French Onion Chicken Casserole is made with chicken, pasta and green beans in a creamy sauce made from scratch and topped with crispy french fried onions. It’s the perfect comfort food for a busy weeknight!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Creamy and Satisfying – The sauce is super creamy with a delicious onion flavor.
- No Cream Soup – The sauce is made from scratch, made with milk, chicken broth, sour cream, and onion soup mix.
- Feeds a Crowd – Easily get 8 servings from one casserole or double it and make two pans.
Ingredients Overview
- Chicken Broth – I always opt for a low-sodium variety.
- Flour and Butter – to make the roux for the sauce.
- Milk – Any milk that you would typically use in a sauce. Nut milks are usually slightly sweet so keep that in mind as it could change the flavor of your sauce.
- Sour Cream
- Onion Soup Mix – Any brand, but I use Lipton.
- Cooked Chicken – Cook fresh, or use meat from a store-bought rotisserie.
- Green Beans – I just used canned green beans, but frozen could be thawed and added. If you want to use fresh green beans, you’ll need to at least par-boil them first.
- Pasta – I like rotini but you could also use farfalle or penne.
- Crispy Fried Onions
Make Ahead and Storage
Make Ahead: This is great for prepping ahead and baking later. Prepare the casserole a day in advance, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 20 minutes prior to baking. *Do not add the fried onions until the last several minutes of the baking time.
Freezing Unbaked: Prepare the casserole but don’t bake it. Cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely, then bake as directed. *Do not add the fried onions until the last several minutes of the baking time.
Storing Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days and reheat in the microwave or oven. To freeze leftovers, store in a freezer container for up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat as desired.
Pro Tips
- For a lighter casserole, use plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. In fact you could under-cook it slightly and it would be fine.
- If you prefer, skip the fried onions on top and use Panko breadcrumbs instead.
- Green beans could be swapped for another vegetable or omitted completely.
Chicken Casseroles to Try Next
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- 3 cups diced cooked chicken
- 2 15- ounce cans green beans drained (or 2 ½ cups fresh or frozen)
- 12 ounces uncooked rotini
- 2 cups french fried onions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Bring a pot of salted water to boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook to package directions. Drain and set aside.
-
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring chicken broth and half a cup of milk to a simmer. While the broth is coming to a simmer, whisk together flour and remaining 1 cup of milk in a small bowl until thick and smooth. Pour into the saucepan with the broth and continue whisking over low heat while it simmers. Continue to whisk until thickened; about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
-
In a large bowl, combine thickened chicken broth mixture, sour cream and onion soup mix until well mixed. Add chicken, noodles and green beans and stir to coat completely. Pour into a large baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
-
Uncover and top with the french fried onions; bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until onions are crispy and golden brown.
-
Cool for several minutes. Garnish with fresh minced parsley if desired.
You’ll want to let your French Onion Chicken Casserole sit for several minutes to cool, which is a great time to whip up a quick salad to serve on the side!
Calories: 512kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 25gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 865mgPotassium: 606mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1011IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 152mgIron: 3mg
