Cheesy Creamy Low-Carb Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into lengthwise strips
• 1 tsp. poultry season
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• water or chicken stock to cover the chicken
• (Can also use 4-5 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 6 cups bite-sized broccoli pieces
• 1 cup mayo light or regular (do not use fat-free)
• 1 cup sour cream light or regular (do not use fat-free)
• 1 T lemon juice (I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice)
• 2 tsp. sweet curry powder
• 1 tsp. hot curry powder
• (Use any combination of curry powders you prefer.)
• 1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 cups grated cheese blend (We used a shredd but any cheese blend that includes cheddar will also work, including lowe
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Spray a 9“ x 13“ glass or crockery casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. Trim chicken breasts and cut each breast into 3 or 4 lengthwise strips. Put chicken strips into a saucepan, add water or chicken stock to cover by an inch or so, add the poultry seasoning and dried thyme, and bring the chicken to a low boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, turn heat as low as it will go and cook the chicken for 12-15 minutes, or until it’s firm. Drain chicken into a colander placed in the sink. When it’s cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred the chicken strips apart into bite-sized pieces. (If you have leftover rotisserie chicken you can use 4-5 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own chicken.)
3. While the chicken cooks, cut up enough broccoli to make 6 cups of bite-sized broccoli pieces. Put the broccoli into a large glass bowl or large 8-cup glass measuring cup, cover with cling-wrap, and microwave on high about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. (You want the broccoli still quite crisp; it will cook in the oven.) Drain the broccoli into a colander if it seems very wet.
4. Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, sweet curry powder, and hot curry powder in a small mixing bowl or 4 cup glass measuring cup. (If you’re a curry fan, you might want to taste at this point and see if you want a little more curry powder.) Then mix in 1 1/2 cups of the grated cheese blend and the Parmesan cheese.
5. Put the shredded chicken and barely-cooked broccoli into the casserole dish and gently stir so ingredients are evenly distributed. Use a rubber scraper to spread the cheesy creamy topping over the chicken/broccoli mixture. Top with the other 1 1/2 cups grated cheese.
6. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling hot and the cheese is nicely browned on top. Serve hot.