Easy Chicken Casserole with Stuffing

This is an easy chicken casserole that comes together in a jiffy. It’s been in our repertoire since the kids were little, because it’s a dish I can throw together in under 10 minutes, make ahead, and everyone enjoys.

We’re busy people in the evening, but I like that we still get to enjoy a meal together most nights.

• Skinless Chicken Breast Halves: I’m assuming they’re regular-sized breast halves here and not the ginormous 12 ounce ones that come out of the grocery store these days. If you have thicker chicken breasts, you may want to pound them out to an even thickness. If not, you’ll want to check the chicken at 25 minutes, making sure they’re 165°F in the thickest part before removing from oven. Chicken breast will ALWAYS win against sauce if you overcook it. It cannot be revived, folks, once it’s too far gone.
• Crushed Stuffing Mix tossed in Butter: I love the crunchy topping on top of this creamy casserole. Crushed Stovetop works perfectly for this recipe.

Why This Bakes Up Just Right

There are a few things that make this casserole successful. First, the chicken gets nestled under the melted cheese.

If you’ve ever cooked cheese too long or gotten it too hot, you know that it burns and gets all leathery and rubbery, which is not a desirable effect. Placing the cheese under the soup allows it to melt into the chicken without getting too hot and angry.

Next up, the cream of chicken soup acts as a sort of sauce for this dish. The chicken will not dry out when it’s baked since it’s surrounded by the soupy stuff.

The soup also lends its own flavor and keeps the dish moist.

The tomatoes add a bit of acid to the equation. They cut through the richness of the soup and help to brighten everything up.

Make sure the tomato slices are very thin.

What to Know Before You Start

• The beauty of this recipe is that you can assemble the casserole the night or morning of dinner, cover it up, store in fridge, and bake right when you’re ready for dinner. There’s no fussing around, no sautéing, no pre-cooking the chicken, etc. You literally plop everything into a dish and call it a day!
• Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes, checking chicken temp as needed.

How to Make It

Step 1: Preheat and prep

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 3-quart oblong baking dish or about a 9- by 13-inch pan, preferably with cooking spray, to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.

Step 2: Layer ingredients in dish

Lay chicken breast halves in a baking dish in a single layer without overlapping. If any of the chicken is much thicker in one area, fold thinner areas underneath to help everything cook more evenly.

Top each chicken breast with 1 slice of cheese, covering most of the meat. The cheese will melt and make a barrier between the chicken and the soup.

In a separate bowl, stir together the soup and milk. It will probably take some effort to stir the soup at first if it’s cold and stiff coming straight out of the fridge, but keep stirring until the mixture is smooth and pourable.

Spread over chicken in baking dish. Lay tomato slices over the soup, about 1 slice per chicken breast is a good estimate.

The tomatoes will soften and release their juices during baking, keeping the casserole from being too dry and adding a hint of tang to balance out the richness of everything else.

Break up Stovetop stuffing into smaller pieces. It will bake better if you can get it broken into smaller crumbs.

You can break them up in a bowl with your hands, or place them in a zip-lock baggie and crush with rolling pin or your hands. Stir together crushed Stovetop and melted butter until Stovetop is thoroughly coated.

Sprinkle Stovetop evenly over the top of the casserole, trying to keep it loose and not packing it down as it will get nice and crispy if it’s not too smooshed.

Step 3: Bake

Bake at 400°F, uncovered, for 25 minutes. It should be nicely browned on top.

Covering it will prevent the top from crisping up since it’ll get a little steamy instead. Uncovered, it gets nice and browned and crispy.

At the 25 minute mark, the internal temp of the chicken should be 165°F when tested with a meat thermometer. Test the thickest piece of chicken to be safe.

Remove from oven and let sit for about 3-4 minutes before serving.

What You Need to Know

• You can make this recipe ahead of time. Just assemble and chill and leave out for about 20 minutes before baking, since baking straight from the fridge may take longer and cook unevenly.
• We’ve made this casserole with boneless chicken thighs and it’s juicy and delicious, but richer.
• The dish needs to be large enough so chicken will fit in an even layer to ensure ingredients will all be covered with toppings and cook evenly.
• We like to add the milk to the soup for easier, more even spreading and a less gluey bake.
• We serve it over cooked rice so it can absorb the soup.

Helpful Tips

Serve over rice. There’s a lot of sauce, so something to soak it all up is helpful.

I’ve served it over hot, cooked rice before and it was amazing.

Chicken breasts vary in size, and it’s nearly impossible to tell when chicken is properly cooked just by looking at it. For best results, check the chicken’s internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer and remove casserole from the oven as soon as the chicken reaches a minimum of 165°F in the thickest part of the chicken breast.

Overcooking can lead to a drier casserole. You can also make this casserole with boneless skinless chicken thighs.

They’re more forgiving than chicken breasts, meaning less likely to be overcooked, and juicier, although you’ll probably need to bake them about 5 minutes longer than chicken breasts.

Crush the Stuffing: When using this casserole as a make-ahead dish, I recommend crumbling the stuffing before adding it on top. It spreads out more evenly that way and browns more evenly, since the tops of stuffing cubes sometimes get a little toasty and hard.

Go Easy on the Cheddar Cheese: Adding too much Cheddar can lead to a layer of oil in the bottom of the soup. If you really like Cheddar, add a couple of the shredded handfuls…but I wouldn’t add any.

Try a Different Cheese: Provolone is the best melting cheese here and is more flavorful (read: savory) than American. Mozzarella is another melting cheese that could be used, but has a milder flavor.

Try a Different Soup: You can substitute cream of mushroom for cream of chicken, but keep in mind it’s a stronger flavored soup and will make for a darker, earthy flavored casserole. The chicken soup has a milder flavor that lets the stuffing really shine.

Add Some Veg: Thaw a bag of frozen green beans or frozen peas and scatter them around the chicken before adding cheese. They’ll be cooked through once the casserole bakes for 25 minutes.

Short on time? Try using shredded, cooked chicken instead of raw chicken breasts, or shred some meat off a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

Baking time will be reduced to ~15 minutes, just long enough to heat everything through.

Storage, Make-Ahead, and Leftovers

Casserole can be prepared in advance without adding the crumbled stuffing. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.

Allow casserole to sit on counter for 20 minutes before baking. Bake as directed, adding additional 5 minutes bake time if needed and testing by touching the center of the casserole to see if it’s cold.

Store any leftovers in a container with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Yes, the topping will get a little soggy, but trust me, it still tastes amazing.

To reheat a serving, cover loosely with a lid and nuke on medium until thoroughly heated. You can reheat this Quick Chicken and Stuffing Casserole recipe in its entirety too, cover with foil and pop in the 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.

If you’re hoping to revive the crispy texture of the topping, leave the last five minutes without the foil.

This recipe can also be assembled and covered tightly before freezing. For best topping results, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator before cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen chicken breasts?

I would not recommend using frozen chicken for this recipe. Frozen chicken takes much longer to bake and the outside of the chicken will be cooked to death before it’s safe to eat.

Plus, chicken straight from the freezer releases tons of water which will make the sauce way too thin. If you’re pressed for time, just thaw your chicken in a bowl of cold water or let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Do I have to brown the chicken before putting it in the casserole?

You can certainly sear the chicken first, but I prefer not to. The chicken is covered with a mouthwatering sauce and cheese so you won’t know the difference!

I promise it will cook up perfectly at 400 degrees for 25 minutes and be moist, tender and flavorful.

What can be used as a substitute for the Stovetop stuffing?

Use any dry stuffing you like. Brand name, store brand, cornbread stuffing, herb stuffing, whatever you’ve got on hand will work.

Crumble it up well, and you’ll be ready to go! You can also use about ¾ cup of breadcrumbs, preferably seasoned, mixed with a little melted butter.

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes. You just need to make sure to use 2 baking pans so everything cooks evenly and you can coat the chicken in the stuffing.

The cooking time will be the same. You just want to make sure the chicken is completely cooked by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest portion.

More Recipes to Try

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes — a reliable side that practically makes itself

Philly Cheese Steak Crock Pot Recipe — slow cooker, big flavors, low effort