BBQ Chicken Casserole is a one-dish pasta bake where the noodles go in uncooked: rotini or penne bakes in chicken broth around a block of whipped cream cheese, then cooked chicken, cheddar, heavy cream and barbecue sauce get stirred in, and a final layer of cheddar browns on top. A drizzle of barbecue sauce finishes it. There’s no pot of water to boil, and it serves 8.
How to make it: Put the cream cheese in the middle of a 13×9-inch dish with the uncooked pasta and 1 cup of cheddar around it. Season, drizzle with olive oil, pour in 4 cups of broth, cover with foil and bake at 425°F for 30 minutes. Stir in the chicken, more cheddar, the cream and half the barbecue sauce, bake covered 15 minutes, then top with the last cheddar and bake uncovered until bubbling and 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- No boiling: the pasta cooks in the broth right in the baking dish.
- Uses cooked chicken: rotisserie or leftover chicken is perfect.
- Cheesy and saucy: cream cheese, 3 cups of cheddar and heavy cream.
- Your favorite sauce: the barbecue sauce carries the flavor, so use the one you love.
Ingredient Notes
Pasta: Twelve ounces, uncooked. Rotini, penne, cellentani or fusilli all work.
Whipped cream cheese: One 7.5-ounce package, set in the center of the dish so it melts into the sauce.
Cheddar: Three cups, shredded, medium or sharp. It goes in three rounds: 1 cup around the cream cheese, 1 cup stirred in and 1 cup on top.
Chicken broth: Four cups, regular or low sodium. It’s the liquid that cooks the pasta.
Seasoning: Two teaspoons of barbecue seasoning, 1 to 2 teaspoons of seasoning salt (or salt and pepper) and a teaspoon of garlic powder, plus 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Cooked chicken: Three cups, chopped. Rotisserie or leftover chicken works.
Heavy cream and barbecue sauce: A cup of each. Half the sauce is stirred in and half is drizzled on at the end.
Ingredients
- 7.5 ounces whipped cream cheese (1 package)
- 12 ounces uncooked pasta, such as rotini, penne, cellentani or fusilli
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons barbecue seasoning
- 1 to 2 teaspoons seasoning salt (or salt and black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, divided
- Sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)
How to Make BBQ Chicken Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 425°F.
2. Set up the dish. In a 13×9-inch baking dish, place the whipped cream cheese in the center. Spread the uncooked pasta and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar around the cream cheese.
3. Season. Sprinkle the barbecue seasoning, seasoning salt and garlic powder over the pasta and cheese, then drizzle the olive oil evenly over the top.
4. Add the broth and cover. Pour the chicken broth over everything and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Stir in the chicken. Carefully remove the foil. Add the cooked chicken, 1 cup of the cheddar, the heavy cream and 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce and stir together. Cover with the foil again and bake 15 more minutes.
6. Top and finish. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar on top. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and bubbling at the edges and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
7. Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest 5 minutes. Drizzle the remaining barbecue sauce on top and garnish as you like.
Do You Have to Boil the Pasta First?
Not for this one. The dry pasta cooks in the broth under the foil. Here’s how the bake goes:
| Stage | What happens | Time at 425°F |
|---|---|---|
| Covered | Uncooked pasta cooks in the broth with the cream cheese and cheddar | 30 minutes |
| Stir and cover again | Chicken, more cheddar, cream and half the sauce go in | 15 minutes |
| Uncovered | Last cup of cheddar browns on top | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Rest | Out of the oven, then the rest of the sauce goes on | 5 minutes |
Seal the foil tightly. The pasta needs the trapped steam to cook through.
Use the right shapes. Rotini, penne, cellentani and fusilli are the ones that work here.
Check the center. Bubbling edges are a good sign, but USDA FSIS says casseroles are done at 165°F in the center.
Rather boil the pasta? Boiled-pasta bakes cook bowtie pasta or penne first, mix everything and bake just 15 to 25 minutes, but they use their own amounts. For this recipe, stick with the no-boil steps.
Variations
- Toppings: finish with sliced green onions, a drizzle of ranch dressing, crispy fried onions or crumbled bacon.
- Chicken: use shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover BBQ chicken.
- Sharper cheese: use sharp cheddar instead of medium.
- Seasoning: skip the seasoning salt and use salt and black pepper to taste.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: You can freeze leftovers for 3 to 4 months, but the creamy sauce may separate after thawing. Thaw them in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat covered until the center reaches 165°F; add a splash of broth or milk if it looks dry. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
A green salad or a simple vegetable balances the rich, cheesy pasta. For more chicken casseroles, try million dollar chicken casserole, Ritz cracker chicken casserole, chicken bacon ranch tater tot casserole, chicken bacon ranch casserole with potatoes or easy chicken burrito casserole. Love barbecue chicken? Make baked barbecue chicken thighs with onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to cook the pasta first?
No. The uncooked pasta bakes in 4 cups of chicken broth under foil for 30 minutes.
What pasta shape works best?
Rotini, penne, cellentani or fusilli.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes. Rotisserie or leftover chicken is ideal; you need 3 cups, chopped.
Can I use raw chicken?
This recipe is made for cooked chicken, and the bake times are set for it. Use cooked chicken.
How long do leftovers keep?
Three to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat covered to 165°F.
Final Notes
Chop the chicken while the pasta bakes, and everything is ready for the stir-in. Save that last half cup of barbecue sauce for the top. If you make it, tell me in the comments which barbecue sauce you used.
BBQ Chicken Casserole
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Ingredients
- 7.5 ounces whipped cream cheese 1 package, set in the center of the dish
- 12 ounces pasta uncooked; rotini, penne, cellentani or fusilli
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese medium or sharp, divided: 1 cup around the cream cheese, 1 cup stirred in, 1 cup on top
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups chicken broth regular or low sodium
- 2 teaspoons barbecue seasoning
- 1 to 2 teaspoons seasoning salt or salt and black pepper, amount as desired
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped; rotisserie or leftover chicken works
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup barbecue sauce divided: 1/2 cup stirred in, 1/2 cup drizzled on top
- sliced green onions optional garnish; ranch dressing, crispy fried onions or cooked crumbled bacon also work
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- In a 13x9-inch baking dish, place the whipped cream cheese in the center. Spread the uncooked pasta and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar around the cream cheese.
- Sprinkle the barbecue seasoning, seasoning salt and garlic powder over the pasta and cheese, then drizzle the olive oil evenly over the top.
- Pour the chicken broth over everything and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil. Add the cooked chicken, 1 cup of the cheddar, the heavy cream and 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce and stir together. Cover with the foil again and bake 15 more minutes.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar on top. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and bubbling at the edges and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Let the casserole rest 5 minutes. Drizzle the remaining barbecue sauce on top and garnish as you like.
