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Cozy, down-home comfort food! This farmhouse chicken cornbread casserole is an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love. The sweet cornbread topping is paired with a creamy and cheesy chicken filling for a classic, hearty supper that will warm you from the inside out. Serve the dish with a simple side salad, Southern-style green beans, or cranberry sauce to complete the meal.
Table of Contents
- How to Make Chicken Cornbread Casserole | 1-Minute Video
- Cornbread Casserole with Chicken
- Which chicken to use for a casserole?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken Cornbread Casserole
- What to Serve with Cornbread Chicken Casserole
- Make Ahead
- Storage
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Chicken Cornbread Casserole
- Farmhouse Chicken Cornbread Casserole Recipe
How to Make Chicken Cornbread Casserole | 1-Minute Video
Cornbread Casserole with Chicken
Chicken and cornbread is a match made in heaven, right?! Whether it’s fried chicken and cornbread, chicken tenders paired with corn muffins, or BBQ chicken cornbread casserole, we can never get enough of the sweet-and-savory combination.
This easy chicken cornbread casserole recipe is the latest in our lineup of simple weeknight dinners! I dreamed up the meal by combining two of our favorites: chicken and stuffing casserole and Jiffy corn casserole. Put them together in one dish and the results are unbelievably delicious!
Which chicken to use for a casserole?
You’ll need cooked chicken for this recipe, and a variety of options will work. Pick the most convenient method for you:
- Boiled and Pulled Chicken: Boil about 2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through (about 15-20 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken and use in the recipe. You can use as little as 1 ½ lbs. of meat, or as much as 2 lbs. of meat to start with — whatever you have on hand. You’ll need a total of about 4 cups (more or less) shredded. I find that 2 lbs. of chicken breasts yields about 4 cups of pulled chicken, but there’s some flexibility here — it doesn’t need to be exact.
- Rotisserie Chicken: This is a great shortcut! Purchase a large rotisserie chicken (or two small chickens) from the grocery store, shred the meat, and use in the recipe as instructed.
- Leftover Chicken: If you have leftover grilled or baked chicken from a previous meal, put those extras to good use in this casserole.
- Canned Chicken: Yep, you can even use canned chicken in this casserole!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a jiffy cornbread chicken casserole. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Condensed cream of chicken soup and condensed cream of mushroom soup: form the creamy sauce for the casserole filling.
- Milk: to thin the sauce.
- Chicken: I like to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for an easy shortcut, but you can also cook your own chicken at home instead.
- Cheddar cheese: adds flavor to the filling, as well as that great ooey, gooey, cheesy texture. Feel free to substitute with other varieties of cheese, such as Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, Colby, Cheddar Jack, or mozzarella.
- Jiffy corn muffin mix: this boxed cornbread mix is a great shortcut for the cornbread topping on your casserole.
- Can of cream style corn: adds moisture and flavor to the cornbread.
- Sour cream: for even more rich flavor and texture in the cornbread, as well as a moist, tender crumb.
- Egg: gives the cornbread structure so that it sets up.
- Butter: we like salted butter, but unsalted butter is fine too.
How to Make Chicken Cornbread Casserole
You can’t beat the flavor combination of a sweet cornbread casserole and creamy, tender chicken. Add some butter, sour cream, and cheddar cheese to the mix and you know it’s bound to be good!
- Stir Together Chicken Filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed soups and the milk. Stir in the chicken and cheese, and then transfer the mixture to a 2- or 3-quart baking dish.
- Prepare the Cornbread Topping. In a separate bowl, stir together the corn muffin mix, cream-style corn, sour cream, egg, and melted butter.
- Spread Cornbread on Top. Spread the cornbread batter evenly over the top of the chicken filling.
- Bake. Bake the casserole (uncovered) in a 400°F oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread topping comes out clean. Let the dish stand for 5-10 minutes, and then serve!
What to Serve with Cornbread Chicken Casserole
This is basically a cornbread side and a main dish all in one! That said, if you’d like to round out the meal, cornbread goes well with any of the following sides:
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Cranberry Muffins or Apple Muffins
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Crusty French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Fried Corn
- Southern Fried Apples, Baked Apple Slices, or Applesauce
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower or Roasted Broccoli
- Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or Roasted Root Vegetables
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Cranberry Sauce
Make Ahead
You can assemble the chicken filling in advance, transfer it to the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When ready to proceed, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before you add the cornbread topping and bake as instructed. If the dish is still slightly cool when it goes into the oven, you may need to add a few extra minutes to the total baking time.
Storage
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat the casserole in a 350°F oven just until warmed through (tent loosely with foil, if necessary, to prevent excessive browning). You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until warm.
Recipe Variations
- Chicken Broccoli Cornbread Casserole: Stir in about 2 cups of broccoli florets. I recommend that you steam, sauté, or microwave the broccoli just until it’s crisp-tender before adding it to the dish. The broccoli will continue to soften as the casserole bakes.
- Add Vegetables: Stir in 1-2 cups of your favorite veggies. Good options include corn, frozen peas, frozen mixed vegetables, cut green beans, and broccoli florets (as explained above).
- For a cheesier casserole, increase the cheddar to 2 cups. Alternatively, you can omit the cheese entirely if you prefer, or use a different type of cheese. Swiss, Monterey Jack, and Colby would all be nice options, too.
- Mexican Chicken Cornbread Casserole: Add a can of drained Rotel tomatoes with green chilies to the filling, use Pepper Jack cheese instead of cheddar, include chopped jalapenos, and add a bit of cumin, chili powder, or taco seasoning for extra flavor and spice.
- Green Chili Chicken Cornbread Casserole: Add a 4.5-ounce can of chopped green chilies to the chicken mixture for a little bit of zesty kick!
Tips for the Best Chicken Cornbread Casserole
- Baking Dish: You can use either a 2-quart or 3-quart casserole dish for this recipe. If you like a thicker cornbread layer on top, I recommend using the smaller pan.
- Check the Topping: Make sure that the cornbread is completely cooked through before you pull the dish from the oven. You don’t want to find uncooked cornbread batter in your casserole, so use a toothpick inserted in the very center of the casserole to determine if the topping is set. If the toothpick comes out clean, then you know that the cornbread is done.
- Tent with Foil: If your casserole starts to brown too much on top before it’s finished cooking, cover it loosely with foil.
- Garnish: Add sliced green onion, chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, thyme, or chives for a bright touch of flavor and color.
More Chicken and Cornbread Recipes to Try
Farmhouse Chicken Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
FILLING:
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup, not diluted
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, not diluted
- ¾ cup milk
- 4 cups cooked, diced chicken
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
CORNBREAD TOPPING:
- 1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy brand)
- 1 (14.75 oz) can cream style sweet corn
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. If you use a 2-quart dish, the cornbread topping will be slightly thicker and may require a few extra minutes in the oven.
- In a large bowl, whisk together condensed soups and milk. Stir in cooked chicken and cheese.
- Pour chicken mixture into prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together corn muffin mix, cream style corn, sour cream, egg, and melted butter. Spread evenly over the chicken mixture.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the topping comes out clean. Tent the casserole loosely with foil if the top starts to get too dark before it’s cooked through. Let stand for about 5-10 minutes, then serve!
Video
Notes
- Baking Dish: You can use either a 2-quart or 3-quart casserole dish for this recipe. If you like a thicker cornbread layer on top, I recommend using the smaller pan.
- Check the Topping: Make sure that the cornbread is completely cooked through before you pull the dish from the oven. You don’t want to find uncooked cornbread batter in your casserole, so use a toothpick inserted in the very center of the casserole to determine if the topping is set. If the toothpick comes out clean, then you know that the cornbread is done.
- Tent with Foil: If your casserole starts to brown too much on top before it’s finished cooking, cover it loosely with foil.
- Garnish: Add sliced green onion, chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, thyme, or chives for a bright touch of flavor and color.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in September, 2020. The photos were updated in November, 2022.
I am going to try the chicken cornbread stuffing for Thanksgiving can I add celery bell pepper onion n poultry seasoning n garlic in my mixture
Definitely! Those sound like delicious additions, Dianne! Enjoy. 🙂
Got the recipe this morning. Made it this evening and everyone went back for seconds. Absolutely wonderful!
I did use jiffy honey cornbread mix and did not add sour cream.
I’m so glad that it was a hit, Trish. Thank you!
Can I substitute the sour cream for anything else?
Hi Lindsay,
We haven’t tested it out with this recipe. However, Greek yogurt or buttermilk are common substitutes. Just keep in mind that the taste and texture of your cornbread might change slightly.
I add veggies to this. It’s one of my husband favorite meal.
Your recipes sound delicious
Thank you, Debbie! I hope that you get to try some of them soon!
Can this recipe be frozen after cooking?
Yes, ma’am! 🙂
I knew that as I was making this, that my husband was really going to like it. Oh my gosh, we just loved this! The Farmhouse Chicken Cornbread Casserole was just perfect for a blustery fall day!. Perfect comfort food. Also, it was very easy and quick to put together. I’m looking forward to looking through more of your recipes and trying them. Next up…is the Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole!
Yay! That makes me so happy. Thank you, Camille!
This is my second time making this recipe. Both times they were HUGE hits with my family! Thanks for sharing your awesome recipes!
I’m so glad to hear that, Candice! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know! 🙂
Before I mess this up I just wanted to clarify one thing. When using the corn bread mix, do I prepare it as shown on the package or do I use it dry? Wouldn’t want to have it to dry or too wet. Thank you for your help!
Hi, Kathleen! I’m so glad that you’ll give this a try. Hope you love it!
To answer your question, you just combine the dry corn muffin mix with the cream-style corn, sour cream, egg and melted butter. DO NOT prepare the corn muffin batter as directed on the box first. Enjoy!
Thank you Blair! I really appreciate your help!
This recipe is delicious, and I love it on a cold winter day!
Thank you, Nadine!
Hi! What are your thoughts on using plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
I think that would work fine, Katie. Better yet if it’s full-fat yogurt, rather than non-fat. 🙂
Could you just use regular corn instead of cream corn in the batter? My family isn’t big on cream corn.thanks! Karen
Hi, Karen! The creamed corn adds more of a thick liquid to the batter that you can’t achieve with regular corn, so the texture will not be the same. If you choose to use the regular corn, you may need to add some cream to loosen it up. It still won’t have quite the same flavor and texture, but that might work better than just the corn on its own.
I made this tonight and it was silent at the dinner table because everyone was busy devouring it. My 8 year old and my 6 year old both loved it!
That’s awesome, Lindsay! The highest praise — when the dinner table is peaceful! 🙂
Thoughts on using 2 cans of Crm. of Chicken soup, instead of 1 can of Crm. of Mroom and 1 can of Crm. of Ckn.? I’ve made this recipe before (as written) and it was a hit with everybody (it’s me, my husband and 2 picky kids), so it’s rare for everybody to agree!
Hi, Stephanie! I’m so glad that the family enjoys it! You can definitely just use two cans of the cream of chicken soup. It will work perfectly!
I should add that I was wanting to make this again today, but I don’t have a can of Crm. of Mroom. soup.
No problem! Just use the two cans of cream of chicken. It will be great!
I’ve made this twice now. Once with canned chicken and 2 days ago with seasoned baked chicken. I added a can of veg all both times. Great recipe!
John
Yum! Thanks, John!
We made this tonight with a can of chicken soup and a can of broccoli soup because the family isn’t into mushrooms. It turned out really well!
That’s great, Jessica. Thank you for letting me know!
Family loves this, my second time to make it. Once just as directed and the other time I added whole corn into filling mixture. Both times a hit. And very easy to throw together.
Thank you, Cheryl!
Would you recommend adding broccoli or carrots? Or should they be served better as a side?
Hi, Tina! Yes, you can certainly do that. I prefer to offer them on the side, because then I can better control how well done they are. Sometimes when you add broccoli or other veggies to a casserole, they get very well done and mushy. Not a problem if you like that, but cooking them separately gives you more ability to determine how soft or crisp-tender you make them. Either way is fine, though!
Hi there, your recipes sound delicious and tasty.
Fabulous! because of your recipe I know how to made chicken combread, that my hubby was really going to like it. Ohhhhh my gosh, we just loved this much. Thanks!
I added some onion and bell pepper to the chicken mix, I didnt realize I had only whole kernel corn. I added only half the can, with the mix, egg, and sour cream and added some milk to cream it up..I hope it comes out good looks soooo good!
I want to try this recipe for my son and daughter in law and their 3 kids – but the kidlets don’t like mushrooms. Two cans of cream of mushroom soup won’t make a difference, will they? Thank you
P.S. – The dish in the picture looks like a 9 x 13 baking dish. Is that equivalent to the dish you suggest in the actual recipe? Thank you.
Hi! Yes, it’s a fairly shallow 13 x 9-inch dish. You can also use a 2-quart dish, which is typically a deep 8-inch square pan or a 9-inch square pan. It just depends on how thick you want the cornbread layer on top.
The two cans of cream of mushroom soup shouldn’t add too many actual mushrooms to deter your grandchildren, but you can certainly use just cream of chicken soups or a can of cream of celery soup instead.
Got the recipe this morning. Made it this evening and everyone went back for seconds. Absolutely wonderful!
I did use jiffy honey cornbread mix and did not add sour cream.
Morning, Can you use raw cut up chicken breast or chicken tenders?
Thanks
Hi Kendra!
Unfortunately, raw chicken will not work for this recipe. However, you can use a variety of different cooked chicken such and boiled and pulled chicken, rotisserie chicken, leftovers, and even canned chicken.