Cheesy Chicken Casserole is a family-friendly meal loaded with tender pasta, juicy chicken, green chiles, and peppers in a creamy cheesy sauce. Baked until hot and bubbly, this easy casserole is perfect for busy weeknights.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Cheesy Chicken Casserole
- Flavor: This casserole is rich, creamy, with savory chicken, sharp cheddar cheese, mild green chiles, and a hint of warmth from chili powder and seasoned salt.
- Why Make It: Made with leftover chicken or poached chicken breasts, this casserole is super quick to prepare. It can even be prepped ahead of time!
- Recommended Tools: You’ll need a pot, a skillet, a large mixing bowl, and a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Serving Suggestions: Pair with a simple vegetable side, such as roasted asparagus or honey roasted carrots, to balance the rich and creamy flavors.
Total Time: 1 hour Servings: 6 Cooking Method: Baked Casserole
Ingredient Notes
- Cooked Chicken: Rotisserie chicken, leftover baked chicken, or poached chicken all work for this casserole. Turkey or ham can also be used.
- Pasta: Any medium pasta will work in this recipe. But be sure to cook it just to al dente, so it doesn’t become too soft while baking.
- Red Bell Pepper: It adds a touch of sweetness and color to the casserole. Green bell pepper can be used instead for a slightly sharper, more savory flavor.
- Chili Powder: It adds a warm, gentle hint of spice without making the casserole overly hot. Taco seasoning can be used as a substitute, but start with less since the flavors are stronger.
- Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: It creates a creamy, flavorful sauce quickly and helps bring the casserole together with minimal prep. Any cream-based soups can be used, so use whatever you have in your pantry.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar gives the most flavor, while mild cheddar creates a softer taste. For extra spice, replace part of the cheddar with pepper jack cheese.
How to Make Cheesy Chicken Casserole
- Boil the pasta until just firm (full recipe below).
- Sauté the onion and bell pepper in butter, then season.
- Mix all the ingredients (reserving some cheese).
- Spread everything into a casserole dish, top with the remaining cheddar, and bake.
Leftovers You’ll Love
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then reheat portions in the microwave or warm larger amounts in the oven, covered, with a splash of milk if needed to loosen the sauce.
What to Serve with Chicken Casserole
Did you enjoy this Cheesy Chicken Casserole Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups medium shells uncooked
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion finely diced
- ⅓ cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1⅓ cups milk
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups cooked chopped chicken
- 4 ounces canned mild green chiles
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F.
- Cook shells al dente according to package directions.
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and seasoned salt.
- In a large bowl, combine soup, onion mixture, milk, 2 cups cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Stir in chicken, green chiles, and pasta.
- Spread into a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Main Course
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This is a great crowd pleaser! I like to also add a can of Rotel, and a can of Mexicorn, drained, along with black olives. Always a hit!
thanks Holly!
Easy, affordable, and a crowd pleaser. When all five people in this house enjoy it, it’s going into my regular rotation.
Highly recommend the crispy panko topping you recommended as well!
I am so happy to hear this recipe was a hit!
This was so good!! The only changes I made was to add garlic to the mix & extra cheese on top. I ended up dividing this to send a pan to my son’s house to share. They loved it too!!
Definitely a keeper!! Thank you!
I am so happy to hear this recipe was a hit Lonnie!
Please can you include the metric equivalent measurements in your recipes
Unfortunately we don’t have the option to convert to metric so I recommend using an online converter to help determine the proper amounts. I hope that helps!
Do you think canned chicken would taste ok in this recipe?
Absolutely!
So good! Easy to get together! Thanks for sharing!
What a fantastic recipe! I really appreciate its adaptability—you can easily switch the soup base, vary the vegetables, or even use different proteins. The tip about cooking the pasta al dente before baking is incredibly helpful as well. This truly feels like a foolproof dinner option!
Unless you really lie the taste of seasoned salt I would leave it out the little bit that’s in there for me overwhelms the dish
Always can find a way to use the food in pantry to make a yummy meal
This is so dang good!! I can always count on you for the yummiest meal!
I was wondering if /how you could make this in the crockpot?
I haven’t tried this in the slow cooker so it’s hard to say, please let us know how it goes for you!
How spicy are green chili’s ?
Mild green chiles are not spicy.
This was so good I ate 4 servings. I ate white rice with it.
So good!!
I made this with a few modifications and it is easily one of my favorite meal preps, making it again this week!
I used quinoa noodles, added more peppers, spinach, zucchini, and garlic.
I subbed fake cheddar and Parmesan, used oatmilk instead of milk. Also added tumeric.
Boiled chicken breast and then shredded it.
So freaking delicious!
This casserole recipe is easy to make and tasty, but too salty. I would suggest eliminating the salt called for in the recipe and using low sodium soup.
Could you not sauté the onions and peppers first? I make a similar chicken spaghetti recipe and I don’t sauté them and it’s fine. They soften in the casserole. What do you think?
I’m not certain they would soften enough in this amount of time. I have tried it in another casserole and they were still crunchy. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Absolutely delicious. Love the little tang the chili powder and mild chilies give this dish.
This looks delicious! Would it freeze well?
I have not frozen this recipe but other readers have frozen it with good results.
Where do the mild chiles come in? It does not seem to be outlined in the recipe instructions.
Hi Flavia, the mild greens are stirred into the casserole in step 4.