Pantry
$1.67per plate
Prep
15 min
Pantry · Canned Chicken
Canned Chicken Casserole
This is the casserole to make on a night you have nothing thawed. Two cans of chicken come straight off the shelf, already cooked, and go into a creamy rice bake with a from-scratch milk sauce and a handful of cheese. There is no chicken to poach, no meat to brown, and nothing to thaw. You drain the cans, stir everything together, and let the oven do the work. One eight-inch dish feeds four for a little under two dollars a plate, and it leans entirely on things that keep for months in the cupboard and freezer. It is the first hot, baked dish among our canned chicken recipes, one of the cheapest casseroles on the site, and every plate lands under $2.
$1.88per plate
Estimated recipe total
$7.53 · serves 4
Cook
30 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/canned-chicken-casserole
Equipment
- 8-inch square baking dish
- Saucepan
Variations
- Use egg noodles or pasta instead of rice.
- Use a can of cream of chicken soup instead of the butter, flour, milk, and broth sauce.
- Use frozen broccoli or peas instead of the mixed vegetables.
- Use panko or crushed cornflakes instead of butter crackers for the topping.
1 How to make it
1
Heat the oven and set out the rice
Heat the oven to 375 F and butter an 8-inch square baking dish. If you do not have cooked rice ready, start about 2/3 cup of dry white rice now, or use 2 cups of leftover rice straight from the fridge.
2
Drain the chicken well
Open both cans and drain them thoroughly, pressing out the liquid with the lid so the finished casserole is creamy and not watery. Flake the chicken into a large bowl. There is no cooking here; canned chicken is already fully cooked.
3
Make the creamy sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and soften the diced onion for a few minutes. Whisk in the flour, then slowly pour in the milk and broth, whisking until it thickens into a smooth sauce, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in about three-quarters of the cheese and the garlic powder, salt, and pepper until melted. This milk sauce stands in for a can of cream soup for less money and less salt.
4
Fold everything together
Add the cooked rice, drained chicken, and frozen vegetables to the bowl and pour the sauce over. Stir until every bit is coated. The vegetables can go in still frozen; they thaw in the oven.
5
Top and bake
Spread the mixture into the dish, scatter the crushed crackers and the last of the cheese over the top, and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until hot through and bubbling at the edges with a golden top. Everything started out cooked, so you are baking until creamy and browned, not to cook raw meat.
6
Rest and serve
Let the casserole sit 5 minutes so the sauce settles and scoops cleanly. Serve on its own or with a simple green salad on the side.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Egg noodles or pasta for the rice. Two cups of any cooked starch works in place of the rice. Use up whatever is already open in the cupboard.
- A can of cream of chicken soup for the milk sauce. One can replaces the butter, flour, milk, and broth if you keep it on hand. The homemade sauce is cheaper and lower in salt, but the can is faster.
- Frozen broccoli or peas for the mixed vegetables. Any single frozen vegetable stands in for the medley. Chop broccoli small so it heats through in the bake time.
- Panko or crushed cornflakes for the cracker topping. Either gives the same golden crunch. Toss it with a teaspoon of melted butter first if you want it extra crisp.
3 Budget tips
- Canned chicken is fully cooked and shelf-stable, so this comes together with no thawing and no raw meat to handle, and the cans keep for months so it is always an option.
- Make the sauce from butter, flour, and milk instead of a can of cream soup. It costs less and you decide how much salt goes in.
- Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. It melts smoother into the sauce and costs less per cup than the pre-shredded bags.
- Stretch it to five or six servings with an extra half cup of rice or vegetables; the two cans of chicken carry more than enough protein to share around.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Like most casseroles, the flavor settles overnight and it reheats well.
Freezer
Freeze it baked and fully cooled, whole or in portions, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The creamy rice can soften a little but holds up well.
Reheating
Reheat covered in a 325 F oven until hot all the way through, about 165 F, or microwave a portion with a splash of milk stirred in so the rice and sauce stay creamy.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
595
Protein
30g
Fat
24g
Carbs
42g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
Do I need to cook the chicken first?
No. Canned chicken is fully cooked, so you just drain it and stir it in. That is the whole point of this casserole: no poaching, no browning, and nothing to thaw.
How much canned chicken do I need?
Two standard 12.5-ounce cans, drained. That 12.5 ounces is the weight of the can before you pour off the liquid; drained, each can gives you roughly a cup of flaked chicken.
Why did my casserole turn out watery, and how do I avoid it?
The usual causes are undrained chicken or icy vegetables. Press the liquid out of the cans and shake the frost off the vegetables, and the milk-and-flour sauce will stay creamy instead of soupy.
How is $1.88 a plate figured?
About $7.53 for the whole 8-inch casserole, four servings, so roughly $1.88 each. The two cans of chicken drive most of the cost, so buy them when they are on sale.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 9x13 baking dish. A 9x13 dish is the standard size for casseroles and baked pasta, so one dish feeds the whole table. Best for casseroles, baked pasta, stuffed peppers, and baked oatmeal.
- Mixing bowls set. A set of nesting bowls handles prep, mixing, and marinades without dirtying every dish in the house. Best for mixing meatball and patty mixtures, tossing ingredients, and holding prepped components.
- Measuring cups and spoons set. A basic set of measuring cups and spoons keeps amounts consistent, which keeps budget recipes reliable. Best for rice, liquids, and any recipe where the ratio matters.
- Instant-read meat thermometer. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness, so lean or cheap cuts stay juicy instead of overcooking. Best for chicken, pork, and meatloaf, where a few degrees decides juicy or dry.
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