Chicken Potato Casserole is a creamy, all-in-one chicken dinner made with cream of chicken soup. Raw russet potato cubes, shredded cooked chicken, bacon, onion and frozen mixed vegetables are folded into a mix of cream of chicken soup, cream of potato soup, sour cream, milk and cheddar. It bakes under foil until the potatoes are tender, then gets a second layer of cheese and crispy fried onions. It serves 6.
How to make it: Stir the sauce together in a big bowl, fold in everything else and spread it in a 9×13-inch dish. Bake it covered at 350°F, then scatter the cheese and fried onions over the top and bake it uncovered until it bubbles.
Why You’ll Love It
- A whole meal in one pan: chicken, potatoes and vegetables bake together.
- No pre-cooking the potatoes: they go into the sauce raw.
- Pantry and freezer staples: canned soup, frozen vegetables and cooked chicken you probably already have.
- Good for the week ahead: it makes a big batch that reheats well.
Ingredient Notes
Potatoes: Five medium russets, about 2 pounds, peeled. Yukon Gold or red-skinned potatoes work too.
The two soups: One 10.5-ounce can each of condensed cream of chicken soup and cream of potato soup. With the sour cream and milk, they become the sauce the potatoes cook in.
Chicken: Four cups of cooked, shredded chicken. Rotisserie chicken is the shortcut; leftover chicken breasts or thighs work just as well.
Sour cream and milk: Half a cup of sour cream and 3/4 cup of milk. The sour cream helps the casserole hold its moisture so it doesn’t dry out in the oven, and it adds flavor.
Cheese: Two cups of shredded cheddar, half stirred into the sauce and half saved for the top, plus a cup of shredded mozzarella for the top.
Vegetables, bacon and onion: A cup of frozen mixed vegetables, usually corn, carrots and green beans, 1/2 cup of cooked, crumbled bacon and 1/4 cup of chopped onion.
Fried onions: A cup of crispy canned fried onions scattered over the cheese gives the top a salty crunch.
Ingredients
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of potato soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 5 medium russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup crispy fried onions, from a can
How to Make Chicken Potato Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Set an oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and spray one side of a sheet of foil big enough to cover the dish.
2. Mix the sauce. In a large bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of potato soup, sour cream, milk, poultry seasoning and 1 cup of the cheddar.
3. Fold in the filling. Fold in the frozen mixed vegetables, bacon, onion, chicken and potatoes.
4. Bake covered. Spread the mixture in the baking dish and cover it with the foil, sprayed side down. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Larger potato pieces need longer.
5. Top and finish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar and the mozzarella over the top, then the fried onions. Bake uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted, the casserole is bubbling and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
Can You Bake Raw Potatoes in Cream of Chicken Soup?
Yes. The potatoes go in raw and cook in the soup mixture under the foil. Whether they come out soft or still firm in the middle depends on the size of the pieces and the time they spend covered.
Cut them small and even. Aim for 1/2-inch cubes. Bigger pieces need a longer bake, and pieces that are too large won’t cook through at all.
Keep the foil on. The dish stays covered for the whole first stage and only comes uncovered when the cheese goes on.
Check with a fork before topping. At the 60-minute mark, push a fork into a few potato cubes. If it slides in easily, add the cheese and fried onions. If the potatoes still resist, cover the dish again and keep baking until the 75-minute mark.
Other ways to bake it. A hotter oven or frozen potatoes change the timing:
| Potatoes | Oven | Covered | Uncovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw russet, 1/2-inch cubes (this recipe) | 350°F | 60 to 75 minutes | 8 to 10 minutes |
| Raw Yukon Gold, 1/2-inch cubes | 400°F | 45 minutes | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Frozen diced potatoes, thawed (28 ounces) | 375°F | 40 minutes | 5 minutes |
Whichever way you go, it is done when the potatoes are tender and the center reads 165°F.
Want a head start? Par-boil the cubes in salted boiling water until tender but still firm at the center, or microwave them in a covered bowl with a little water for about 4 to 5 minutes. Then assemble and bake, checking for soft potatoes and 165°F in the center.
Tips for Success
How do I cook the chicken for it?
Season 3 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Simmer them in 3 cups of chicken broth at a low boil for 20 minutes, until they reach 165°F, then shred them with 2 forks. Do this while the oven heats.
How do I keep it hot for a potluck?
Hold it at 140°F or warmer. A chafing dish, a warming tray or a slow cooker set to keep warm does the job once the casserole is fully baked.
Variations
- Different cheese: Colby Jack, or any mix of cheeses you like.
- Cream of mushroom: use cream of mushroom soup, or a homemade cream of chicken soup substitute, in place of the canned cream of chicken.
- Sour cream swap: cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt.
- Spicy: stir a 4-ounce can of diced jalapeños into the soup mixture, or diced green chiles for less heat.
- Panko topping: swap the fried onions for panko tossed in butter.
- Leftover pot pie: spoon leftovers into individual ramekins, top with biscuit dough and bake for 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are cooked through.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Seal the dish with its lid or plastic wrap, or pack portions into freezer containers. Cream sauces don’t freeze well, so the sour cream and soup sauce can separate and look a little curdled after thawing.
Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, never on the counter, or reheat it straight from frozen in the oven or microwave, which takes about 1 1/2 times as long. Reheat single portions covered in the microwave, or the whole dish covered in a 350°F oven, until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Warm biscuits or rolls and a green vegetable fill out the plate: try butter biscuits, smothered green beans or a spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. Coleslaw, collard greens and glazed carrots work too. For more chicken and potatoes in one dish, there’s chicken bacon ranch casserole with potatoes. For another bake built on the same soup, try the cracker-topped chicken casserole, and for a potato side, the 4-ingredient slow cooker potato casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make potato bake with cream of chicken soup?
Yes, and it doesn’t need chicken. The 4-ingredient slow cooker potato casserole linked above is exactly that: 3 pounds of sliced potatoes stirred with 2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup, 2 cups of sharp cheddar and 1 cup of sour cream, cooked on low for 5 to 6 hours.
What are some common mistakes in making chicken casserole?
Taking it out before the center reaches 165°F, thawing a frozen casserole on the counter, and leaving leftovers out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. With raw potatoes, cutting the pieces too big is the other one; the potato section above covers the fix.
Can I make chicken potato casserole ahead?
Yes, in parts. Shred the chicken, crumble the bacon, chop the onion and shred the cheese, then keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and bake.
Do I need to thaw the frozen vegetables?
No. Stir them in straight from the freezer.
Final Notes
Once the potato timing is down, the cheese, soup and topping are easy to change to suit what’s in the kitchen. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Chicken Potato Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces
- 1 can condensed cream of potato soup 10.5 ounces
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1/2 cup bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 4 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 5 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 pounds)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup fried onions crispy, from a can
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and spray one side of a sheet of foil big enough to cover the dish.
- In a large bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of potato soup, sour cream, milk, poultry seasoning and 1 cup of the cheddar.
- Fold in the frozen mixed vegetables, bacon, onion, chicken and potatoes.
- Spread the mixture in the baking dish and cover it with the foil, sprayed side down. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Larger potato pieces need longer.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar and the mozzarella over the top, then the fried onions. Bake uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted, the casserole is bubbling and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
