1. Sear chicken & veggies:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
3. Sear chicken 5–6 minutes until golden; remove and set aside.
4. In same pan, sauté onion, garlic, mushrooms (if using), and broccoli 5–6 minutes until crisp-tender.

2. Make creamy sauce:

1. Reduce heat to low. Add heavy cream, broth, cream cheese, 1 cup shredded cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper.
2. Stir until smooth and slightly thickened (~3–4 minutes).

3. Combine & bake:

1. Return chicken to pan; stir into sauce.
2. Transfer to a greased 9×13″ baking dish (if not using oven-safe skillet).
3. Top with remaining ½ cup cheese, crushed pork rinds, and Parmesan.
4. Bake 20–25 minutes until bubbly and golden. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

💡 Pro Tips for Perfection:
✅ Don’t boil the cream—gentle simmer prevents curdling.
✅ Low-sodium mastery (you love this!):
→ Use no-salt-added broth + reduced-sodium cheese
→ Boost umami with 1 tsp nutritional yeast + extra garlic
✅ Blood sugar friendly (you love this!):
→ Naturally <8g net carbs/serving
→ Add 1 tbsp chia seeds to sauce for fiber + glycemic control
✅ Extra protein boost (you love this!):
→ Add 1 cup white beans (+7g protein/serving)
→ Top with 2 tbsp hemp seeds (+5g protein)
✅ Make ahead:
→ Assemble unbaked casserole; refrigerate 24 hours (add 5–10 min to bake time)
→ Fully baked casserole freezes 3 months (thaw overnight; reheat covered at 350°F for 30 min)

Prep Time & Nutrition (per serving):