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?
- Preheat the oven.
- Coat a pan with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook.
- Add the flour to the pot to make a roux.
- Slowly whisk the milk into the pan.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened (coats the back of a spoon).
- Add the cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese and the salt, pepper to the sauce.
- Lower the heat and stir until smooth.
- Combine the rice, chicken, and peas (or other vegetables) in a large bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the top.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese, crushed crackers and if using, the ranch dressing powder over the top.
- 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.
Other recipes that use shredded or diced chicken:
Cheesy Chicken Casserole
There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Ingredients
- 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
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.
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