Name: Scalloped Chicken Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups cooked, cubed chicken; 1 cup finely diced celery; 8-oz Colby jack or cheddar cheese, shredded; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 30 Ritz crackers, crushed; 2 tablespoons butter, melted

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An old-fashioned casserole recipe with chopped chicken in a creamy, herbed cheese sauce topped with buttery cracker crumbs, great for leftover or rotisserie chicken for an easy, homemade meal.

This easy casserole is my go-to when I have leftover chicken or I'm staring at a couple chicken breasts and don't know what I want to do with them.

It's crazy easy to throw together, there's no condensed, creamed soup involved and it goes with just about anything.

You can serve this with hot buttered noodles or rice OR do what I do, and don't even bother with a carb-loaded side. I usually just steam some broccoli, open a can of beans or serve a quick salad.

Scalloped Chicken Casserole! An old-fashioned casserole recipe with chopped chicken in a creamy, herbed cheese sauce topped with buttery cracker crumbs, great for leftover or rotisserie chicken for an easy, homemade meal.

I first started making this when I had 2 large chicken breasts left over from a family-pack and wanted to get a jump on the next night's supper.

I pulled out one of my old community cookbooks to look for inspiration and found a recipe for Hot Chicken Salad, which is a retro appetizer that cooks like a casserole.

You usually eat the warm, cheesy chicken on crackers but I always loved it so much, I'd eat it right from the dish (when nobody was looking or after everyone went home)!

I mixed up a filling almost exactly like the hot appetizer, threw it in the fridge, then baked it a few nights later for supper. The family ate it up and liked it so much, I added it to the rotation.

Now, anytime I have leftover chicken, I cut it into cubes and throw it in the freezer. When it looks like I have about 4 cups or so, I make this casserole for an easy weeknight meal!

I also keep this recipe in mind when I'm cooking chicken breasts for another recipe. I cook a few extra then plan on making this a couple nights later.

TOPPING OPTIONS

I prefer this with the buttery cracker topping but you can totally go old-school like the retro dip recipe and top this with crushed potato chips.

You can top it with anything you have, really. You could use buttered bread cubes or cornflakes. You could slather the top with instant mashed potatoes and cheese.

Whatever your favorite casserole topping is, it will likely work with this recipe!

BAKING AND OTHER NOTES:

If you make this ahead and refrigerate before baking, either let it set at room temperature 1-2 hours or cook 1 minute in the microwave before baking. Otherwise increase baking time to 45 minutes and cover with foil the first 15 minutes of baking.
I have never frozen this so I can't tell you how well it freezes or how to heat it up.
2 large or 3 small chicken breasts will yield about 4 cups cubed chicken.
Rotisserie, canned or leftover chicken work great in this!
Make sure to finely dice the celery. It will stay somewhat crunchy (in a good way) but you don't want big raw hunks of it.
Slivered almonds or diced water chestnuts can be substituted for the celery. You just want something in there with a little crunch to balance the creamy cheese.
You can use whichever cheese or combination of cheeses you prefer. Swiss is great with this!
8-oz cheese yields about 2 cups shredded. As with all hot recipes, I recommend shredding your own cheese since the preshredded cheese is coated with anti-clumping agents which usually make finished dishes a little dry.

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Recipe for Scalloped Chicken Casserole