Pimiento Cheese Chicken-Broccoli Casserole

If there's one thing that we know for sure about Southerners, it's that our love for casserole runs deep—as does our love for pimiento cheese. This recipe mimics the flavors of pimiento cheese in a casserole, which makes it an instant winner in our books. Casseroles often get a reputation for being heavy, but this lightened-up Pimiento Cheese Chicken-Broccoli Casserole will leave you feeling great.

Chicken, broccoli, and pimiento cheese? Sounds dreamy. Extra-sharp cheddar cheese melts beautifully in this pasta bake, mixing with the pimiento peppers to channel the flavor of our favorite cheese dip, minus the mayo. The peppers bring little pops of color to this pasta-based casserole, as well as adding a little tanginess to the creamy cheese sauce. Buttery Ritz crackers make for an ideal topping.

In addition to this spinoff recipe, we have four additional variations that you can mix and match with as much as you like. Try our Original Chicken-Broccoli, Crispy Onion-Parmesan, Mushroom-Thyme, and Buffalo Ranch versions. Or take the topping from one, the cheese from another, the grain from another and completely customize the casserole to your tastes.