Easy Chicken Casserole (Without Soup!)
comfort food 101! a creamy-cheesy chicken casserole with a crunchy topping and NO condensed soup!
Hello, sweet friends!
Whenever I think about comfort food. Several casseroles that my mom used to make when I was a kid always come to mind.
Corn Beef Casserole. Tuna Casserole. And of course, my all-time FAVORITE casserole…Tator Tot hotdish.
Yes indeed. I loved those stick to your ribs-warm up your belly casseroles so much that when I started to raise a family I continued on the tradition of comfort food 101-with a whole arsenal of cream casseroles of my own.
Including this EVER so yummy Creamy Chicken Casserole I found WAYYYY back when in a local church cookbook.
This casserole had everything needed to be the perfect comfort food. Chicken, vegetables, pasta, and a crunch topping too! Oh, and did I mention it had a rich creamy sauce too?!
Well of course it did. Because EVERY casserole I’d ever LOVED had that special creamy sauce. And the only way you could get that divine creaminess was to add in a can or two of condensed soup.
You know the stuff. Cream of Mushroom, cream of chicken, well, cream of anything, really. As long as it’s High on creaminess and oh yes, sodium! LOTS and LOTS of sodium.
Which was okay when I was in my twenties (well it wasn’t, but who knew?) but not so okay now in my 50’s.
But regardless of how salty that soup was, I still used it because what other alternative did I have?
Well, friends. A few years ago I did find an alternative and in my opinion, it’s WAY better than that gloppy canned stuff!
Bonus? It’s also WAY healthier for you too! Of course, it’s not SUPER DUPER healthy. It does have butter, cream, and flour. BUT…it also has fresh herbs and chicken stock, AND less sodium!
Which is good!
SO good that I HAD to try it in one of the most comforting, most yummy, most stick to your ribs, warm up your belly kind of casseroles.
Easy Chicken Casserole!
Now let’s get started with the how, why and what’s in it!
what you’ll need to make this easy chicken casserole
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EQUIPMENT:
INGREDIENTS:
- Shredded chicken (cooked)
- Pasta Noodles
- Broth/ Stock
- Mixed Vegetables (I use frozen but you can use fresh)
- Thyme
- Garlic Powder
- Pepper
- Salt (optional)
- Water Chestnuts (optional)
- Flour
- Butter
- Half and Half
- Milk
- Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Cornflakes
- Almonds (optional)
how to make the easy chicken casserole
- MAKE YOUR CREAM SAUCE (WITHOUT SOUP)
- Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium heat.
- Add in flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Remove the flour mixture from the heat and pour in the chicken broth.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Return the mixture to the stove and lower heat. Allow simmering for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in half and half and milk. Whisk until combined.
- Add in thyme, garlic powder, and ground pepper, and salt if desired.
- Allow to simmer for 3 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
NOTE: Sauce will thicken more as it cools.
Now, how easy was that? Sure, it takes a bit more time than opening a can but, friends, it is SO worth the extra time!
- COOK/DRAIN THE PASTA.
- ASSEMBLE THE CASSEROLE:
- MAKE CRUNCHY TOPPING
- BAKE IN THE OVEN
- Layer the ingredients by first starting with the shredded chicken.
- Then add in the mixed vegetables, pasta, water chestnuts, seasonings, and sour cream.
- Pour the cream sauce over the top.
- Sprinkle with cheese
- Top with buttery cornflake mixture
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until heated through and golden brown.
And I mean really, friends? Does it get any better than this for comfort food?
Here’s the full recipe:
Easy Chicken Casserole (Without Soup)
A creamy chicken casserole with a crunchy topping!
Ingredients
For the Creamy Sauce (in replacement of condensed soup)
- 1/4 cup butter unsalted
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cups chicken stock broth low sodium
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Casserole
- 3 cups shredded chicken (fully cooked)
- 1/2 cup dry elbow macaroni about 1 1/2 cups cooked
- 10 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
- 8 oz can water chestnuts drained
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
For Topping
- 1/2 cup Corn Flakes crushed
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
To Make Creamy Sauce
-
Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add in the flour. Stir or whisk constantly. Cook for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. . Pour in the chicken broth and whisk until there are no lumps. Return the saucepan to the stove and lower the heat. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken. Add in half and half, milk, thyme, garlic powder, and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer for 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool slightly. **Sauce will thicken more as it begins to cool.
To Make Casserole
-
Cook the elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Drain. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Add the shredded chicken to the bottom of the baking dish. Then top with pasta, mixed vegetables, water chestnuts, and seasonings. Place spoonfuls of the sour cream over the top. Pour the creamy sauce over the top. Stir until everything is combined. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Combine Cornflakes with butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cornflake mixture over the top of the casserole. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until casserole is heated through and golden brown.
Recipe Notes
can I make this casserole ahead of time?
YES! In fact, I often make it a day or two in advance. Just remember that the cream sauce will thicken more as it sits in the refrigerator. So I like to set it out about 20-30 minutes before I put it into the oven.
can I freeze the casserole?
Yes! You can actually freeze this casserole before or after you bake it. If you do freeze AFTER you bake it. Just make sure to allow the casserole to cool completely before placing it in the freezer. Then just thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight and bake!
are there any substitutions you recommend for the ingredients?
You bet!
First, the sauce. Most homemade condensed soup recipes call for heavy cream. IE: Cream of…soup. But I use a combination of half and half/whole milk instead. You could also use just half and half. Or, if you’re going for a LOT less fat, you could use just milk. The sauce won’t be as rich and creamy as it would be with the half and half or cream, but it will still be good.
The original recipe called for Mayo instead of sour cream. I’m not a big mayo fan so I substituted with sour cream. You could totally use greek yogurt instead, or skip it altogether. I think it just adds another layer of richness and a nice ‘tang’ to the casserole.
Cheese- I use Cheddar, but you could also use Swiss, mozzarella, or even Parmesan.
Mixed Vegetables-I usually add frozen because it’s just easier and less time-consuming, but you could use fresh veggies as well. I’ve used green beans, peas, corn, carrots, and even broccoli.
Cornflakes-I LOVE the crunch and flavor of cornflakes on this casserole, so I can’t imagine using any substitute. But if you’re not a fan, you could definitely use bread crumbs or even Ritz crackers in a pinch.
This casserole is perfect for a weeknight dinner. Especially if you make it the night before. Serve it with a fresh green salad or crusty bread for a quick, easy, and oh so delicious meal!
Or whip up a pan and freeze it for those ‘unexpected’ guests!
I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe for Easy Chicken Casserole (Without the soup!)
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Thank you so much for stopping by!
Oh my goodness this sounds amazing! I love that it’s healthier comfort food, too. I really have to watch my sodium intake so this is perfect. And I’ve been looking for more freezer meals, so this is a double win for me! Pinned!
Thank you, Michelle! This is a perfect freezer meal and I hope you and yours enjoy the casserole! Thanks for sharing!
This looks amazing, Christine! It’s been super rainy in Florida this week so I’m all kinds of excited to try this recipe. The rain always makes me feel like snuggling up so I’m all kinds of excited to try this recipe. Hugs and thanks for making dinner easy, CoCo
Thank you so much, CoCo! I hope you enjoy the casserole. It definitely is one of our favorites any time of year and it’s SO easy to put together! Hugs!
you do know they make low sodium soups now, I use those and its much easier and you just don’t add any more salt
Hello, Bri! Yes, I absolutely use those lower-sodium soups when I’m in a pinch and short on time. But unfortunately, many of those ‘lower’ sodium’ soups still have WAY more sodium than I care to put in my dishes. So I prefer to make my own homemade cream soups whenever possible. It does take a few extra minutes but I think it’s totally worth it. Thank you so much for stopping by!
I made this and it was delicious! I’m not crazy about water chestnuts, so i sautéed some diced celery in the melted butter before adding the flour. It worked out great. I love the fact that this is low sodium and has none of the artificial ingredients of canned soup. Great recipe!!!
Hello, Susan! I’m so glad you enjoyed the casserole! I’m a huge fan of celery too so that would be a perfect addition! I’ll definitely have to try it! Thank you for rating the recipe! 🙂
can you 1/2 this recipe?
Hello, Ellen! My apologies, I’ve never tried halving the recipe but I’m sure you could! Otherwise the leftovers are SOOO good the next day!!!
What broth???
Hello Elizabeth! The recipe calls for chicken broth (or stock). I hope that helps.