Hey, y'all! This recipe is really special to me -- and I hope you will love it as much as I have my entire life. I've shared many of my Auntie JJ's recipes here on the blog; that said, this is my all-time favorite of her recipes (which is a very bold statement). It's warm, comforting, and is a dish that I've eaten since childhood. While it didn't have a formal name by her standard, I'm choosing to name it the Best Ever Chicken Casserole. Take one bite and you'll see why!
This recipe stems from my Auntie JJ and is a part of a larger series, #CookingLikeJJ, which you can read more about here.
Best Ever Chicken Casserole
FAQ: Best Ever Chicken Casserole
I always boil my chicken for this recipe (see below) - that said, you could use a rotisserie chicken if you wanted to take a shortcut!
While I make a traditional southern cornbread for the topping mixture, you could use a box/instant cornbread. It would be just fine!
Yes! Since there are so many steps in making this dish, I recommend making a few and freezing one (or more) for later.
Ingredients: Best Ever Chicken Casserole
- 1 lb. chicken, boiled and shredded
- 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup, 10.5 oz.
- 1 can Cream of Celery Soup, 10.5 oz.
- 1.5 c. whole milk
- 1 box Chicken Stovetop Dressing, 6 oz.
- 3 c. crumbled cornbread
- 32 oz. chicken broth
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 c. vidalia onion, chopped
- 1 c. celery, chopped
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- onion powder, to taste
- rosemary, to taste
How to Make the Best Ever Chicken Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a deep pot over medium-high heat, bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Season to taste with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and rosemary. Add chicken breasts and boil until fully cooked (165 F). If chicken breasts are not fully covered by chicken broth, add water. Boiling should take around 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the chicken broth and shred.
- While the chicken is boiling, cook onion and celery in 1 stick of butter. Cook for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, and milk (to thin the soups). In another bowl, mix together stove top dressing, crumbled cornbread, 1 c. of chicken stock, and the cooked celery + onion.
- In a 9x13 baking pan, spread one layer of soup mixture. Then do a layer of shredded chicken, followed by another layer of soup mix on top of the chicken. Top with cornbread-stuffing mixture.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes. If you want the top to be more brown, broil on high for 1-2 minutes (watch carefully). Serve warm and enjoy!
Best Ever Chicken Casserole Recipe
Best Ever Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken boiled and shredded
- 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup 10.5 oz.
- 1 can Cream of Celery Soup 10.5 oz.
- 1.5 c. whole milk
- 1 box Chicken Stovetop Dressing 6 oz.
- 3 c. crumbled cornbread
- 32 oz. chicken broth
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 c. vidalia onion chopped
- 1 c. celery chopped
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- onion powder to taste
- rosemary to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a deep pot over medium-high heat, bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Season liberally with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and rosemary. Add chicken breasts and boil until fully cooked (165 F). If chicken breasts are not fully covered by chicken broth, add water. Boiling should take around 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the chicken broth and shred.
- While the chicken is boiling, cook onion and celery in 1 stick of butter. Cook for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, and milk (to thin the soups). In another bowl, mix together stove top dressing, crumbled cornbread, 1 c. of chicken stock, and the cooked celery + onion.
- In a 9x13 baking pan, spread one layer of soup mixture. Then do a layer of shredded chicken, followed by another layer of soup mix on top of the chicken. Top with cornbread-stuffing mixture.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes. If you want the top to be more brown, broil on high for 1-2 minutes (watch carefully). Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition
About the Series: Cooking Like JJ
My Auntie JJ was the quintessential southern woman. She was classy, tasteful, always refined; an amazing cook and hostess; and did everything that she balanced – teaching, running businesses, raising a family, and keeping an immaculate home – with ease. She is one of the main inspirations behind JCP Eats, as she was the one who taught me about timeless, southern food and entertaining. When JJ passed away, I planned this series as a way to pay homage to her 91 years here on Earth; in a way, it’s a form of mourning – in another, it seems like my final gift to her. I hope y’all will enjoy this deep dive into the culinary archives of my family + Phelps Acres Farm. While I’ll never be able to cook as good as JJ, I can only strive to cook like JJ (hence the title of the series). Learn more here.
Y’all come back now, ya hear?
My best,
JC
Keep Up With JCP Eats
Thank you so much for visiting the blog today! I’d love to keep in touch via social media. You can follow my content on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tik Tok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I also author a second website, Notable Kentucky, on which I write about all things of note in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Read Notable Kentucky here.
Rachael
LOVE! So creamy.
Nora
Wonderful casserole recipe that the whole family loved! Thank you for the wonderfully simple recipe! Love it!
Keri
This is just like a chicken casserole that my mother used to make. It was super delicious and so easy.
Debra
So easy...and everyone loved it.