Best Make Ahead Chicken Casserole Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onion, bell pepper, poblano and jalapeño chiles; cook about 6 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Stir in flour and taco seasoning mix; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually beat in broth with whisk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese and Cheddar cheese.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package for minimum cook time. Drain; stir pasta into sauce with chicken, frozen corn and black beans. Pour pasta mixture into baking dish, and pour enchilada sauce over top.
• Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with tortilla chips. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through and sauce is bubbling around edges. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and red onion just before serving.
• To freeze: Line 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with foil, making sure foil is as smooth as possible, as wrinkled foil may get stuck in sauce during freezing process. Leave enough overhang to lift casserole out of dish. Spray foil with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate sauce 30 to 40 minutes before assembling casserole. Mix sauce with cooked pasta, chicken, frozen corn and beans; spread in lined baking dish (do not add enchilada sauce); cover tightly with another layer of foil. Freeze unbaked casserole about 8 hours or until completely frozen. Transfer frozen casserole to labeled 2-gallon resealable freezer plastic bag. Remove air; seal and freeze up to three months. To bake: Remove foil, and transfer to 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and thaw in refrigerator until completely thawed, at least 48 hours. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove cover, and top with enchilada sauce. Bake 20 minutes; top with crushed tortilla chips. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around edges (165°F in center). Let stand 15 minutes. Top with cilantro and red onion just before serving.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., In a large bowl, combine the chicken, corn, broccoli, soup, milk, sour cream, mayonnaise, pepper and mushroom mixture; transfer to a greased 13-in x 9-in. baking dish. Top with stuffing. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until stuffing is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN DIVAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a bowl and set aside.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cover, and steam until tender, 2 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; saute until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Whisk condensed soup, sour cream, milk, and mayonnaise together in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved Cheddar-Parmesan mixture and season with salt and pepper. Add the sauteed vegetables and stir to combine the sauce.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Add cooked rice as the bottom layer. Add cooked broccoli as the next layer, and then layer on the cooked chicken. Cover with remaining sauce. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar-Parmesan mixture, plus extra Parmesan if desired, and continue to bake until browned, about 15 minutes more.

CHICKEN NORMANDY CASSEROLE MAKE AHEAD

Steps:

• 1. Cook the chicken in water until done. Save the water you cooked the chicken in for the stuffing. Cool off the chicken and cut into chunks. Put aside.
• 2. With the reserved water you cooked the chicken in, mix your first bag of stuffing with 2 cups of the hot chicken water and 3 tablespoons of butter. Mix well and let it rest a bit to soak up all the water. Put this in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• 3. For the filling: mix together the celery,mayo,onion, water chestnuts and pimiento.
• 4. Place all the chunked chicken bits on your first layer of stuffing.
• 5. Place the mayo filling on top of the chicken layer.
• 6. Mix your second bag of stuffing with 2 cups of the warm water from the cooked chicken and 3 Tablespoons of butter. Mix well and let rest unil the liquid is absorbed. Place the stuffing on top of the mayo layer.
• 7. Mix your 2 eggs with the 1 1/2 cups of milk. Pour this all over the top of the casserole.
• 8. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator at least 3 hours or preferably over night.
• 9. When ready to serve, take the casserole out one hour before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake casserole uncovered for 40 minutes.
• 10. Take out casserole and top with grated cheddar cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese has melted.
• 11. Serve and enjoy!

MAKE AHEAD CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. mix together macaroni, velveeta cheese, hard boiled eggs, chicken, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup and milk.
• 2. cover and refrigerate overnight.
• 3. take out 1 hour before cooking. preheat oven to 350. bake for 1 hour.

MAKE-AHEAD SWISS, CHICKEN & BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Line 9-inch square baking dish with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Place chicken in prepared dish. Fold ham slices in half; place over chicken. Top with cheese and broccoli.
• Whisk gravy, sour cream and mustard until blended; pour over broccoli. Cover with foil; freeze until firm. Use foil handles to remove casserole from dish; place (with foil) in freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Seal bag. Freeze up to 2 months.
• Remove casserole from freezer 24 hours before serving; place casserole (with foil) in 9-inch square pan. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Bake casserole 20 min. Uncover casserole; sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Bake 15 to 20 min. until chicken is done (165°F). Meanwhile, prepare rice as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Serve chicken casserole with the rice.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN & GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Prepare stuffing as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; sprinkle with pepper. Cook 5 min. on each side or until chicken is done (165ºF); transfer to 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Cook and stir beans, mushrooms and onions in same skillet 6 to 8 min. or until beans and onions are crisp-tender. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 1 min. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until thickened, stirring frequently. Add cream cheese; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until melted. Spoon over chicken; top with stuffing. Refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 400ºF. Bake casserole (uncovered) 30 min. or until heated through.

MAKE -AHEAD CHICKEN (OR TURKEY) CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add rice,and cook on low till liquid is absorbed - about 20 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled or sprayed 4-quart casserole.
• While rice is cooking, make Parmesan Cheese sauce and set aside.
• Preheat oven to *350. In a skillet melt butter. Add the mushrooms.bell pepper,onion,and almonds. Saute until soft-about 5 minutes.
• Stir in parsley and basil.Add to the rice in the casserole along with the chicken and Parmesan Cheese sauce and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake,covered, until bubbly - about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
• PARMESAN CHEESE SAUCE.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter or margarine.Add flour and salt and stir until blended. Add broth and stir until slightly thickened. Add milk,wine and Parmesan cheese, and stir until smooth and flavors are blended - about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN & GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Prepare stuffing as directed on package. Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; sprinkle with pepper. Cook 5 min. on each side or until chicken is done (165ºF); transfer to 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cook and stir beans, mushrooms and onions in same skillet 6 to 8 min. or until beans and onions are crisp-tender. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 1 min. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until thickened, stirring frequently. Add cream cheese; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until melted. Spoon over chicken; top with stuffing. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. Heat oven to 400ºF. Bake casserole (uncovered) 30 min. or until heated through.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN CASSEROLE RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Allow to sit in fridge at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Can double and bake in 9x13 (increase baking time 20 minutes). I think this is a flexible recipe - it's just basically heating the casserole through, so you want to be sure you have a good ratio of solids to liquids. The first time I made it, I added more macaroni and milk instead of hardboiled eggs. I have never used the full amount of chicken, just increased the poultry seasoning. I used fresh parsley this time instead of celery, making the casserole much prettier. I think there's room with experimenting with peas or carrots too.