Chicken Macaroni Casserole

Today I’m sharing our family favorite Chicken Macaroni Casserole. This recipe needs minimal prep and uses ingredients that are easy to keep on hand for busy weeknights. What makes it even better is that you can cook it all in one pan (minus the chicken) for easy cleanup. It’s perfect for those nights where you need a big bowl of comfort food.

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Chicken Macaroni Ingredients

• Chicken: You will need 1-2 lbs. of shredded chicken for this recipe (about 2-4 breasts). We like to use this shredded chicken recipe to either have the chicken waiting in the crockpot when it’s time to prep or to make it in advance. You can also buy and shred a rotisserie chicken to cut down on the prep and cooking time.
• Cheese: This recipe calls for 16 oz. of shredded cheese. Our favorite combination is to use one block of sharp cheddar and one block of colby jack. You can certainly buy shredded cheese to use here, but I have found that when we shred it at home, the recipe comes out just a bit creamier. We love this cheese grater. It suctions to the countertop, has several attachments for different sizes, and is dishwasher safe and easy to clean. My kids especially love to help with this part. It has a tool to push down the cheese so that little fingers don’t get cut on the blades.
• Milk: You can use whatever milk to have on hand. We typically have 2%, but it also works well with skim or whole milk.
• Soups: The original recipe calls for 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup and 1 can of Cream of Chicken. You can double up on the chicken or mushroom or even use Cream of Celery in a pinch. There have been many times.
• Seasoning: I like to sprinkle a little salt and pepper into the soup mixture. Be mindful that the soups also contain salt, so I use just a small pinch. You can also add some of your favorite seasonings to add a little extra flavor. A little garlic powder and paprika would be great sprinkled on top.
• Pasta: We mainly use macaroni noodles in this recipe, but you could substitute other short cut noodles for this one. Just keep in mind that the cooking time and amount of liquid may vary slightly if you use a different type of pasta. You can always add a little extra milk if needed.

Prep

To make the chicken macaroni casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x 13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the macaroni noodles, shredded chicken and about 1/2 of the cheese mixture.

Spread the chicken mixture in the 9×13 baking dish. Mix together the soups and the milk (I usually just use the same bowl I used for the chicken to save on dishes). If you choose to add salt and pepper or other seasonings, I would add them during this step. Pour the soup mixture over the macaroni and chicken mixture in the 9×13 pan. You may need to stir lightly to ensure that the liquid covers all of the noodles.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover with foil (sprayed with cooking spray so the cheese doesn’t stick), and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. To brown the cheese on top, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. We were so hungry the night I took this picture that we skipped that step.

Let the casserole stand for about 10 minutes before serving. We love to serve this with a side of our favorite vegetables. My kids and I also love to have this with applesauce on the side. Don’t ask why, that’s just how we always did it when we were little.

Have you tried this recipe? Let us know in the comments!