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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The recipe was very good. I used roasted red peppers instead of fresh, chopped them up and cooked them with the onion. My only suggestion for this dish is cut the cheese down to 2 cups and put a bread crumb topping on it. I will make it again.
Do you happen to know if you should cook the soup before mixing it with the veggies and cheese? Trying to make us tonight! Thank you
You don’t need to cook the soup, just add it directly from the can.
How many cans are 10 3/4 ounces for the condensed soup ?
You will need one can.
Fantastic casserole we LOVED it people that say it’s bland doesn’t know what good food tastes like.
Can you freeze this casserole after you bake it so you can thaw and reheat later?
I have not tried freezing this recipe but I do think it would work just fine. If needed you can add a little bit of milk or cream after it thaws
I added crumbled bacon from Costco. SO good.
This cheesy chicken casserole recipe is one of the best recipe i have ever tried so far. Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us.
Would I be able to use frozen cheese tortellini? I am going to make this tonight. TIA
Hi Sandy, we have not tried this recipe with tortellini but I think it should work. Just be sure to undercook the pasta because it will continue to cook in the oven. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Sadly, I didn’t care too much for this recipe. It was easy enough to make, but had a very sodium laden, processed food taste. I did not feel well after eating it. I may try to make it again with an organic, low sodium cream of chicken soup and whole wheat pasta. It will at least make it slightly healthier – lol.
Sorry you didn’t like this recipe, Christine, it’s usually a high-rated recipe from our readers!
This looks delicious! I will be making this tomorrow night for dinner. Just wondering though, can this be a freezer meal for an IP? I do a lot of freezer meals for my IP given having a large family and don’t always have the time for prep time. Thanks.
I can’t say for sure as I haven’t tried it as a freezer meal or in the IP. Let us know how it goes if you do try it!
Made it exactly as the recipe says and it was fantastic! Some of the comments crack me up, you have more patience than I do. Great recipe, we loved it!!
Hello,
I’ve got quite a few cans of chunk chicken breast that I’ve been looking to do something with. Would you say that using the canned chicken breast would be an adequate substitute over cooking fresh chicken breast?
Canned chicken would work in this recipe (it does change the flavor very slightly). Canned chicken can sometimes fall apart so I would suggest mixing in very gently at the end.
This was so delicious. I made it yesterday and I am about to eat some more as we speak. Leftovers taste good if not better. I seasoned the chicken with salt free chicken seasoning by Dash as well as the pasta. Also I used 2 cups of cheese in the sauce and another 2 cups on top just because I love cheese. I have not been disappointed by any of your recipes
I made this casserole tonight and it was absolutely delicious, in no way bland. We all loved it. Thanks!
Hi this sounds delicious. Will it turn out the same with halving the recipie? There is only my husband and I and we always have a lot left over when I cooked. Thank you
This recipe should work just fine if you half it.
A few questions;
Can you use chicken broth instead of cream of since I can’t get it in Denmark.
And have there been anyone who’s converted the measurements into grams and deciliters?
The cream of chicken soup can’t be substituted straight across for broth but I do have a condensed cream of chicken soup recipe here that can be used.
Do you need to cook chickenbefore adding to casserole
Yes, the chicken should be cooked before adding to the casserole.
Oh my! It was SO GOOD!
This was so excellent! I didn’t have green chili’s on hand so I added a little crushed red pepper. My husband LOVED it too! So easy and delicious! This is a keeper!
Super easy, super good. Thanks.
Not sure why this recipe is so highly rated, when I made it it was bland.
So season your chicken when you cook it.
Love this recipe. How do you think it would double? Maybe even triple for a large crowd?
I think it would double or triple just fine. I would suggest a couple of pans to ensure it heats through.
If you do cook it all in one pan, you will need to increase the cook time. I would give it a stir halfway through cooking so the center heats through. Once stirred, add the cheese on top. I hope that helps, let us know how it goes!