13 chicken casserole hacks (2024)

Chicken casserole is a perennial favourite for Good Housekeeping readers, with everyone wanting to know how to make that perfect comfort food dish. As well as recipes, we've rounded up some brilliant chicken casserole hacks from our Cookery Team - so go forth and get cooking!

1. Use your leftovers
Leftover red or white wine, gravy from your Sunday roast or vegetables past their best can all be put to good use in a chicken casserole. When adding wine, pour it in before the stock and allow to bubble and reduce for a few minutes before adding the stock.

2. Turn up the heat
When you add the flour to your chicken casserole, add a pinch of mustard powder, cayenne or chilli powder for an extra kick.

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3. Cheese please!
Stir grated cheese through your casserole when it's finished cooking for a delicious flavour. If you have any leftover cheese rinds, you can add these when you add the stock for flavour, but make sure you remove them before serving!

4. Veg out
Play around with the vegetables you add in; root vegetables such as swede, sweet potato and carrots work best as they can withstand long cooking times. Or try adding mushrooms or leeks when frying off the onions to make a classic chicken and mushroom or chicken and leek casserole.

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5. Put a lid on it
Make a delicious pie by putting the leftovers of a boneless chicken casserole into a pie dish and covering it with puff pastry. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6, and bake for about 30-35min or until the pastry is puffed and golden, and the chicken piping hot.

6. Keep it crispy
Sprinkle breadcrumbs and Parmesan over the casserole for the last 15 minutes of oven cooking for a crispy topping. Alternatively, if your casserole is cooking on the hob, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and Parmesan once it's cooked, then put it under the grill until the topping is crispy.

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7. Spice it up

Add fresh chilli and coriander to a simple casserole to spice it up.

8. Be herb-savvy
Always add hardy, fresh herbs such as bay leaves and rosemary at the beginning of cooking, and throw in lighter herbs, such as parsley and tarragon, at the end so they keep their flavour. Try different herbs for added flavour: sage or lemon thyme work wonderfully well.

9. Mix your meats
For a meatier casserole, add chopped sausage or pancetta when cooking the chicken.

10. Mustard magic
Stir wholegrain mustard through the casserole at the end of cooking (to taste); this is especially good if you have sausage in the casserole.

11. Give it a Spanish feel
Add a sprinkle of paprika, garlic and some slices of chorizo to get that flamenco feeling into your dish.

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12. Cook it with carbs
Pop some new potatoes into your chicken casserole while it’s cooking to turn it into a complete meal in a pot.

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13. Chill out
Freeze individual portions of chicken casserole and you've created an easy, comforting dinner for evenings when you don't have the time or inclination to cook from scratch.

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