Chicken casserole is the ultimate comfort food. It’s warm, hearty, and full of flavor. But even casserole fans can get tired of the basic recipe after a few bland batches. The good news is that there are lots of simple ways to make your chicken casserole taste even better. This article will give you 9 tasty ideas for changing up your regular chicken casserole. With a few extra ingredients, you can turn an old favorite into a dish that everyone will be begging for more of.
1. Sautéed Onions and Garlic
Onions and garlic form the flavor base for countless savory dishes, so they’re a perfect choice for giving a flavor boost to chicken casserole Sauté the onions and garlic before adding them to the casserole, and they’ll add a rich sweetness and depth that takes the overall flavor up a notch I like using a combination of yellow and red onions for a complex layered flavor. Fresh garlic is best, but granulated garlic works too if you’re in a pinch. Just a quarter cup of cooked onions and a teaspoon of garlic per casserole will do the trick.
2. Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are an easy way to brighten up any dish. For chicken casserole, classic herbs like parsley, basil, oregano, and thyme all work wonderfully. Chop the herbs and stir them in at the end for a vibrant finish. Or sprinkle them on top of the casserole before baking for an extra punch of flavor and color. Herbs infuse the casserole with their fresh, aromatic essence and give it a more polished flavor profile. Start with 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs and adjust to taste.
3. Grated Cheese
The magic of cheese is how it melts into a creamy texture and covers all the other ingredients in a rich flavor. Monterey jack, cheddar parmesan, and chesse are all great melty cheeses for chicken casserole. If you want to make it even more decadent, try grated gruyere and fontina together. Grate about a cup of the cheeses you want to use and sprinkle them on top of the casserole. Bake until the cheese melts and the sauce bubbles. The cheese gives off its oils and covers every bite in a gooey, rich layer.
4. Crushed Crackers or Croutons
Putting some crunch on top of chicken casserole makes it taste even better. It’s easy to make a crunchy topping with Ritz crackers or buttery round croutons that have been crushed. The crackers, also called croutons, toast until golden brown and add a nice crunch to the soft noodles and chicken. Put them on top right before you bake them so they don’t get soggy. To make the crackers or croutons taste even better, mix them with a teaspoon or two of dried herbs before putting them on top of the casserole.
5. Crisp Bacon Pieces
Since bacon makes everything better, why not add it to chicken casserole? Chopped cooked bacon gives the dish little bursts of smoky, salty, porky goodness. Try using thicker cut bacon for heartier texture and flavor. First cook the bacon until it’s nice and crisp. Then drain it on paper towels and cut it up into little pieces. Mix the bacon and any rendered bacon fat into the casserole to make it taste even better. Each casserole needs only a quarter cup of chopped bacon.
6. Sautéed Mushrooms
Earthy, meaty mushrooms are a wonderful addition to chicken casserole. Sautéing concentrates their flavor for a more pronounced mushroom taste. Go for classics like white or brown mushrooms, or get fancy with wild varieties like shiitake, oyster, or cremini. Thickly slice the mushrooms, then sauté them in butter or olive oil until lightly browned. Stir the sautéed mushrooms into the casserole, and they’ll add fabulous texture and savory flavor to every bite.
7. Diced Roasted Red Peppers
The sweetness of roasted red peppers balances beautifully with the savoriness of chicken casserole. Dice up some roasted red peppers and stir them in for pops of bright flavor and color. You can roast your own peppers, or use jars of pre-roasted peppers for convenience. The tender pepper pieces heat through in the casserole and release their sweet juices, lending the dish a lovely Mediterranean flair.
8. Frozen Peas and Carrots
Quick-cooking frozen peas and carrots make an easy way to get some veggies into chicken casserole. The sweet peas and carrots thaw and heat through in the oven for an extra dose of color and nutrition. Buy bags of plain frozen peas and carrots without any sauce or seasonings. Measure out about a cup of the veggie mix and stir into the casserole before baking. The bright peas and carrots provide a wholesome counterbalance to the creamy, cheesy casserole.
9. Canned Diced Tomatoes
Tomatoes are an acidic ingredient that add bright flavor to creamy chicken casseroles. Go for a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes and drain them before stirring into the casserole. The tomato pieces heat through and release their juicy goodness, lending pleasant tartness and garden-fresh tomato flavor. For extra zing, add a pinch of red pepper flakes along with the tomatoes.
With a little creativity, the possibilities for elevating chicken casserole are practically endless. Try out some of these add-ins to create your own signature version that will have family and friends begging for the recipe. Just a few extra ingredients can take chicken casserole from boring to beautiful!
How To Make Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- There are no bones or skin on these chicken breasts. For this recipe, I use them, but you can use chicken thighs instead if you’d like. It’s better to use chicken breasts in this recipe because they are leaner and thicker than chicken thighs. If you don’t want chicken, try our Tuscan salmon or shrimp instead.
- Oregano: The earthy, aromatic flavor of oregano helps to round out the flavors of a dish and adds a nice bitterness.
- Butter: There is a reason everyone loves butter. This is how I use it to give the sauce an extra layer of creaminess. To get rid of some of the brown bits stuck on the pan from the chicken, this will help. These bits are great because they hold so much flavor.
- Garlic: Strong-smelling, warm, and a little spicy, garlic makes any dish taste better and is a traditional Tuscan ingredient.
- Tomatoes with cherry In either case, it’s important to use bright, fresh vegetables to get a real Tuscan taste.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is what gives this simple sauce its rich, silky base for your chicken.
- Parmesan: This recipe calls for two types of Parmesan. The rich and nutty Parmesan adds flavor and texture to the sauce. It fills in the gaps between the chicken pieces and helps the sauce stick to them.
- For the Lemon Wedges, add some acidity that balances out the dish really well. If you don’t like lemon, feel free to leave it out!
To begin this recipe, I heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat until it looks smooth and starts to move around in the pan. Once the oil is ready, I add my chicken breast, spacing properly to fit all four in the skillet at once, and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. We can season the chicken beforehand, but seasoning in the skillet allows for any extra seasoning that doesn’t immediately stick to be mixed back into the chicken and sauce. Cook the chicken for about 8 minutes on each side. A golden crust on both sides is a good indicator that your chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside, covered, until ready to reintroduce.
Next, I add my butter to the same skillet and stir it as it melts, making sure to scrape any stuck-on chicken and seasoning bits back into the mix. Then I stir in my garlic and cook it until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Then, I add in my cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook the tomatoes until the skin begins to burst, then add in the spinach and cook until it begins to wilt.
When the spinach starts to wilt, I add the heavy cream and parmesan and stir everything together until it starts to simmer.
Then I reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to continue to simmer until it is slightly reduced and thickened. This should take about 3 minutes.
When the sauce has reached our desired consistency, return the cooked chicken to the skillet and allow it to cook in the sauce until heated through completely, about another 5 to 7 minutes.
Plate, serve with lemon wedges, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
What To Serve With Creamy Tuscan Chicken
I love this dish served with bread, but you can also serve it over rice or pasta, or with creamy mashed potatoes. Whatever you do, I highly recommend serving this alongside something to sop up all of that incredible Tuscan sauce—let’s be honest, it’s the real star of the show here.
Feel free to store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The Tuscan sauce can also be batched ahead of time and frozen in the freezer for up to 3 months before use. Advertisement – Continue Reading Below.
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Step 1 In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. If you stick an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and read 165°, the chicken is done. This should take 8 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and set aside. Step 2: Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach and cook until it starts to wilt. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst. 3: Add heavy cream and parmesan cheese, then bring the whole thing to a simmer. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for about three minutes, or until it has thinned out a bit. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until it’s fully heated through. Step 4 Serve with lemon wedges.
Easy Chicken and Stuffing Casserole Bake with Stove Top Stuffing (So Delicious!)
FAQ
What to add to a bland chicken casserole?
Try different herbs for added flavour: sage or lemon thyme work wonderfully well. For a meatier casserole, add chopped sausage or pancetta when cooking the chicken.
How do I add more flavor to a casserole?
Casseroles can really shine when they achieve a harmonious balance of flavors. Sweet, salty, spicy, and acidic elements should blend well and complement each other. Add ingredients like caramelized onions, olives, or lemon zest to give your casserole a depth of flavor.
What to add to chicken casserole?
A basic chicken casserole typically includes cooked chicken, a creamy sauce (often cream of chicken soup), and a starch like noodles or rice. Other common ingredients include vegetables like celery, onions, and carrots, and a topping like breadcrumbs or crackers.
What can I add to chicken to make it more flavorful?
Add a touch of spice to your chicken breast by combining paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic and olive oil to create a paste. Then cover your chicken breast with the paste and pat down to secure. This Middle Eastern spice rub is delicious when charred on the grill.