Easy Leftover Chicken and Potato Casserole

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Total: 60 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Yield: 1 casserole

This casserole is easy to prepare with leftover chicken and potatoes. It makes a nice everyday meal using the leftovers from a Sunday chicken dinner, a rotisserie chicken, or a roasted whole bird. The potatoes can be leftover roasted potatoes or, if you need to cook them separately, simply steam them until tender.

Glass Bakeware Warning

For premade casseroles or leftovers that are in a glass baking dish and have been refrigerated, do not place directly into a hot oven as the glass can shatter. Instead, place any cold glass bakeware into a cold oven to warm up while it preheats. Or allow the bakeware to rest outside of the fridge for 30 minutes to reach room temperature while the oven preheats.

Leftover chicken can become dry and a little blah but combining it with a creamy sauce and baking until bubbly gives it new life. Revive your leftovers by turning them into a new dish that the whole family will love.

How to Adapt This Recipe

There are a thousand little ways to vary this recipe and amp up the flavor. Add leftover cooked veggies, like steamed broccoli, or throw in a handful of mixed frozen vegetables or frozen peas. If you like your casseroles extra saucy, double the flour and milk in the mushroom sauce. Add herbs like thyme to the sauce or the breadcrumb topping. Or swap the cheddar cheese for whatever melty cheese you have lying around—you can even mix and match if you only have little nubbins of different cheeses. Crushed French-fried onions mixed into the topping would be delicious as well.

What to Serve With Chicken and Potato Casserole

Casseroles are rich and hearty, so they are best paired with something fresh and green. A simple side salad goes with everything, but you can also serve this dish with sautéed greens, broccoli, or asparagus. Roasted acorn squash is another delicious way to get in some veggies.

Tips for Making the Best Chicken and Potato Casserole

• No baking dish, no problem – If you don't have a small baking dish, you can bake this casserole in the same skillet you use to sauté the mushrooms and make the white sauce. Just make sure that your skillet is oven-safe.
• How to prevent clumps – When adding the milk or half-and-half to the mushroom mixture, add it slowly, stirring the whole time. This prevents lumps from forming in the sauce.
• Taste test – Because all the ingredients in this casserole are cooked, you can taste the mixture before baking to make sure it has enough seasoning.

“This is a great recipe to spruce up leftover night. It’s a simple casserole that comes together rather quickly. The premise of the recipe is fuel for many variations. Follow the formula and clean out the fridge with other meats and veggies, top it differently, add herbs and spices. There’s little chance of boring leftovers!” —Colleen Graham

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

• 1 cup chopped onions

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 cup milk (or half-and-half)

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Kosher salt, to taste

• 2 cups diced cooked potatoes

• 2 cups diced cooked chicken

• 1 cup soft breadcrumbs, optional

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, optional

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack), optional

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

   

3. Heat 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large, heavy skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add 8 ounces mushrooms (sliced) and 1 cup chopped onions and cook until tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

   

4. Stir 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour into the pan. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.

   

5. Gradually add 1 cup milk or half-and-half, stirring, and cook until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste.

   

6. In the prepared baking dish, combine 2 cups diced cooked potatoes, 2 cups diced cooked chicken, and mushroom sauce mixture. 

   

7. If using the breadcrumb topping, toss 1 cup soft breadcrumbs with the 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter until well coated.

   

8. Top the casserole with the buttered breadcrumbs or sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, if using.

   

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

   

How to Store and Freeze

If well wrapped, this casserole can be stored in the fridge for up to a day before baking or frozen for a month. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before baking and add 5 minutes to the cooking time.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

• Add more veggies – Other cooked vegetables may be used along with the potatoes. Add 1/2 cup or more of diced, cooked rutabaga or carrots either in place of or in addition to the mushrooms. More options you can add are a big handful of frozen peas, thawed frozen broccoli, or frozen spinach that has been thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped.
• Add more flavor – Bring in extra flavor by adding herbs and spices along with salt and pepper. Basil, garlic, oregano, paprika, and parsley are good choices for this dish.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	403
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g	25%
Saturated Fat 9g	43%
Cholesterol 88mg	29%
Sodium 254mg	11%
Total Carbohydrate 33g	12%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 13mg	66%
Calcium 121mg	9%
Iron 3mg	18%
Potassium 1002mg	21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.