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Creamy Chicken & Mac Casserole

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Submitted by jleah

Creamy chicken and macaroni casserole: cubed chicken breast and elbow pasta in a sour cream and cream of chicken sauce, topped with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack. A pantry weeknight dinner.

YIELD

8 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

1 hrs

READY

1 hrs

An honest pantry casserole that comes together with what most kitchens already have. Cooked, cubed chicken breast gets folded into elbow macaroni that has been cooked in chicken broth instead of plain water. That swap is the small move that lifts the whole dish; pasta cooked in broth absorbs flavor from the inside out, so the casserole tastes like it was simmered for an hour instead of stirred together in ten minutes.

Sour cream and condensed cream of chicken soup form the sauce. The two cans of soup go in without water, which keeps the sauce thick enough to coat the pasta instead of pooling at the bottom of the pan. Cheddar and Monterey Jack over the top melt into a stretchy golden lid.

A low oven at 300°F (150°C) for 45 minutes is the right approach for a casserole built from already-cooked ingredients; you are heating through and melting the cheese, not finishing raw meat.

Kitchen Tips

  • Slightly undercook the macaroni so it does not turn mushy after the 45 minute bake; al dente is the target.
  • Use leftover rotisserie chicken to cut prep time even further.
  • Cover the pan with foil for the first 30 minutes so the cheese melts without browning too dark, then uncover for the last 15.
  • Stir in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard or a teaspoon of hot sauce to the sour cream mixture for a sharper edge.

Variations

  • Add a cup of frozen peas or broccoli florets before baking for vegetables in the mix.
  • Top with buttered panko or crushed Ritz crackers in the last 15 minutes for a crunchy crust.
  • Substitute cream of mushroom for one of the cream of chicken cans for an earthier sauce.

Ingredients

4 4
EACH EACH CHICKEN BREAST
cooked, cubed
7 202.3
OUNCES ML/G PASTA, ELBOW MACARONI
16 462.4
OUNCES ML/G SOUR CREAM
2 2
CANS CANS CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP
no water *
1
X CHEDDAR CHEESE
grated, to taste *
1
X MONTEREY JACK CHEESE
grated, to taste *

Directions

Cook macaroni in chicken broth, drain.

Mix chicken, macaroni, sour cream, and soup and pour in greased 9×13 inch pan.

Top with cheeses.

Bake at 300℉ (150℃). for 45 minutes.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 110g (3.9 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 232 52% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 13g 21%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 62mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Sugars g
Protein 33g
Vitamin A 7% Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 7% Iron 4%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Sugar-Free, Low Sodium
 
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