Creamy and smooth with just a little bit of heat, this Buffalo Chicken Casserole is an easy dinner recipe that the whole family can enjoy! Zesty Ranch seasoning balances cheesy pasta and kickin' buffalo sauce for a flavorful meal with just 20 minutes of prep.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Casserole | 1-Minute Video
There's something about buffalo chicken wings that instantly makes us think of Game Day. I've taken the same nostalgic flavors and combined them in one convenient dish!
This creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole is a perfect potluck dish to share with friends, an easy option to feed your family while they're watching a football game, and a simple, quick-prep meal for busy weeknights.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Every good Southern gal knows that the best casseroles start with a can of condensed cream-of-something soup -- and this recipe is no exception!
Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Pasta Casserole
- Condensed cream of chicken soup
- Cream cheese
- Milk
- Buffalo wing sauce
- Dry ranch seasoning mix
- Cooked, shredded chicken (such as from a rotisserie chicken)
- Cooked rotini pasta
- Celery
- Cheddar cheese
First, prepare the sauce for your casserole by stirring together soup, softened cream cheese, milk, buffalo wing sauce and dry ranch seasoning.
Add cooked pasta, shredded chicken and celery to the bowl.
Give everything a good stir, transfer to a 2-quart dish, and top with grated cheddar.
Cover the dish and bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 - 25 minutes (or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted).
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Add some green veggies on the side for a complete meal. Here are a few easy options that go well with the casserole:
- Celery sticks with ranch dip
- A simple green salad dressed in cool, creamy Buttermilk dressing
- Coleslaw
- Three Bean Salad
- Steamed or Roasted Broccoli
Preparation and Storage
- This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes.
- You can freeze the casserole before baking. Wrapped tightly, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Leftover buffalo chicken casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the casserole: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in a 350° F oven until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- This buffalo chicken casserole recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons of buffalo wing sauce, so it's not too spicy at all! I keep it mild so that it's family-friendly; however, if you prefer a hotter dish you can add more wing sauce, to taste.
- Swap out the can of cream of chicken soup for a can of cream of celery soup.
- Instead of the cheddar, top your casserole with grated mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Make this casserole lighter by using low fat cream cheese, reduced fat cheddar cheese, and Campbell's Healthy Request condensed soup.
Tips for the Best Buffalo Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Make sure that you're starting with softened cream cheese so that you can easily stir it with the rest of the sauce ingredients. It's fine if you still have a few lumps in the sauce -- the cream cheese will melt smoothly in the oven! To soften the cream cheese, leave it sitting on the counter for a couple of hours to come to room temperature, or microwave for 15-30 seconds.
- I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut in this recipe.
- If you prefer to cook your own chicken to use in this dish, boil about 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through (about 15 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken. You'll need a total of about 2 cups shredded. I find that 1 lb. of chicken breasts yields about 2 cups of pulled chicken, but there's some flexibility here -- it doesn't need to be exact.
More Easy Buffalo Chicken Recipes to Try
- Buffalo Chicken Dip Crescent Ring
- 10-Minute Buffalo Chicken Wraps
- Crock Pot Buffalo Ranch Chicken Tacos
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Creamy and smooth with just a little bit of heat, this Buffalo Chicken Casserole is an easy dinner recipe that the whole family can enjoy!
Servings 4 - 6 people
Calories 311.8kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (10 ½ ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup (NOT diluted)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce (or more, to taste)
- 1 (1 ounce) packet dry ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken for this step)
- 6 ounces (about 2 cups) dry rotini pasta, cooked and drained
- 1 stalk celery, sliced (about ½ cup)
- ½ cup (about 4 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, stir together condensed soup, softened cream cheese, milk, buffalo wing sauce, and ranch seasoning. Gently fold in chicken, cooked pasta and celery.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top.
- Cover tightly with foil or a lid, and bake for about 20-25 minutes (or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted).
Video
Notes
- This buffalo chicken casserole recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons of buffalo wing sauce, so it's not too spicy at all! I keep it mild so that it's family-friendly; however, if you prefer a hotter dish you can add more wing sauce, to taste.
- Swap out the can of cream of chicken soup for a can of the cream of celery flavor
- Make sure that you're starting with softened cream cheese so that you can easily stir it with the rest of the sauce ingredients. It's fine if you still have a few lumps in the sauce -- the cream cheese will melt smoothly in the oven! To soften the cream cheese, leave it sitting on the counter for a couple of hours to come to room temperature, or microwave for 15-30 seconds.
- I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut in this recipe.
- Instead of the cheddar, top your casserole with grated mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Make this casserole lighter by using low fat cream cheese, reduced fat cheddar cheese, and Campbell's Healthy Request condensed soup.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the casserole | Calories: 311.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.9g | Protein: 19.3g | Fat: 12.5g | Saturated Fat: 6.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.7g | Cholesterol: 62.5mg | Sodium: 984.1mg | Potassium: 206.3mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 3.3g | Vitamin A: 8.3IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg
Joyce Ann Parkison
My family loved this recipe and requested to have it again.I used the mildest buffalo wing sauce that I could find, and could hardly taste it. (I don't like spicy hot foods.)
Blair
Perfect! I agree -- the buffalo sauce is really mild in this dish (since I wanted kids to be able to enjoy it as well), but someone who likes it hot can always add more on top. Thanks, Joyce Ann!
Heidi M.
My husband and son (9) said this was "excellent". They also said that about the Swedish meatball recipe! I've just discovered your website and have already made a few of your recipes. They're so helpful for a busy, working mother of two and all have been so good. Thank you!
Blair
That's awesome, Heidi! I'm so glad that the recipes have been helpful. Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note!
Annette Burdick
Hi Blair,
I made the Buffalo Chicken Casserole for Sunday Dinner. It was really good!! I added a bit more Buffalo Sauce because we like it a little spicy. Thank you again for another quick and delicious recipe
Blair
That's great, Annette! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Darrin Mitzel
I made this for dinner tonight. The whole family loved it, and said I need to use this one again. It was delicious, and easy to prepare. I’m glad I made a double batch. Otherwise there wouldn’t have been any leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the great recipe!
Blair
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that, Darrin. Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note and let me know! 🙂
Brittany H
Could I put this recipe together, refrigerate, and bake the next day? What would you suggest for the baking time/temp that way?
Blair
Hi, Brittany! Absolutely! I wouldn't change the cooking time/temp. Just let the casserole dish sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes before baking it. If the casserole still feels cold when you put it in the oven, you might need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Enjoy!
Rosa
The heat was perfect for my kiddos! My hubby and I topped with Texas Pete on our own plates. A new family hit!
Blair
Awesome! Thank you, Rosa! I appreciate you taking the time to come back here and leave a note. 🙂
Susan Peters
Made this after a co worker brought some for me for lunch after she made it. She’s not a cook so….. it was fabulous and my family loved it. Will made against new again.
Blair Lonergan
That's great to hear, Susan. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Sam
In terms of troubleshooting. What do you recommend if the dish comes out dry? Should one add more milk?
Blair Lonergan
Hi, Sam! Yes, you can absolutely do that! You can add extra milk to the mixture before baking if it seems a little dry, too. That's an even easier fix to avoid a dry finished dish.
Rich
My family likes a tad bit more flavor so I ended up using 1/3 cup of Franks original hot wing sauce and 3 tablespoons dry ranch dressing and it came out excellent! It was requested to have it again sometime!
Blair Lonergan
Thanks, Rich! So glad that you made it work for your family and that y'all enjoyed it!