Dump-and-Bake Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole

5 from 2 votes

Dump-and-Bake Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole

Chicken plus mac and cheese -- together in one dish -- with absolutely ZERO prep work! Just stir together the raw ingredients and let the oven do the rest for this creamy, easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword baked mac and cheese, easy macaroni and cheese recipe, mac and cheese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Chilling Time 6

Total Time 4 10

Servings servings

Calories 346.8kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 cup milk (I use 2%)
1 cup chicken broth
2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni pasta
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced or 2 cups diced or shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup finely-diced onion (I use frozen chopped onion as a shortcut)
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained

Instructions

Grease a large 9 x 13-inch dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In the prepared dish, whisk together the milk, broth, and condensed soups.
Stir in the uncooked pasta, cheese, chicken, onion, and pimentos. Make sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the dish.
If time allows, cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (or up to 24 hours). See the note below if you don't have time to refrigerate in advance!
When you’re ready to bake the casserole: pull the dish out of the refrigerator and allow it to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove cover. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour (or until the pasta is tender and the chicken is cooked through).

Notes

COOK'S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS:

Grate your own cheddar by hand. I find that the store-bought packages of pre-shredded cheese don't melt as smoothly as the blocks that you grate at home.
If you don't have time to refrigerate the pasta in advance, it's ok! The casserole will still work if you bake it right away. The refrigeration time just allows the pasta to soften a bit before it goes in the oven, so you may need to bake the mac and cheese a bit longer if it hasn't had a chance to sit first.
Substitute diced ham for the chicken! If you want to use ground beef in lieu of the chicken, make sure that you cook the ground beef in a skillet before adding it to your casserole.
Prep ahead! This recipe has the added benefit of being a make-ahead option. You can stir it together on Sunday evening and just bake it when you walk in the door on Monday night! Or, prepare it in the morning while your little one's at preschool, and then pop it in the oven when the stressful 5 o'clock hour strikes. We've all been there, right?!
Cooking Just for Two? Cut the ingredients in half and prepare a smaller casserole in an 8-inch square pan.

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