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You only need 5 ingredients and about 10 minutes to pull together this easy Crescent Roll Chicken Casserole! The buttery, flaky crescent rolls are stuffed with chicken and cheese, then finished with a cheesy sauce. Add broccoli or other vegetables to the dish, or serve them on the side. It’s great with salad, rice, noodles, mashed potatoes, or a loaf of crusty bread.
How to Make Crescent Roll Chicken Casserole | 1-Minute Video
If you have leftover chicken from a previous meal, a store-bought rotisserie chicken languishing in your fridge, or a lone chicken breast hanging out in the freezer, this crescent roll chicken casserole is a great way to stretch a small amount of meat to feed a family.
I like to think of it as a basic foundation, to which you can add any of your family’s favorite ingredients. Stir broccoli or green beans into the dish, add a layer of rice on the bottom, or mix in some extra flavor with fresh herbs or other pantry spices. The options are endless!
Ingredients
This is just an overview of the 5 basic ingredients that you’ll need for the crescent roll chicken casserole recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Refrigerated crescent roll dough: I prefer Pillsbury brand, which you can find in the refrigerated section of almost any grocery store.
- Chicken: you’ll need about 1 cup of cooked, finely diced chicken for this recipe. You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken, other pre-cooked chicken strips (like Perdue Shortcuts), leftovers from a previous meal, or even canned chicken. If you prefer to cook your own chicken at home, simply boil 1 chicken breast until cooked through (about 15 minutes).
- Grated cheese: I use extra sharp cheddar, but just about any good melting cheese will work fine. Try Swiss, American, Monterey Jack, Colby, Gouda, or mozzarella.
- Condensed cream of chicken soup: I prefer the Campbell’s “Healthy Request” line, which has less sodium, but any variety will work. You can also substitute with another flavor of condensed soup, such as cream of mushroom or cream of celery.
- Milk, water, or low sodium chicken broth: to thin the soup. The condensed soup is already very salty on its own, so you don’t want to add much extra salt with a salty broth.
How to Make This Easy Chicken Casserole
This casserole comes together quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Feel free to add vegetables or other seasonings to the dish, too!
- Toss together chicken and ¼ cup of the grated cheese.
- Wrap the crescent rolls are the chicken mixture, then arrange in an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish.
- Bake the stuffed crescent rolls in a 375°F oven until golden brown and cooked through, about 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the cheese sauce by combining the condensed soup, milk, and remaining cheese in a saucepan over low heat. Do not let the mixture boil.
- Pour enough sauce over the baked crescent rolls to cover the bottom of the pan and come up around the lower edges of the rolls.
- Return the dish to the oven to cook for about 5 more minutes, or until everything is hot and bubbly.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve!
What to Serve with Crescent Roll Casserole
The casserole is perfect served with a side of steamed broccoli or a simple green salad. We also like to combine the dish with rice, noodles, crusty bread, or mashed potatoes to soak up all of that delicious sauce!
Storage
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the stuffed crescent rolls in advance and keep the pan covered in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours before baking.
- Store leftover chicken crescent rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze leftover chicken casserole in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat the crescent roll casserole, place the dish in a 325°F oven just until warmed through (about 15 minutes). You can also reheat individual roll ups in the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute.
- To feed a larger family, double all of the ingredients and use a 9 x 13-inch dish.
Recipe Variations
- This recipe calls for condensed cream of chicken soup, but you can use any soup flavor that you prefer. Condensed cream of mushroom soup or condensed cream of celery soup would both work well, too.
- Chicken Crescent Rolls with Sour Cream: for a creamy filling in your crescent rolls, try adding sour cream or softened cream cheese to the chicken mixture.
- Canned Chicken Crescent Rolls: you need 1 cup of cooked, diced chicken for this recipe. You can use canned chicken, or you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken or store-bought pre-cooked chicken (such as Perdue ShortCuts or Tyson Grilled n’ Ready). If you have more time, you can also cook your own chicken at home to use in this recipe. Leftover chicken from a previous meal also works well!
- I used extra sharp cheddar cheese, but you can substitute with just about any good melting cheese. Try Swiss, American, Monterey Jack, Colby, Gouda, or mozzarella.
Tips for the Best Crescent Roll Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Add vegetables. If you like a casserole that includes veggies mixed right into the dish, feel free to add steamed broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper, green beans, peas, frozen mixed vegetables, or any of your family’s other favorites. There’s plenty of cheese sauce to coat them! I recommend sautéing, steaming or parboiling the vegetables in advance and then adding them to the dish after the crescent rolls are baked (before you pour on the sauce).
- If adding vegetables to the pan, you’ll need a larger dish to accommodate the extra ingredients. Try an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
- Feel free to season your chicken mixture (or sauce) with any of your favorite herbs and spices. Good options include onion powder, garlic powder, basil, parsley, thyme, oregano or chives.
- The condensed soup already contains a lot of salt; therefore I recommend thinning the sauce with milk, water, or low-sodium chicken broth. You might not need all of the sauce in the pan, so just add it slowly until it’s exactly how you like it.
More Easy Chicken Casserole Recipes to Try
- Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers
- Doritos Chicken Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Parmesan Casserole
- Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
- Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Rice
5-Ingredient Crescent Roll Chicken Casserole
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 17 minutes
0 minutes
Total: 27 minutes
You only need 5 ingredients and about 10 minutes to pull together this easy Crescent Roll Chicken Casserole!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) tube refrigerated crescent roll dough (8 count)
- 1 cup cooked, diced chicken
- 1 cup grated cheese, divided (I use extra sharp cheddar cheese, but American, white cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, Havarti, Colby Jack, Swiss and Monterey Jack will all work)
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, not diluted (I like the Healthy Request line for less sodium, but any variety will work)
- ¾ cup milk, water, or low-sodium chicken broth
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or other herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish (or a larger dish if you plan to add some extra veggies to the pan as well). Set aside.
- In a small bowl, toss together chicken and ¼ cup of the grated cheese. It’s optional, but you can add any herbs or seasoning that you like at this point too (for instance garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, thyme, basil, oregano or chives).
- Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into 8 triangles. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture in the center of each crescent roll. Roll the dough and place each rolled crescent roll in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the tops and bottoms of the crescent rolls are golden brown and the rolls are cooked through.
- While the rolls are in the oven, stir together the chicken broth, condensed soup, and remaining ¾ cup of grated cheese in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk constantly, just until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat before the sauce boils.
- Once the crescent rolls are browned and cooked through, slowly and carefully pour the cheese sauce over and around the rolls – you might not need all of the sauce, depending on the size of your dish. I like to use just enough sauce so that it covers the bottom of the dish and comes up on the sides of the rolls slightly (you don’t want them totally submerged).
- Put the dish back in the oven for about 5-10 more minutes, just until everything is hot and bubbly.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired, and serve!
Video
Notes
- Add vegetables. If you like a casserole that includes veggies mixed right into the dish, feel free to add steamed broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper, green beans, peas, frozen mixed vegetables, or any of your family’s other favorites. There’s plenty of cheese sauce to coat them! I recommend sautéing, steaming or parboiling the vegetables in advance and then adding them to the dish after the crescent rolls are baked (before you pour on the sauce).
- If adding vegetables to the pan, you’ll need a larger dish to accommodate the extra ingredients. Try an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
- Feel free to season your chicken mixture (or sauce) with any of your favorite herbs and spices. Good options include onion powder, garlic powder, basil, parsley, thyme, oregano or chives.
- The condensed soup already contains a lot of salt; therefore I recommend thinning the sauce with milk, water, or low-sodium chicken broth. You might not need all of the sauce in the pan, so just add it slowly until it’s exactly how you like it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the casseroleCalories: 411kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 21gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 909mgPotassium: 320mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 612IUCalcium: 218mgIron: 1mg
This recipe was originally published in August, 2018. Thanks to helpful reader feedback, it was updated in September, 2021.
I made this chicken casserole tonight for first time and my family, (two adult children and Husband) loved it! Thank you!
That’s wonderful, Lee! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Wish I had read your comment before I made this. Mine was soggy on bottom. Way too much sauce. Doubt I will make it again but if I do I will take your suggestion
Just use low sodium broth & low sodium soup. You can even use no salt added broth.
Definitely! When I serve the rolls, I don’t serve every drop of sauce in the pan, either. 🙂
2 OF MY FAMILY HAD HOSPITAL PROCEDURES TODAY. LAST NIGHT I MADE THE CRESCENT RECIPE AHEAD. I DID NOT REALIZE MT FAMILY NEEDED A SNACK & ATE ALL MT CHICHEN BIT I HAD TURKEY WITH HOMEMADE BROTH IN THE FREEZER. MOM OUTSMARTED THEM & MADE THEM FEEL GUILTY. THAT HOWEVER DID NOT STOP RHEM FROM CLEANING OUT THE PLATE, MIXED FROZEN MIXED VEGS. WITH SOME OF THE GRAVY FOR TOPPING & ADDED PANKP CRUMBS BAED ABOUT 5 MINNUTES MORE. THEY WANT IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!! BY THE WAY THEY ARE OBVOUSLY FINE, GOD BLESS YOU ALL HAD ALL CONTROL OF SALT.
Hi, Sherry! I’m so glad that your family is doing better AND that everyone enjoyed this meal! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
This recipe is tasty even when modified with lower sodium broth and soup. I went a step further and added some broccoli and cauliflower florets because that extra cheese sauce was just calling for it!
My kids also loved these. I used low sodium broth and soup. Also threw in frozen broccoli around the rolls as previously mentioned. (Additionally, only poured in enough sauce to leave about 2 sqin of each roll exposed so a little was wasted.) Will definitely make this again!
Great recipe! I added shredded cheese to the chicken and baked them without sauce and serve it on the side. The first time I prepared it they turned out soggy on the bottom!
Thanks, Michelle!
Would it be possible to use either mozzarella or Havarti cheese?
Hi, Victoria! Yes, you can use any cheese that you love! 🙂
This sounds so good. Will fix it tonight and then will text results.
Awesome! Enjoy, Jackie!
Made this last night.
I chopped a bit of fresh parsley and mixed it in. No biggie it gave it some eye appeal.
Didn’t have anything but pepper jack. That added a bit of spice, the sauce was just right.
Hubby loved it. I ‘liked’ it.
I’ll definitely make it again but change one thing.
I’ll bake the chicken rolls a few minutes then add the hot sauce to finish baking.
This is because even though the dish turned out looking just like the photo, the tops were perfect and the bottoms were slippery and un-baked.
Thanks, Ruth Ann! You can also cover the dish loosely with foil when the tops get browned, but keep the dish in the oven to allow the rolls to finish cooking. 🙂 Glad that you enjoyed it!
The crescent rolls in the sauce will always be softer, because you’re cooking them in the sauce. That said, the dough should still be cooked through, so you might need to bake them a bit longer next time and just loosely cover the top of the dish with foil if the tops of the crescent rolls get too brown. 🙂
Or, just don’t make it. Stop complaining and move on. Now wasn’t that easy?
what a novel idea! Why do people complain about everything!? Let it go- nobody is forcing anyone to make this recipe! If it has too much salt for your liking, adjust the ingredients or move on! And maybe try searching for low-sodium recipes next time…sheesh!
THANK YPU BILL!!! YES IT HAS AY..good grief..whomever has time to complain about recipes needs to find a hobby… if its bot to your liking or work for your health needs….DO NOT MAKE IT IN YOUR HOME….GOOD GRIEF
This recipe gave me the crux of a very good recipe for which I thank you. I made some changes to suit us but thank you for your recipe which started me off.
I too preheated my oven to 350 but having read the reviews of uncooked bottoms, I moved an oven rack to the lowest place in the oven to aid in cooking the bottoms of the rolls.
I don’t really like using canned soup in recipes so instead I made a thick cream sauce using both heavy cream and low-sodium chicken broth, which I started with a blond roux made from butter and flour. I grated 8 oz. of fontina and gradually stirred it into the sauce. If my cheese sauce was too thick, I added additional chicken broth. To add a slight kick to the sauce, I added a couple shakes crushed red pepper flakes. Into my bowl of chopped chicken, I mixed in a generous tablespoon of snipped chives from my garden and added just enough of my sauce to the chicken to bind it a bit.
I didn’t have any crescent roll dough but did have a couple of cans of the crescent roll sheets. I unrolled my two sheets of sough, cut each sheet into three equal rectangles, which I placed on a sheet of parchment paper, with the long side of six rectangles facing me. One at a time, I added a generous amount (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken to the right top side of my rectangle, spreading it out into a triangle (see my imperfect illustration below for filled area containing chicken and area you leave unfilled). Then fold unfilled “triangle” of dough over the filled triangle area, bringing the bottom of your dough rectangle up to the top edge of your rectangle, covering the filled portion in the process. Then, as if I was folding a flag, I turned the right outer end (the point) inward, parallel to the top edge of my rectangle, to form a second triangle. (If you have trouble picturing this, look up an illustration on how to fold the American flag.) The triangular folding is continued until the entire length of the rectangle is folded in this manner; you will end up with a triangle of filled dough! I did this with each of my six rectangles of dough and then placed them in the 8×8 inch baking dish I’d sprayed with cooking spray, leaving some space between each filled triangle. I stirred any remaining chicken mixture into my cheese sauce and then poured the sauce around the triangles trying my best not to cover the triangles until all of my cheese sauce was used. Then I put the uncovered baking dish on the lowest rack in the oven and baked as you did, for about 30 minutes, or until the crescent triangles are browned on top and sauce is bubbly
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******FILLLED***********/ |
*******AREA**********/ | <<<<<<Ideally, the area is a square made up of two triangles, one filled and one empty.
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They were delicious and I thank you for inspiring me! I hope you like how I converted the recipe to suit our tastes & the dough I had on hand.
Thanks, Michelle! Your new recipe sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing those details!
Sorry — half of my drawing (the right blank “triangle” you fold over the filled area) disappeared when my spaces disappeared!
Can these be prepared and frozen uncooked??
Hi, Katie! I’ve never done it that way myself, but I think it should work fine!
My family really enjoyed this! I added some broccoli as recommended by others as well – which was a great idea! Perfect recipe for some leftover chicken. A weeknight winner!
Yay! So glad that you liked it! 🙂 Thanks, Melanie!
Hi, Anne! No, not really. As you can see in the photos, the sauce comes about halfway or 3/4 of the way up the rolls before baking. Once baked, the rolls puff up and expand so that they’re sticking up higher out of the sauce. Maybe you used a smaller dish?
I have made this twice now and we love it! I did make a couple changes this time. I only used 1 can of broth and I sliced the chicken into thin strips and put 3 strips in each roll. I love the sauce in this recipe, and sooo easy to make. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Thank you, Jenny!
Made this tonight, doing 16 crescents and keeping the sauce amount the same. My kids loooooved it!! Thank you! (I enjoyed it, too, and love having another recipe for cooked chicken)
Thanks, Jamie!
I just found your site, so glad I did. I have recently retired, I am addicted to eating out, when I was still working I catered in so much food, got a free lunch out of it, offered others to eat on it, sometimes brought some home, so ate out 1/2//week. I am trying to cut down the eating out syndrome, trying to always have something fixed to eat, planning ahead. I HAVE FOUND AT least 6 recipes from your site to try. i do not have a problem in eating the same item 3 times in a row. I have also stated doing sheet pan dinners, but I’m at the point of using 3 sheet pans, but that’s okay for a start. I am a crock pot quee & just recently bought a multi-cooker which i haven not used yetThanks for your site, it’s amazing!! Ursula Rogers
Hi, Ursula! Thanks so much for your note — I’m so glad that you’ve found my site, too. I think the really simple (but still delicious) recipes make it easier to prepare more foods at home. Let me know if you discover some new favorites! 🙂
Bake the crescent rolls in oven first until almost done then remove from oven and put sauce on top then return to oven to throughly cook. Crescent rolls are cooked on bottom and not soggy.
Made this recipe for dinner tonight. The only thing I did differently was putting a layer of cooked rice on the bottom, and added broccoli.
Super delicious! All of my family’s favorites in one casserole. Will definately make it again, and pass the recipe on to family and friends!
Wonderful! Thanks so much for letting me know, Robyn Linn!
This sounds absolutely delicious and I know my kids will love it. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
Hi, Linda! I’m so glad that you’ll give it a try!
Perhaps you should have given that some thought before making. You knew the ingredients and the approximate salt content. No need to write a negative review, when you are the one with the sodium restrictions?
I used no sodium chicken broth and low sodium 98% fat free cream of chicken soup.
Hi this recipe sounds good. But my only question is? How do you cook the chicken and what do you put on the chicken hun.
Thanks Michelle
Hi, Michelle! You can use any cooked chicken that you prefer. I often use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, or you can boil chicken at home. No need to put anything else on it. Enjoy!
We made this for dinner and using others suggestions of baking the rolls without the sauce first, then added the cheese sauce the last 15 minutes, the rolls were perfect. We also only used one can of broth and two cans of low sodium cream of chicken. Family loved it, even the picky eaters. We served it with rice and a vegetable. Will make it again for sure! Thanks
Great, thanks Melissa! I’m glad that you all enjoyed it!
We are trying this tonight. With all the great info we are sure to love. We will let you know. Dorothy
Perfect! Hope you enjoy, Dorothy!
Can you recommend a white cheese with this in stead of yellow cheese
Sure! You could use a white cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese — whatever you personally prefer. Enjoy!
This is a very easy delicious fast week night meal. I follow the recipe. I used sharp cheddar and milk for my sauce. I added cooked peas and carrots to the sauce after the cheese had melted. I used the Hawaiian crescent rolls. Very good. I will be making this again.
Thanks, Melissa! I love the idea of adding the peas and carrots to the cheesy saucy. YUM!
Best recipe I’ve come across for an extra special casserole dish. My friend will love it as a comfort meal after day surgery and just made an ideal meal for me to prepare and serve! Thank you.
Thank you, Marlen! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it and that you can share it with a friend, too. 🙂
Let me just say I think this recipe is super delicious. However, let me also state I accidentally skipped a major step this changed it. I throughly wish these comments allowed photo additions because the bottom of my crescent rolls came out beautifully golden and crispy. My filling was too chunky and the middle rolls suffered from this as where I changed the recipe had been where the diced cooked chicken was added. I mixed it into the soup/sauce mix instead of leaving separate. Any way, like I said this recipe is perfect for a quick week day meal or even a comfort casserole for a friend in need. Just don’t mistakenly mix the diced chicken into the soup mixture. I would add a flavor addition of garlic to ramp up the savory side, if it isn’t a sensitivity within it being served to.
Thanks, Rachel!
Rachel what did you roll up in the Cresent rolls? Did you just put the Cresent tools down and then the sauce with the chicken around it? I’m sorry I’m trying to picture it. I just put mine in the oven!
I have made this dish once(just now) and followed the instructions exactly. My picky teenage daughter LOVED this dish and said, “mom you should make this more often”! I couldn’t believe it! My teenage son also like it and started throwing out ideas of what other ingredients we could put in it for next time…. Thank you so much for this recipie and it seems like we’ll all be making it again
That’s awesome, Chelsea! Thanks so much for letting me know. It’s a huge win when a recipe gets the stamp of approval from “choosy” kids! 🙂
How to reheat
Hi, Dee! Place the dish in a 325°F oven just until warmed through (about 15 minutes). Cover the dish with foil if the top starts to get too dark. You can also reheat individual roll ups in the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute.
This recipe is very similar to the green chicken enchiladas I make. I add green chilis to the chicken and cheese in the center and also in the sauce. I call it redneck enchiladas. Making it tonight for our Christmas Eve gathering. Merry Christmas.
Sounds delicious, Jamie! Merry Christmas to you, too! 🙂
Could you use any other dough other than crescent rolls like philadough?
Hi, Paula! I think you probably could, but I don’t know about the cooking time/temp if you were to use something like philo dough, pizza dough, etc. You would have to test it out and see. 🙂
I made this tonite and it was delicious! Even my picky eater liked it. I used all the ingredients as stated in the recipe except that I used ground chicken. For the cheese I used a colby/jack blend. I cooked the stuffed biscuits in a 10 x 10 corning ware dish but when they came out of the oven they looked a bit crowded so I got out a 9 X 13 baking dish. I know, an extra pan to wash. As I started to transfer the biscuits over I got the bright idea of why not put the sauce in the bottom of the pan first? That avoided having to carefully pour the sauce around the biscuits. I also steamed a bag of broccoli florets and added about 2/3 of the bag to the pan nestled in the cheese sauce. The cheese sauce thickened a bit during those extra 10 minutes and made it a bit stringy almost like pizza. For such an unassuming recipe this is really delicious. I was so pleased with it that I took a picture. I wish there were some way to include it with my review. This will definitely be a repeat! Thank you Blair.
Thank you, Jimmy! I’m so glad that it was hit! Your version sounds delicious. 🙂
Just made this with Thanksgiving leftover turkey. It was a huge hit. We used cream of mushroom soup. So yummy!!
Thank you, Alice!
Delicious! Didn’t take any time to get ingredients together! Plus I had all of them in my kitchen! Wasn’t real sure with the canned chicken, but it was delicious! My Sister and I had 2 thumbs up! Sister says keep on the list!
We’re so happy to hear this, Candice! Thank you for the feedback and trying it out.
This is really good. First time I followed the recipe. The second time I was in the mood for mexican. Subbed 1/4 cup milk with white wine, added a can of green Chile’s to the sauce and served with a dollop of sour cream. Fast, easy and delicious chicken enchiladas.
Those are great tips, Cindy. Thank you!