Cheesy Chicken Casserole Recipe

Cheesy chicken casserole is an easy casserole made of shredded or diced chicken, and simple homemade cheese sauce, rice and your choice of vegetables. Baked until bubbly it is topped with more cheese and buttery cracker crumbs. 

This recipe does not have condensed cream of chicken soup but the cheesy, creamy sauce is so easy you will never miss the can of soup. 

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🥫 Ingredients needed:

• butter
• flour
• onion, diced
• garlic, minced
• milk
• cheddar cheese shredded, divided
• cream cheese
• rice, cooked (make extra rice for when you make one of these rice bowl recipes)
• chicken, cooked, diced or shredded or sous vide chicken
• buttery crackers 
• Salt and pepper
• ranch dressing powder (optional)
• parsley (optional)

Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

📝 Notes on the ingredients

Another version of this recipe has broccoli as a vegetable. I am not a huge fan of broccoli so I substituted in peas. Other vegetable options could be:

• Green beans
• Lima beans
• Mixed Vegetables
• Cauliflower florets
• Corn kernels 
• Chopped fresh spinach

How do you make cheesy chicken casserole?

1. Preheat the oven.
2. Coat a pan with cooking spray.
3. Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat.
4. Add the onion and cook.
5. Add the flour to the pot to make a roux.

6. Slowly whisk the milk into the pan.
7. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened (coats the back of a spoon).

8. Add the cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese and the salt, pepper to the sauce.
9. Lower the heat and stir until smooth.

10. Combine the rice, chicken, and peas (or other vegetables) in a large bowl.

11. Pour the sauce over the top.
12. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

13. Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese, crushed crackers and if using, the ranch dressing powder over the top.
14. Bake for until casserole is bubbly, the topping is browned and cheese is melted.

☝️ Top Tip

• If you don't have fresh garlic substitute in ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• The crackers I use are the Ritz crackers but any butter cracker will work, coarsely crushed (24 crackers or ¾ of a sleeve)
• To help keep the sauce from becoming lumpy, I warm the milk in the microwave first.
• Cook multiple chicken breasts at the beginning of the week and use them in this and other recipes throughout the week.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Sarah Mock

Cheesy chicken casserole is an easy casserole made of shredded or diced chicken, and simple homemade cheese sauce, rice and your choice of vegetables.

5 from 1 vote

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Note From Sarah

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Prep time for the recipePrep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook time for the recipeCook Time 30 minutes mins

total time to prep and cook the recipe.Total Time 50 minutes mins

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Course Poultry Recipes

Cuisine American

Makes 8

Per Serving 601 kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ¼ cup butter
• ▢ ¼ cup flour
• ▢ ½ cup onion diced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
• ▢ 2 ½ cups milk (whole)
• ▢ 3 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded (divided use)
• ▢ 2 ounces cream cheese
• ▢ 2 peas (frozen or fresh)
• ▢ 3 cups cooked rice
• ▢ 3 cups cooked chicken diced or shredded
• ▢ 1 cup buttery crackers
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Packet (optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  
• Coat a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray.
  
• Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat.
  
• Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent and taking on color.
  
• Add the flour to the pot and stir to coat the onions; cook for 1 minute to cook the flour taste out of the roux.
• Slowly whisk the milk into the pan.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until sauce has thickened (coats the back of a spoon).
• Add the cream cheese, 2 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese and the salt, pepper to the sauce.
• Lower the head and stir until smooth.
  
• Place the rice, chicken and peas (or other vegetable) in a large bowl and stir to combine.
• Pour the sauce over the top and toss to coat evenly.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese, crushed crackers and if using , the ranch dressing powder over the top.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until casserole is bubbly, topping is browned and cheese is melted.

Notes

Cheesy chicken casserole tips:

• If you don't have fresh garlic substitute in ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• The crackers I use are the Ritz crackers but any butter cracker will work, coarsely crushed (24 crackers or ¾ of a sleeve)
• To help keep the sauce from becoming lumpy, I warm the milk in the microwave first.
• Cook multiple chicken breasts at the beginning of the week and use them in this and other recipes throughout the week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 601kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 31gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 515mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8g

Nutrition Disclosure

Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.