This Harvest Chicken Casserole features sweet and savory flavors from apples, butternut squash, brussels sprouts, and more. It's the perfect, cozy fall dish and also great for the holidays!
Table of Contents
About this Casserole
Just wait until you try this Harvest Chicken Casserole recipe — it is the epitome of fall in a dish. Seasonal, hearty, and absolutely delicious.
What's in this delicious casserole? We've got apples, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, onion, and pomegranate seeds, all sautéed to bring out their amazing flavors.
And on top of all that, it's finished off with Brie wedges that will get melty and gooey in the oven. There's a little bit of sweetness, a little bit of cheesiness, and a WHOLE lot of delicious you'll surely love!
This casserole is filled with feel-good fall ingredients like protein and veggies, making it a super healthy meal to enjoy during the holidays. It's also grain-free, so you can pack in those other delicious carbs on the table 😉.
And if you're looking for more hearty fall favorites, you should also check out this Healthy Skillet Shepherd's Pie, this Creamy Sweet Potato Pasta, or this Fall Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Trimmed and tenderized. See notes below on how to best prepare them for this recipe. You could also use pre-cooked, pre-shredded chicken.
- Chicken Broth: This will help infused some hearty flavor into our dish and add moisture for all of the ingredients to soak up.
- Veggies: This recipe includes hearty fall vegetables including onion, garlic, butternut squash, and brussel sprouts.
- Fruit: Adding fall fruit like apples and pomegranate bring this dish to life adding both color and sweetness.
- Brie: We will melt this on top of the casserole and it will be INCREDIBLE!
- Spicy Honey: I drizzled some Mike’s Spicy Honey on top of this dish and it was absolutely amazing. Optional, but highly recommended!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
I don’t like brie. Can I use another cheese?
Yes! You can substitute a wedge of another type of cheese, but I recommend a softer cheese like mozzarella or chevre cheese because of their similar creamy texture.
Could I use sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash?
You sure can! Similar to butternut squash, sweet potatoes have a longer baking time, so just ensure that you boil the sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes before dicing them into small cubes and sautéing with the other vegetables.
Can I omit the spicy honey?
You can, but I don’t think you’ll want to! The spicy honey really takes this dish to the next level. Mike’s Spicy Honey is my go-to and I know Trader Joe’s also sells a great version. It’s worth a buy for this recipe and also goes great with plenty of other foods like eggs, pizza, roasted veggies, and even ice cream. You can also use regular honey or a seasonal flavor dressing. (Think something with fig, apple, or pear.)
How to Make This Recipe
1. Trim fat from raw chicken breasts, pound thin, and dice into ¼” bite-sized pieces. Then, heat a large skillet to medium heat. Then, spray with cooking oil and pick the leaves off the fresh thyme stalks. Place them in the pan. Add the diced chicken to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes. Season chicken with salt + pepper. After the chicken has cooked on all sides (it’s okay if it’s not done cooking in the middle yet), add 1 cup broth. Then, once the chicken is done cooking, turn off the heat. Some of the chicken broth will evaporate—that's OK.
2. Using a knife, dice the apple into cubes, the brussels sprouts into quarters, and chop the white onion. The smaller you make them, the faster they'll cook and the more flavor you'll get in each bite.
3. Remove the skin of the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler. Then, remove the seeds with a spoon and dice the squash into ¼” cubes.
4. Heat another deep skillet (one with a lid) to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking oil and add minced garlic. Add the diced white onion, brussels sprouts, and butternut squash. Sauté for 5 minutes.
5. Add diced apples and pomegranate seeds. Sauté for another 5 minutes. The veggies should be a bit charred and wilted. Then pour in the other cup of chicken broth into the pan. Cover and let simmer / steam for 5-8 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grab a large baking dish. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables & fruit from the pan and transfer mixture to the casserole dish. No broth should be used for the casserole.
7. Add the cooked chicken pieces and stir. Cut brie into small, ¼” wedges and toss into the casserole.
8. Mix the ingredients so everything is well distributed. Bake the casserole for 15-18 minutes or until the brie is completely melted and getting a golden brown color.
9. Garnish with spicy honey, fresh thyme, green onion (optional) and more pomegranate seeds. ENJOY!
Pro Tip
It’s key to cook the chicken and vegetables in skillets beforehand. If you don't, you will end up with a severely underdone casserole—and no one wants that! It goes in the oven essentially to just melt the cheese and have all of the flavors marinate together NOT for the main cooking.
Recipe FAQs
Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat your hearty casserole the next day, place in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 60-90 seconds until hot.
This casserole can be frozen for up to three months. I suggest allowing the casserole to cool completely, then wrapping with plastic wrap and tinfoil before placing in your freezer. Then, when ready to enjoy you can unwrap and place directly in a 300°F oven for ~45 minutes or until warm throughout.
The way you prepare chicken for this recipe is super important as it will affect its flavor and texture. Here's how I cook the most perfect chicken every time:
1. If your chicken is frozen, let it thaw. Then remove the chicken from its container and run the breasts under lukewarm water.
2. Take 2 large sheets of plastic wrap and layer them on a cutting board or countertop. You want to be sure they’re overlapping slightly as this is going to be the prepping station for the raw meat.
3. Using meat scissors, trim away any excess fat from the breasts.
4. Place them on the plastic wrap surface once trimmed & rinsed.
5. After all the breasts there, cover the chicken with 2 more sheets of plastic wrap.
6. Using a meat tenderizer (I call it a meat mallet), pound the chicken breasts until they’re all equal thickness. I aim for mine to be about ½ inch - ¾ inch thick.
7. Season and cook! You'll want an internal temperature of 165°F to ensure it is fully cooked.
Featured Comment
I made this last minute Sunday night. It was so easy and my kids (6&7) loved it also!
- Holly
Serving Suggestions
This satisfying casserole alone is a nutritious meal containing plenty of protein from the chicken and healthy carbs from the fruits and veggies.
But if you’re looking to have an additional side, I suggest serving with a grain like quinoa, wild rice (try this Mushroom Rice Pilaf), brown rice, Parmesan Rice, cauliflower rice, or farro, or even enjoying on top a bed of creamy mashed potatoes.
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Recipe
Harvest Chicken Casserole
Equipment
- skillet
- Stovetop pan with lid
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Casserole dish
- Slotted spoon
- Mixing spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, or pre-cooked, pre-shredded chicken
- olive oil or cooking spray
- 4 stalks fresh thyme
- 2 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper, to taste
- truffle honey sea salt, to taste
- ½ tbsp minced garlic
- 1 small white onion, diced
- ½ medium butternut squash, diced
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, diced
- 1 large honeycrisp apple, chopped
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¾ cup brie wedges, diced
- 2 tbsp spicy honey
Instructions
- Take 2 large chicken breasts and dice into ¼” cubes. I like to remove any excess chicken fat and pound the breasts prior to cutting to make them nice and thin. I share more on this in the post above.
- Heat a skillet to medium heat. Then, spray with cooking oil and pick the leaves off the fresh thyme stalks. Place them in the pan.
- Add the diced chicken to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt + pepper. After the chicken has cooked on all sides (it’s okay if it’s not done cooking in the middle yet), add 1 cup of chicken broth. Then, once the chicken is done booking, turn off the heat. Some of the chicken broth will evaporate—that's OK.
- Using a knife, dice the apple into cubes, the brussels sprouts into quarters, and chop the white onion. The smaller you make them, the faster they'll cook and the more flavor you'll get in each bite.
- Remove the skin of the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler. Then, remove the seeds with a spoon and dice the squash into ¼” cubes.
- Heat another stove top pan (one with a lid) to medium heat. Spray with cooking oil and add minced garlic. Add the diced white onion, brussels sprouts, and butternut squash. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add diced apples and pomegranate seeds. Sauté for another 5 minutes. The veggies should be a bit charred and wilted.
- Next, pour in the other cup of chicken broth into the pan. Cover and let simmer / steam for 5-8 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grab the casserole dish.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables & fruit from the pan and transfer to the casserole dish. No broth should be used for the casserole.
- Add the cooked chicken and stir.
- Cut brie into small, ¼” wedges and toss into the casserole. I like to mix it in, but you could keep them all on top for a layer of melty cheese.
- Bake the casserole for 15-18 minutes or until the brie is completely melted.
- Garnish with spicy honey, fresh thyme, and more pomegranate seeds. ENJOY!
Nutrition
Notes
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I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
HollyHock says
I made this last minute sunday night. It was so easy and my kids (6&7) loved it also!
Courtney Paige says
Thanks, Holly! Happy to hear it was a hit 🙂
Sydney Van Acker says
Seriously all of my favorite foods in one dish! I used parmesan, because that's what I had and it was amazing.
Courtney Paige says
The brie mixed with fruits and vegetables make it taste like a charcuterie board party in one bite - delish!