Chicken Casserole

There’s nothing more comforting than a bubbly, creamy casserole for dinner. Filled with tasty ingredients like creamy chicken and cheese-stuffed olives, topped with a crunchy and cheesy topping, this dish is certain to be a crowd-pleaser whenever you need a weeknight dinner in a pinch.

This recipe for chicken casserole starts with a “Holy Trinity” mirepoix, a Cajun or Creole combination that uses celery, onion and green bell pepper. The casserole ingredients are then tossed together and spread in a casserole dish, then baked until bubbly. Add the buttery crunchy topping and bake for another five minutes. You’ll have a comforting casserole on your table in less than one hour. Here’s how to make chicken casserole.

Ingredients for Chicken Casserole

• Celery: Do you have limp celery in the fridge that you need to use up? Cut the ends from the limp celery stalks and place them in a glass of cold water in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. You’ll be surprised how refreshed the celery will be.
• Onion: Use a yellow or white onion in this recipe for best results.
• Green bell pepper: Slice green bell pepper into small pieces for the mirepoix.
• Butter: The vegetables are cooked in butter until they are soft to work as the flavorful base of this chicken casserole. Butter is also melted and tossed with the topping ingredients to soften them up before baking on top of the casserole.
• Chicken: This baked chicken casserole makes it easy by using already cooked chicken in the dish. Make things even easier for yourself by buying pre-cooked chicken at the store.
• Mushrooms: Get your hands on a pack of cremini mushrooms (also labeled as “Baby Bella”mushrooms) for the best tasting baked chicken casserole.
• Pimiento-stuffed olives: You can find pre-stuffed pimiento olives in jars in the pantry section at the grocery store.
• Condensed cream of chicken soup: A can of condensed cream of chicken soup is added to the dish to make the saucy base of this casserole dish. Do not bother diluting it, just simply open it up and dump it in.
• Milk: The chicken mixture in the casserole is loosened with a small amount of milk. Any milk fat variety that you have will work for this recipe.
• Egg noodles: This recipe calls for pre-cooked egg noodles. You can buy egg-noodles already cooked or boil the noodles yourself before tossing them in. Feeling extra ambitious? Attempt to make egg noodles from scratch!
• Cornflakes: Cornflakes are used as the crunchy topping for this casserole.
• Cheddar cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese is also added to the topping to give this baked chicken casserole a melty finish. Bagged shredded cheddar is fine or you can buy a block and grate the cheese yourself.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the vegetables

In a large skill, saute the celery, onion and green bell pepper in butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked chicken, sliced mushrooms, olives, condensed cream of chicken soup, milk and cooked egg noodles.

Step 2: Stir in the casserole ingredients

Transfer the chicken mixture to a 2 quart baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325°F for 25 minutes.

Step 3: Add the topping

While the casserole is baking, combine the cornflakes, shredded cheddar cheese and butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the topping evenly on top. Bake for another five minutes uncovered or until the cheese is melty.

Chicken Casserole Variations

• Use butter crackers: If you’re not a fan of cornflakes on top of a casserole or if you don’t have a box on hand, swap them out for crushed butter crackers instead.
• Toss in more greens: Want to add more vegetables to your plate? Feel free to mix in a cup or two of cooked broccoli or green beans to get more veggies in your meal.
• Top with chives or parsley: Give this casserole a finishing flourish with chopped chives or parsley. Not only does this make the casserole look nice for a weeknight meal, it also adds another layer of flavor that pairs well with the creamy chicken dish.
• Add bacon: While this recipe already has chicken, you can make it even heartier y  tossing in cooked pieces of bacon when you mix together the casserole ingredients. This will elevate the flavor of the dish thanks to bacons salt and fat content.

How to Store Chicken Casserole

This chicken casserole will stay good in the fridge for three or four days. You can heat it up either in the microwave or an oven-safe dish at 325° until the casserole is warm and bubbly.

If you don’t plan on finishing the leftovers in that short period of time, store it in the freezer with freezer-safe containers. When you want to eat it, partially thaw the containers in the refrigerator overnight and then bake the leftovers at 325° until the casserole is heated through completely.

Can you make chicken casserole ahead of time?

Yes! This recipe is easy to prep and freeze to cook for a rainy day. Prep the casserole without the topping in a freezer-safe casserole dish, sealed tightly at the top. This chicken casserole will last in the freezer for up to three months. When it’s time to cook, partially thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as normal. Don’t forget to make the topping!

Chicken Casserole Tips

Can I use a different can of condensed soup?

Don’t have a can of condensed chicken soup? You can swap it out for a can of condensed mushroom soup or condensed celery soup instead. It will change the flavor slightly, but will still cook in the same way you need it to.

Will this chicken casserole recipe work with rotisserie chicken?

Yes! Cooked chicken or shredded chicken are both acceptable for this recipe. This casserole is an easy rotisserie chicken recipe; grab a whole bird at the grocery store to shred up. You can also roast a chicken and shred it for a weeknight meal such as this one.

Can I make a vegetarian version of chicken casserole?

While you could swap out the chicken with a plant-based meat alternative, this casserole is also tasty with vegetables alone. Swap out the chicken for more vegetables, like broccoli, green beans or extra mushrooms.