers: If you aren’t trying to keep this casserole low carb or gluten free, tons of people say it’s amazing with Ritz crackers crushed up and sprinkled on top. Honestly I kind of want to try it.
• Crunchy fried onions: This is new to me, but people are putting crispy crunchy fried onions on top, sort of like a green bean casserole. I’ve never tried it personally, but I just love how innovative people on Pinterest are.
• Seasoned breadcrumbs: I’m sure this would be delicious, maybe with some butter in the breadcrumbs so you get a nice crunch.
• Or your final option…

You can also make your own parmesan crisps at home!

Some readers have reported making their own crispy parmesan chips at home, simply by baking little piles of parmesan cheese. It’s BRILLIANT.

For more detailed directions, visit this post on How to Make Baked Parmesan Crisps!

How to store in the fridge:

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to freeze:

Freeze cooked casserole in an airtight freezer safe container, or use my favorite 2-Cup Souper Cubes Trays to freeze individual portions. Best enjoyed within 3-4 months. Texture of the veggies may change slightly after thawing but it is perfectly safe to eat.

How to reheat:

Thaw for 24 hours prior to reheating in the oven at 350 for 25-35 minutes depending on thickness.