Chicken casserole is such a classic dinner recipe, and the odds of you having most of the ingredients ready to go are high! Casserole recipes are one of my go-to dinners as they come together so effortlessly, and once they’re in the oven, you’ve got your hands free to do other things around the house. It’s the easiest recipe to throw together for busy weeknights, it’s full of flavor, and great for picky eaters. I usually like to serve this recipe with fluffy dinner rolls or cornbread but it’s perfect on its own as well.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Condensed cream of chicken soup — you can use regular condensed cream of chicken soup or an unsalted version. Try to use one that has a short ingredient list without fillers.
Sour cream — the sour cream adds richness to the casserole and a hint of tangy flavor. If you’ve run out you can always make homemade sour cream.
Cooked chicken — you can make your own chicken and then shred it or buy two rotisserie chickens. If you make your own, feel free to cook a whole chicken, just breasts, or just thighs. It’s up to you!
Cheddar cheese — I recommend shredding cheese from a block. Pre-shredded cheese sold at stores tends to have a coating on it that prevents it from clumping. The coating prevents the cheese from melting correctly.
Ritz crackers — I love how the crackers add texture to the casserole. You can lightly crush them inside a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin to make the process less messy.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CASSEROLE
1. In a large bowl, stir together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1½ cups of cheese.
2. Fold in the chicken and transfer the mixture to the prepared 13×9-inch casserole dish.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the crackers and melted butter.
4. Sprinkle crackers over the chicken mixture and the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes and allow it to cool and set for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Feel free to add some vegetables to this! You can easily turn this into a chicken and broccoli casserole or chicken and mushroom casserole with a quick addition. When adding vegetables, saute them first, so it decreases the water content.
- You can quickly make shredded chicken breasts by poaching them. Simply add chicken breasts to a pot of cold water, bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat, lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Alternatively, roast your chicken by drizzling chicken breasts with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 375F on a rimmed baking sheet until cooked through (35 to 40 minutes).
- Quickly shred chicken breasts by beating them with a mixer while warm. The chicken will shred effortlessly.
- To easily shred your own cheese, run it through a cheese grater or a food processor’s grater attachment.
- By allowing the chicken casserole to cool before cutting, you give it time to set up. This makes serving much more manageable, so don’t skip this step.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I store leftovers?
Store leftover chicken casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, you can reheat it in the oven until warmed through or use the microwave. Using the oven will help keep the topping crispy.
How do I freeze this casserole?
You can freeze this cheesy chicken casserole baked or unbaked. When ready to eat or cook, simply thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed or reheat until warm throughout. Use aluminum containers if you plan on freezing the casserole as they’re lighter, and you won’t risk thermal shock on ceramic dishes.
Can I use a different topping?
If you’re out of Ritz crackers, try some potato chips or regular breadcrumbs in this chicken casserole recipe’s crispy topping.
Can I add rice?
Feel free to add cooked rice or pasta to the filling to make this chicken casserole even more hearty.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Chicken Casserole recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 condensed cream of chicken soup (10.5-ounce cans)
- 1 cup sour cream (240g)
- 1½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 cups shredded cooked chicken about 2 rotisserie chickens
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided (225g)
- 2 full sleeves Ritz crackers lightly crushed
- 4 tablespoons melted butter (56g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly spray a 13x9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Fold in the chicken and 1½ cups of cheese. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl stir together the crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle crackers over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the crackers are lightly browned. Allow the casserole to cool and set for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Feel free to add some vegetables to this! You can easily turn this into a chicken and broccoli casserole or chicken and mushroom casserole with a quick addition. When adding vegetables, saute them first, so it decreases the water content.
- You can quickly make shredded chicken breasts by poaching them. Simply add chicken breasts to a pot of cold water, bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat, lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Alternatively, roast your chicken by drizzling chicken breasts with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 375F on a rimmed baking sheet until cooked through (35 to 40 minutes).
- Quickly shred chicken breasts by beating them with a mixer while warm. The chicken will shred effortlessly.
- To easily shred your own cheese, run it through a cheese grater or a food processor’s grater attachment.
- By allowing the chicken casserole to cool before cutting, you give it time to set up. This makes serving much more manageable, so don’t skip this step.
Hello John! I’m debating I’m making this casserole and add broccoli or make the broccoli casserole you have and add chicken! They are both similar but I think the broccoli casserole features more dairy. What do you think would be best for thanksgiving? Taking the easy road this year!
Love your spin on classic recipes John! Find myself coming here a lot lately! It’s crazy cold here in southeast Texas this past week–going to make this for dinner tomorrow-with mushrooms 🙂 Looks so delicious and perfect for cold weather.
I did make it! With mushrooms, sliced carrots and the last of the sugar snap peas. Omg, just fantastic! So creamy and flavorful-just the right proportion of sauce to rice. The breadcrumb topping is soo crispy and the perfect finishing touch. Thank you 🙂
Delicious! And so super quick and easy! Thanks for a great recipe.