Chicken Cornbread Casserole

This chicken cornbread casserole is an easy dinner recipe combining juicy chicken, tender onions, and plenty of cheese baked beneath fluffy cornbread. This creamy casserole is make-ahead friendly and perfect for weeknights!

Love easy casserole recipes? You might also like this creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole and my broccoli cheese casserole.

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Why You’ll Love This Chicken Cornbread Casserole

My mom could turn just about any combination of ingredients into a casserole. And since the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I’m sharing one of my all-time favorites: chicken cornbread casserole. Made with a creamy chicken filling baked beneath a savory cornbread topping, this casserole is the best! Here’s why:

• Creamy and comforting. The creamy, cheesy filling is brimming with tender chicken pieces, sweet onions, and strings of melty cheddar. Topped with a fluffy layer of cornbread, this recipe is family-friendly comfort food at its finest.
• One bowl. Mix the casserole filling and topping using the same bowl. Then simply assemble your casserole in a baking dish. Clean-up is quick and easy!
• Perfect for weeknights. Among family favorites like Chicken Divan and corn casserole, this chicken cornbread casserole is a standout on weeknights. It’s easy to prepare with a few time-saving shortcuts, and it’s a hit with the kids.
• Make-ahead. I love doubling up the recipe to make two casseroles, one to cook right away and one to freeze for later. This cornbread casserole is even great to leave in a warm oven under foil on busy weeknights, letting everyone make a plate between sports practices.

Casserole Ingredients

These are the EASY fridge and pantry ingredients you’ll need to make this chicken cornbread casserole. Scroll down to the recipe card below the post for a printable ingredients list.

• Onion and Garlic – Diced yellow onion and freshly minced garlic for some nice aromatics.
• Chicken – With all the chicken casseroles happening around here, I always have a batch of shredded chicken in the fridge or freezer. You can use any pre-cooked shredded or cubed chicken, even a rotisserie chicken from the store works great. 
• Chicken Bouillon – My favorite is the ‘Better Than Bouillon’ chicken base, but you can use bouillon cubes if that’s what you have in the pantry.
• Sour Cream and Milk – These ingredients form the base for the cream sauce. You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt. Use heavy cream in place of milk if you prefer a richer filling.
• Cheddar Cheese – Freshly grated cheddar cheese, or another melty cheese, like Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Gruyere all work great in this recipe. Or, feel free to combine two or more of your favorites.
• Cornbread Mix – Choose your favorite boxed cornbread mix from the store.
• Butter and Egg – To bind the cornbread ingredients. Melt the butter in the microwave before you start.
• Creamed Corn – Canned cream corn works great here.
• Green Onions – Optional, for garnish. You can also use another fresh herb, like chives, cilantro, or parsley.

How to Make Chicken Cornbread Casserole

Below are the simple steps to have this cheesy casserole on the table in under an hour. You’ll find the printable recipe directions in the recipe card after the post.

• Steam the onions. First, you’re going to want to steam the onions and garlic until softened. This is quick to do in the microwave under plastic wrap (see below). 
• Combine the ingredients. Next, combine the chicken with bouillon, sour cream, and milk. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the steamed onions and garlic. Lastly, mix in the shredded cheese.
• Fill the baking dish. Now, you’ll spread the chicken filling into the bottom of a greased casserole dish. 
• Add the cornbread topping. Combine the cornbread mix, melted butter, creamed corn, and egg (you can use the same bowl that you used to mix the filling). Spread the cornbread mixture over top of the chicken filling.
• Bake. Pop your chicken casserole into the oven at 400ºF for 35-40 minutes, until the cornbread is set in the center. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions, and serve!

How to Steam Onions In the Microwave

My favorite method for quickly steaming onions (and garlic) is the microwave. Pre-cooking the onions softens them and removes some of the raw oniony taste before they get mixed into the casserole. The microwave is faster than sautéeing, and plastic wrap makes steaming very easy. Here’s how to do it:

• Prep. Place your diced onions and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. 
• Cover. Cover the bowl with Reynolds Kitchen Quick Cut Plastic Wrap (theirs is BPA-free, which I love). Remember to poke a small hole in the top for the steam to escape. 
• Steam. Microwave on High for 1 minute*. That’s it!

*Please note: Reynolds Kitchens recommends not to microwave the Plastic Wrap for any longer than 3 minutes.

Tips and Variation Ideas

These are my final tips and tricks for making the best chicken cornbread casserole, plus some easy variations that you can try:

• Use a rotisserie chicken. If you’re in a hurry, pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store to shred or cut into cubes. This chicken cornbread casserole is also an easy way to use up any leftover cooked chicken that you have on hand.
• Use a box of cornbread mix. Along with using rotisserie chicken, using cornbread mix for the topping is a great way to cut down on time. I’m all about a good shortcut on a weeknight!
• Use another sized baking dish. I make this recipe in a 2-quart baking dish (as pictured). You can also make this in a 9×13” casserole dish. The baking times will vary a bit depending on the size pan that you use.
• Add more veggies. Carrots, celery, bell peppers, or even spicy jalapeño peppers taste great in this casserole. You can microwave any veggies using the easy steam method with plastic wrap, see above.
• Replace the chicken. In place of shredded chicken, make this casserole with turkey, diced ham, or ground meat.
• Homemade cornbread. Instead of a boxed mix, if you have the time, whip up the batter for your favorite homemade cornbread to use for the casserole topping.

What to Serve With Chicken Cornbread Casserole

Chicken cornbread casserole is a meal on its own with a side of 7UP biscuits for soaking up any leftover cream sauce. And if you’d like to round out a weeknight dinner, this casserole also pairs deliciously with more easy sides, from air fryer asparagus to roasted carrots. We also love a starter of chips and crackers with cowboy caviar or feta dip, or a simple green salad drizzled with homemade ranch dressing. 

Can I Make This Casserole Ahead of Time?

Absolutely. You can prepare the filling and cornbread topping and assemble this casserole the day before. Cover and refrigerate the casserole dish until you’re ready to bake it. The following day, follow the baking directions, adding an extra 15 minutes or so to the baking time if your casserole is cold from the fridge.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refriegerate. Store any leftover chicken cornbread casserole airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat. Warm the casserole in the oven under foil until it’s hot throughout. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
• Freeze. This cornbread casserole freezes well. Once the casserole is cooled and stored airtight, freeze it for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.

More Casserole Recipes

• Chicken Hashbrown Casserole
• Chicken Noodle Casserole
• Easy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
• Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

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