Chicken and Stuffing Casserole: Easy Homemade Sauce

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes | Rest: 10 minutes | Total: 75 minutes | Servings: 6 | Yield: One 9 x 13-inch casserole | Difficulty: Easy | Cuisine: American | Course: Dinner

Intro

Chicken and stuffing casserole is a full dinner of tender cooked chicken, peas, creamy gravy, and toasted bread. This version makes the sauce from butter, flour, milk, and broth instead of canned soup. Dry bread cubes stay crisp on top while the underside softens into the filling. Choose halal-certified chicken and verified halal broth, plus lard-free bread, for this version.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A homemade sauce lets you control seasoning and avoid uncertain ingredients in condensed soup.

Cooked chicken makes it useful for planned leftovers.

The soft filling and crisp topping give different textures in each scoop.

Recipe Card

Hannah Brooks

Chicken And Stuffing Casserole

This chicken and stuffing casserole layers cooked chicken and peas in a homemade creamy sauce under a crisp herb-bread topping. Use halal-certified chicken and verified halal broth.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings (one 9 x 13-inch casserole)

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 460

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided, plus a little for greasing
• 5 cups dry bread cubes 1/2-inch cubes, about 8 ounces; lard-free bread
• 1 cup yellow onion finely diced
• 1 cup celery finely diced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth verified halal, divided
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 cups cooked chicken halal-certified, shredded, about 1 1/4 pounds
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme divided
• 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Equipment

• 1 9 x 13-inch baking dish
• 1 Rimmed baking sheet
• 1 Large saucepan
• 1 Instant-read thermometer

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a little unsalted butter.
2. Spread the dry bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until dry and lightly golden.
3. Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, then cook the yellow onion and celery for 6 to 8 minutes, until softened.
4. Stir the all-purpose flour into the vegetables for 1 minute.
5. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and the whole milk, then simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the sauce coats a spoon.
6. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, the fine salt, and ground black pepper.
7. Fold the cooked chicken and frozen peas into the sauce and spread in the prepared baking dish.
8. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and toss with the toasted dry bread cubes, remaining 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, remaining 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, and dried rubbed sage.
9. Spread the moistened bread mixture evenly over the filling without pressing it down.
10. Bake uncovered at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling at the edges, golden on top, and at least 165°F in the center.
11. Let stand for 10 minutes before dividing into 6 portions.

Notes

Use halal-certified chicken and verified halal broth. Check packaged seasonings and other source-sensitive ingredients; no certification is implied for a particular brand. Use bread that is dry throughout; fresh soft cubes can turn gummy. Estimated nutrition per one-sixth: about 460 calories, 33 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat. Yield and values vary with bread and chicken.

Chicken And Stuffing Casserole Recipe Tips

Toast the bread until it feels dry in the center. The half cup of broth for the topping should moisten the cubes without making them collapse.

Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer after adding the milk. Whisk around the corners of the pan so flour does not collect there.

Cut through to the middle when checking temperature. Bubbling edges alone do not prove the center has reheated.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not add raw chicken to this recipe. The filling and timing are designed for fully cooked shredded chicken.

Do not pour all the broth into the sauce. Reserve the final 1/2 cup for the topping.

Do not compress the bread layer, which traps moisture and makes it dense.

Variations

Replace the cooked chicken with the same amount of cooked halal-certified turkey for a post-holiday dinner.

Use frozen mixed peas and carrots in place of the peas. Keep the total at 1 cup so the filling stays balanced.

For a different chicken dinner with a shorter oven finish, try skillet-roasted chicken breasts using halal chicken and broth.

What to Serve With It

A small bowl of savory pumpkin soup makes a seasonal starter. For another use for cooked chicken later in the week, the garlic butter chicken wraps offer a crisp alternative; use halal chicken, lard-free tortillas, and omit optional cheese unless its rennet source is suitable. Browse the recipe index for more dinner ideas.

Storage

Refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below and use within 3 to 4 days. Follow USDA leftover guidance. Freeze tightly covered portions for up to 2 months for best quality. The topping will soften after storage.

Reheating

Cover a portion with foil and warm at 350°F until its center reaches 165°F, usually 20 to 30 minutes from refrigerated. Uncover for the final 5 minutes to refresh the topping. Microwave individual portions in short intervals, rotating and checking the center.

Make Ahead

Prepare the filling up to 1 day ahead and chill promptly. Keep the dry bread separate and moisten it just before baking. A cold filling may need 10 to 15 extra minutes in the oven; use the 165°F center temperature rather than the clock.

FAQs

Can I make chicken and stuffing casserole without canned soup?

Yes. The butter-and-flour sauce in this recipe thickens with broth and milk, so condensed soup is not needed.

Can I use rotisserie chicken?

Only if the chicken and its seasonings are verified halal. Remove the bones and skin and measure 4 cups of shredded meat.

Why is the stuffing topping soggy?

Bread that is still soft, too much liquid, or a tightly packed topping can make it gummy. Toast the cubes and measure the reserved broth.

Can I use boxed stuffing mix?

This recipe is measured for plain bread cubes and added herbs. A boxed mix may contain different seasonings or meat-derived ingredients, so it is not a direct substitution.