Creamy Chicken Casserole

My Creamy Chicken Casserole has diced chicken, veggies and a creamy sauce tossed with pasta and finished with a crunchy, buttery cracker crumb topping. This is the ultimate comfort food dinner.

I love casseroles, especially as the weather starts to cool and the kids are back to school. This year things are a little different and I’ve found myself craving comfort food a little more often. We’ve been making a lot of classics lately, like Tuna Casserole, Pizza Casserole and Sausage Egg Casserole.

How to Make the Best Creamy Chicken Casserole

1. Pick your chicken. You can use a rotisserie chicken to keep things simple, or up whip some baked chicken, stovetop chicken or shredded chicken in the instant pot. I recommend cutting into chunks, because it looks better in a casserole.
2. Cook some pasta to al dente. Rotini is my preference because the sauce fills in those little cracks so you get creamy sauce in every bite. You can also use penne, egg noodles or even spaghetti (break the noodles in half).
3. While the pasta is cooking, saute some finely chopped carrots, celery, onions and garlic in olive oil. To the finished casserole you could also add peas or stemmed broccoli.
4. Make the sauce. Stir together cream of chicken soup, sour cream and milk. The sauce is super creamy and the veggies add a nice flavor.
5. Mix the pasta, chicken and sauce together and pour into your casserole dish. Mix crushed butter crackers with some butter and dried parsley and sprinkle on top. The cracker topping is a delicious way to finish off your creamy chicken casserole with some texture and flavor, but you can omit it if you’re not a fan.
6. Bake until bubbly – it takes about half an hour, during which you can whip up a quick garden salad and some Garlic Cheese Biscuits to serve with it!

Tips and FAQs

• Bake this casserole uncovered to allow the cracker topping to get crispy and golden.
• Don’t like the butter crackers? Use Panko breadcrumbs instead.
• Make ahead instructions: Prepare the casserole up to the baking step. Cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake as directed. Take the casserole out of the fridge while the oven preheats.
• Freeze the unbaked casserole tightly wrapped in foil for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight and bake as directed.
• This is a big casserole that will feed up to 8 people. If you have a small family or only need 4 servings, prepare the ingredients and make two small casseroles, baking one and freezing the other.

More of our Favorite Casseroles

If you loved this Creamy Chicken Casserole, you definitely need to add some more of our favorite casseroles to your weekly menu. Our most popular are the Hamburger Casserole and Mexican Chicken Casserole. Or try one of our new recipes – Cheesy BBQ Bacon Chicken Casserole.

Creamy Chicken Casserole

Kristin Maxwell

Serve up some comfort food for dinner with the best Creamy Chicken Casserole! Chicken, pasta and veggies in a creamy sauce, topped with buttery crackers.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 456 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup finely diced carrots
• ½ cup finely diced celery
• ½ cup finely diced onion
• 2 garlic cloves finely minced
• 4 cups diced cooked chicken light or dark meat - rotisserie works well
• 2 10- ounce cans Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup milk
• 8 ounces half a box or about 2 ½ cups uncooked Rotini pasta
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Topping:

• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed into crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• Cook pasta to al dente in a pot of salted boiling water. (follow package directions).
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt butter and olive oil. Add carrots, onions and celery. Stir often, cooking until softened; about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
• In a small bowl, whisk together chicken soup, milk, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
• Add chicken to a large mixing bowl, then stir in pasta, vegetables and chicken soup mixture. Pour into prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter and dried parsley. Sprinkle over chicken casserole.
• Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Or until the topping is golden and the sauce is bubbly.

Notes

• Don't like the butter crackers? Use Panko breadcrumbs instead. 
• Make ahead instructions: Prepare the casserole up to the baking step. Cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake as directed. Take the casserole out of the fridge while the oven preheats. 
• To freeze for later: Tighty wrap with foil then freeze the unbaked casserole tightly wrapped in foil for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight and bake as directed. 
• This is a big casserole that will feed up to 8 people. If you have a small family or only need 4 servings, prepare the ingredients and make two small casseroles, baking one and freezing the other. 

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 29gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 688mgPotassium: 415mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1878IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 2mg

Keyword bbq chicken casserole, creamy chicken casserole

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