This Chicken and Stuffing Casserole is an easy family dinner baked with layers of shredded chicken, a creamy sauce and topped with a crispy crumb topping. A classic comfort food recipe that has been around for decades. And it has just 5 minutes of preparation!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- EASY – With just a couple of steps and only 5 minutes to prepare, this is a great option for a busy weekday night! And, there are lots of ways to sub out ingredients, so you can probably make this work with what you’ve got in your pantry.
- KID FRIENDLY – No crazy ingredients to sway wary picky eaters here.
- DELICIOUS – You’ve got to taste this to believe it! That tender chicken baked with the creamy sauce is topped with store bought stuffing mix. So when it’s baked on top of the casserole, it has a golden brown, slightly crispy result. Yum and yum!
Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
This is one of those dishes that has been around for generations. It seems like everyone at least knows someone who’s mom or grandma used to make this. There are slight variations. Some recipes included vegetables in them, but we feel that can take away from the flavors a little bit.
For step-by-step instructions, check out the recipe card below. But here is what you’ll need to get started:
- STUFFING MIX – One 6-ounce box of store bought stuffing. Any brand such as Stove Top Stuffing will will work. Do NOT pay any attention to the instructions on the box. We will be using this as a topping, and will not be making actual stuffing.
- HOT WATER – To be mixed with the stuffing.
- CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP – Any brand will do. You can also make your own homemade version if you’d like. You can also substitute for any condensed “Cream of” Soup that you like. Cream of Onion Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Cream of Celery Soup, etc..
- SOUR CREAM – This will be mixed with our soup for a rich, creamy sauce. If you are trying to trim some calories, you can use low fat sour cream.
- SHREDDED CHICKEN – You will need cooked, shredded chicken for this dish. We usually use chicken breasts. But you can use chicken thighs too.
- SEASONINGS – We used a combination of garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. But really, if you have experience with any other seasonings or spices that sound good in this dish, go for it!
How To Cook Your Chicken For This Casserole?
For shredded chicken casseroles like this. If we are cooking our own chicken, we like to boil it. It makes it easy to shred that way. If you have an Instant Pot, pressure cooking your chicken is alo a very fast way to get shreddable chicken.
Otherwise, you can buy a Rotisserie Chicken, which is a huge time saver. Or even use canned chicken.
Can You Make This Ahead Of Time?
Yep! You sure can! Just assemble all the layers in a prepared casserole dish. Cover tightly and it will be fine in your refrigerator for up to 24 hours. I wouldn’t go any longer as the stuffing may start to get a little soggy. Before baking, let sit at room temperature for about an hour. Failure to do this may increase your baking time.
You can also assemble the layers, wrap it tightly in freezer wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before baking, first allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. After it’s thawed and you are ready to bake it, let it come to room temperature first.
Storage, Leftovers and Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge. They should be good for about 5 days. Although the stuffing layer may start to get soft before that. You can reheat this dish fine in the microwave.
You can also freeze leftovers. Allow to fully cool and put in an freezer safe container. It will be good in your freezer for up to 4 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Notes, Tips and FAQs
- ADD CHEESE – Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on the top of the casserole during the last 5 minutes of baking.
- ADD VEGETABLES – Any veggies will be great. Use frozen, thawed vegetables such as corn, green beans, carrots or peas. You can also add some mushrooms.
- ADD RICE – Add a layer of cooked rice to the bottom of the casserole dish with the chicken layer.
- USE BUTTER INSTEAD OF WATER – Mix in 8 tablespoons melted butter instead of water with the Stuffing. This will result in an even more golden brown, buttery and crispy layer.
- CAN YOU USE ANOTHER PROTEIN BESIDES CHICKEN? – Yep! You can use ground beef, ham or turkey. In fact, this is a great recipe to use leftover ham or turkey from the holidays!
We hope you enjoy this Chicken Stuffing Casserole Recipe. Let us know how it turned out in the comment below!
LOOKING FOR MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY DINNERS? CHECK OUT:
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- CRACKER BARREL BROCCOLI CHEDDAR CASSEROLE
- CROCKPOT RANCH PORK CHOPS
- HAM AND NOODLE CASSEROLE
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Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 6- ounce box stuffing mix
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 1 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the stuffing and hot water. Set aside and allow the stuffing to soak up the water.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the soup, sour cream, and shredded chicken. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
- Pour and spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Stir the stuffing mixture, the spread it over the top of the chicken layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the stuffing is golden brown.
Nutrition
Comments & Reviews
Molly says
I replaced sour cream with cream cheese . yummy ❤️
Kathy says
Great ideas!