Easy Low-Carb Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake

This easy dinner combines tender chicken, broccoli, and a homemade Alfredo sauce in one baking dish. There is no need to cook the chicken or thaw the broccoli first. Prepare the sauce, pour it over everything, and let the oven do most of the work.

Servings: 6

Oven temperature: 375°F

Baking dish: 9 × 13-inch

INGREDIENTS

Chicken and Broccoli

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1-pound frozen broccoli, not thawed

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• Nonstick cooking spray or a small amount of oil for the baking dish

Low-Carb Alfredo Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 level teaspoon jarred minced garlic

• 1 cup heavy cream

• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• Salt to taste, added at the end only if needed

Make the Alfredo Sauce

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low to medium-low heat.

2. Add the minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Do not let the garlic brown.

3. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking.

4. Warm the cream gently for 2–3 minutes. Do not allow it to boil.

5. Gradually stir in the Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

6. Continue stirring over low heat until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.

7. Taste the finished sauce. Add salt only if needed. The Parmesan may provide enough salt.

Assemble and Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.

3. Place the raw cubed chicken and frozen broccoli in the baking dish.

4. Sprinkle the chicken and broccoli with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir gently to distribute the seasonings.

5. Pour the warm Alfredo sauce evenly over the chicken and broccoli.

6. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.

7. Bake for about 30 minutes.

8. Carefully remove the foil and stir the chicken, broccoli, and sauce.

9. Return the uncovered dish to the oven. Bake for another 10–15 minutes, or longer if needed.

10. Check several of the largest chicken pieces in the center of the dish. The chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

11. If the chicken has not reached 165°F, continue baking in 5-minute increments and check it again.

12. Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken as it rests.

LOWER-LACTOSE OPTION

Need a lower-lactose sauce? Replace the regular Alfredo sauce with the Lower-Lactose Almond Milk Alfredo Sauce.

www.faithfulsteps.net

Low-Carb Low-Lactose Alfedo Sauce

I created this sauce because my husband is lactose intolerant, but I still wanted him to enjoy a creamy chicken and broccoli Alfredo bake. He can tolerate butter and a small amount of feta, so I used those along with unsweetened almond milk, plant-based cream cheese, nutritional yeast, and plant-based cheddar.This is a lower-lactose sauce, not a completely dairy-free sauce. Everyone’s tolerance is different. If you cannot tolerate feta, leave it out and use a little more plant-based cheddar inst

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Whole recipe

• Total carbohydrates: approximately 31 grams

• Net carbohydrates: approximately 20 grams

Per serving — ⅙ of the recipe

• Total carbohydrates: approximately 5 grams

• Net carbohydrates: approximately 3 grams

Nutrition is estimated. Exact totals will vary with the brands of heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, frozen broccoli, and other ingredients used. Net carbohydrates are total carbohydrates minus fiber.

“Moreover, that every person who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—this is the gift of God.”—Ecclesiastes 3:13, NASB