Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Pasta is tossed with chicken, peppers, onions, and mixed into shortcut cheesy sauce.
Serve it alongside a fresh salad and some Easy Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits for the perfect meal.
Why I Love This Chicken Casserole
If you’re looking for a weeknight dinner, cheesy chicken casserole is your answer. It’s super quick to make.
You can use leftovers or rotisserie chicken or make poached chicken breasts (it’s great with baked chicken breasts too)!
Swap out the cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom or celery in this dish.
This cheesy chicken casserole can be prepped ahead of time and kept in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it meaning you can make it tonight and cook it tomorrow!
Cheesy Chicken Casserole on a white plate
Tips & Variations
This easy chicken casserole can be adapted to use whatever you might have in your fridge:
Chicken casseroles are a staple basically everywhere, usually topped with cheese.
Vegetables: Cook and/or drain your veggies before adding to this casserole. Mushrooms, diced tomatoes (drained if using canned), leftover Grilled Zucchini or roasted veggies all work well.
Pasta: Any medium pasta will work in this recipe. Be sure to cook it al dente (so it’s still a bit firm), it’ll cook more in the oven.
Chicken: swap it for turkey or ham if it’s all you have on hand.
Sauce: use cream of whatever-you-have-in-your-pantry (or make a homemade condensed mushroom soup). Of course any kind of cheese goes here!
Topping: Chicken casseroles are a staple basically everywhere, usually topped with cheese.
It’s also great with a bread crumb topping. Combine 3 tablespoons panko crumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter (add a bit of garlic powder, salt & pepper too). Sprinkle overtop and bake as directed.
How To Make a Chicken Casserole
The steps to make this chicken casserole are pretty simple:
Boil pasta al dente.
Soften onion and peppers in butter.
Mix the sauce ingredients and cheese. Stir in chicken and pasta.
Top with cheese and bake until bubbly.
Serve it with your favorite sides and enjoy!
How To Reheat
To reheat it, just pop it back in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes! If the sauce is a creamy sauce like a mac and cheese, I usually add a dash of milk and cover before heating.
If you are using the microwave to reheat the cheesy chicken casserole, add a splash of milk to the dish and stir it half way through cooking to keep it from drying out.
Ingredients
▢3 cups shell noodles uncooked
▢3 tablespoons butter
▢⅓ cup red bell pepper diced
▢1 onion finely diced
▢½ teaspoon seasoning salt
▢1 teaspoon chili powder
▢10 ¾ ounces cream of chicken soup condensed
▢1 ⅓ cups milk
▢3 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
▢⅓ cup parmesan cheese shredded
▢4 ounces mild green chiles
▢3 cups cooked chicken
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Instructions
Heat oven to 375°F.
Cook shells al dente according to package directions.
Cook onion and red bell pepper in butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt and chili powder.
In a large bowl combine soup, onion mixture, milk and 2 cups cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. Mix well. Stir in chicken, pasta and green chiles.
Spread into a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Recipe Notes
Any medium pasta will work in this recipe. Be sure to cook it so it’s still a bit firm, it’ll cook more in the oven.
This recipe is versatile, you can swap out the chicken for ham or turkey.
If adding extra vegetables, ensure they’re pre-cooked (leftovers work well).
To Add a Bread Crumb Topping: Combine 3 tablespoons panko crumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter (add a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt & pepper). Sprinkle over the casserole and bake as directed.
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