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One pot creamy chicken and asparagus casserole is an easy to make spring dinner the whole family will love! Chicken, asparagus, mushrooms, and a creamy, cheesy sauce round out this one pan dinner. I love serving it over rice or pasta!
If you love a creamy cheesy casserole then give this cauliflower casserole and baked macaroni and cheese a try!
This post and recipe have been updated since they were originally published on 3/30/2016.
Why You’ll Love Chicken and Asparagus
One pot – One pot, one pan, skillet recipe. Whatever you call them, they make cooking and cleanup a lot easier.
Healthy dinner – It may look decadent, but this chicken and asparagus recipe is full of protein and veggies. The creamy sauce has been lightened up by replacing heavy cream with milk and Greek yogurt in place of some of the cream cheese.
Family friendly – This is a one pot dinner the whole family will enjoy. Even if your kids aren’t fond of asparagus, the delicious, creamy, cheese sauce may entice them to give it a try!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs can be used.
- Cayenne pepper – Optional, but I love the little bit of heat that hits you in the back of the throat.
- Shallots – Part of the onion family. They have a milder flavor that yellow and white onions.
- Garlic – Freshly grated or minced always has the best flavor.
- Cremini mushrooms and asparagus – The veggies. They add great flavor and nutrients to the casserole.
- All-purpose flour – Used to thicken the sauce.
- Low-sodium chicken broth – Vegetable broth could also be used.
- Milk – The recipe calls for reduced-fat milk. You can use a high fat milk for a richer sauce if you prefer.
- Cream cheese – Reduced-fat or full-fat may be used.
- Greek yogurt – 2% or full-fat Greek yogurt may be used. I recommend not using non-fat as it’s more likely to break and have a grainy texture when mixed in with the hot ingredients.
- Gruyere cheese – Gruyere has a nutty, creamy flavor that pairs well with both the mushrooms and asparagus.
- Thyme – Fresh thyme brightens the flavor of the casserole.
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Asparagus
This is an overview of the recipe with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Add the chicken to a hot skillet and season it with salt, pepper, and the cayenne pepper. Sauté until it’s cooked through then remove it onto a plate.
Sauté the shallots, asparagus, and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the veggies and stir until you can no longer see any white streaks.
Pour in the chicken broth and stir to remove the lumps of flour. Stir in the cream cheese until it’s melted, then pour in the milk. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens.
Turn off the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt, half of the cheese, chicken and thyme. Top with the remaining cheese and cover with the lid. Once the cheese has melted, serve immediately.
Variations
- Use different veggies. Replace mushrooms with peas, carrots, celery, or bell peppers.
- Gruyere cheese can be substituted with cheddar, Colby Jack, or Swiss cheese.
- Shallots can be replaced with yellow onion.
- Add carbs to the casserole. Mix in 1 1/2 cups of cooked white or brown rice at the end before melting the cheese on top.
- If you don’t like fresh thyme, swap it with a tablespoon of chopped flat leaf parsley.
- For a richer sauce, replace reduced-fat milk with whole milk or half and half.
- reduced-fat cream cheese can be substituted with full fat.
- Make a vegetarian asparagus casserole. Omit the chicken and replace with a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans.
Tips for Success
- Let the cream cheese and Greek yogurt sit out on the counter for at least an hour. You don’t want to add them in cold or they won’t incorporate smoothly into the sauce.
- Warm the milk gently in the microwave or let it sit out with the cream cheese and yogurt. This will help the sauce thicken quicker.
- Grate cheese from the block for the best flavor and texture. Pre-shredded cheese uses anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting as well.
- Stir the Greek yogurt in at the end and off the heat. This will keep it from breaking/curdling in the hot sauce.
- To save time you can use pre-sliced mushrooms and rotisserie chicken. Simply skip step one in the recipe instructions if you’re using pre-cooked chicken.
Storage
Storage – The leftover casserole will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheating – The leftovers can be reheated in the microwave on in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Be sure to stir often.
Freezing – This creamy chicken and asparagus can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. The sauce will likely be thinner due to the moisture from the asparagus and mushrooms.
Defrost the casserole in the refrigerator overnight and reheat using one of the methods above. You will need to stir it before reheating to get the sauce to come back together.
More skillet dinners
Did you make this one pot creamy chicken and asparagus casserole? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
One Pot Creamy Chicken and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste I used about 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup diced shallots
- 1 clove of garlic grated or minced
- 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups chopped asparagus cut approximately 1 inch in length
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup reduced-fat milk
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain reduced or full fat Greek yogurt room temperature
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Sauté until cooked through then remove the chicken onto a plate.
- If needed, add additional oil to the skillet then add in the shallots, mushrooms, asparagus, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the top of the vegetables and stir together until you can no longer see streaks of white. Pour in the chicken broth and stir until there's no clumps of flour. Stir in the cream cheese until incorporated and then pour in the milk. Continue to stir until the sauce is smooth and has thickened.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the chicken back in along with the Greek yogurt, thyme, and 1/2 of the gruyere. Stir until everything is incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning. Top with the remaining cheese and then cover with a lid for a couple minutes until it's melted.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you make this without flour to make it Keto?
Hi Melissa,
You could substitute the flour with arrowroot starch although I don’t know if this fits in with the Keto diet. If you go this route I would start with a tablespoon and add more if needed. If you don’t use any thickener I would cut the amount of chicken broth and milk in half to keep the sauce from being too runny. I haven’t tried it without a thickener so I can’t guarantee the results. Hope this helps.
Any suggestions on how to make part of it ahead of time?
Could you use sour cream instead of yogurt?
Absolutely!
Danae, this recipe sounds amazing! I was totally expecting it to include pasta for some reason and I like that it doesn’t. Pinned and hoping to try it soon!
Thanks Allison! Sometimes I don’t bother with the pasta or rice and prefer to just eat it as is with a salad on the side.
When do you add the chicken back in?
Hi Bridget, sorry about that. I’ve corrected the recipe, the chicken gets added back in in step #11.
Such an ideal casserole for spring, loving anything asparagus right now.
Thanks Thalia!
You make me drool every time I stop by. What a perfect weeknight dinner that will make my whole fam smile. Love it!
Aww thanks Karly! So happy to hear some of my recipes promote drooling! ;-)
This casserole is going on my dinner menu ASAP! I love one pot meals and the creamy chicken and asparagus flavors in this dish are too good to resist. I will have to check out the Wolf Gourmet set too.
One pot meals are the best! Thanks so much Ashley!
Great idea for weeknight dinner!
Thanks Taylor!
This looks so creamy and delicious, and I LOVE asparagus! I can’t wait to try this!