Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Our cheesy chicken casserole is a game-changer for busy weeknights and lazy weekends alike. This scrumptious dish packs all the cheesy goodness you can dream of, with tender chicken and yummy pasta.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pasta short pasta like zita or bowtie
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese
- 3 cups chicken breasts cooked; chopped or shredded
Cracker Topping
- 1 cup Ritz crackers crushed
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta until it's just shy of al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
- To make the cheese sauce, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot, and when melted, whisk in the flour and let it cook for a minute while stirring. Stir will it - just enough to get rid of the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock milk, salt, onion and garlic powder until it thickens.
- Sprinkle in the shredded cheddar and mozzarella and stir until they are incorporated into the sauce.
- Add cooked pasta and cooked chicken to the pot and combine them with the cheese sauce until everything is coated with the sauce.
- Pour the chicken and pasta mixture into the prepared casserole pan.
- For the cracker topping you will melt 4 tablespoons of butter and crush the Ritz crackers in a bowl. Pour the butter over the crackers and mix until the crackers are fully coated.
- Sprinkle the Ritz cracker crumble on top of the cheesy casserole.
- Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden.
Video
Notes
- Use a silicone-coated whisk when making the cheesy sauce.
- Chicken thighs are a good substitution for chicken breasts.
- Any pasta that has ridges or curves works best in this recipe since the sauce will cling to it.
Nutrition
Calories: 676kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 41gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 1333mgPotassium: 572mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1192IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 621mgIron: 2mg
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