Crispy Leftover Chicken and Shells

4.81 from 89 votes

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Leftover chicken recipes are pretty popular in our home because we eat a lot of chicken recipes. This is the number one favorite of our boys. 

You can make this delicious casserole for about $1 per serving, and it will taste great the next day, too!

Bowl of baked pasta shells with chicken casserole in the background.

🍲 What is this?

We make a lot of leftovers recipes and this one shows you how to use leftover chicken for another meal. It’s not only good tasting and fast, but it’s also darn affordable.

You can make this easy casserole for about $5.00 and well under $1.00 per serving. As my dad used to ask, “How do you like those apples?!”

It doesn’t matter if the original poultry was fried, roasted, barbecued, or even from the rotisserie.

This is the best way to use leftover chicken! Any kind – even our smoked whole chicken! It’s also a good way to use cooked diced chicken.

A bowl of pasta garnished with parsley.
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You probably won’t find this leftover chicken recipe at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Lucky for us, our boys are O.K. with that.

🥘 Ingredients and Notes

Other than the meat, this easy family meal has just a few ingredients. Because it is a casserole, you can use your imagination pretty freely. If you want to add a bag of mixed vegetables to this, your kids won’t even know the difference!

For the Pasta – Shells work great for this leftover chicken recipe, but you can also use the tubular rigatoni like what we use in our best mac and cheese.

Cream Soup – You can also use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup in this recipe.

For the Cheese – Use whatever you have on hand. Parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella all work for this casserole.

For the Milk – 2% or whole milk works best for this casserole. Anything less takes away from the creaminess of it.

A pan of baked pasta.

🔪 How to make it

The steps to making this leftover chicken recipe are short and sweet. Another bonus to using good leftovers.

Other than the ingredients, all you need is a 9 x 13-inch casserole pan, a mixing bowl, wooden spoon, and some measuring cups.

Stirring leftover chicken and other ingredients in a mixing bowl.

1. Cook and drain the pasta shells as directed. Then combine all the ingredients with the meat in a large mixing bowl.

2. Stir it all together.

Side by sider comparision of an unbaked leftover chicken casserole and one that is baked.

3. Transfer the ingredients to a greased 9 x 13 casserole pan.

4. Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes.

For a saucier and creamier dish, add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of milk to the pan before it goes into the oven.

A fork full of pasta and chicken casserole.

Our whole family loves this leftover chicken recipe. Because it is a recycled meal, we are getting a twofer. Of course, this makes it even better!

 

Variations and substitutions

Bowl of ftover chicken casserole.
  • Use whatever kind of leftover poultry that you have on hand.
  • Use your favorite cheese in this leftover chicken recipe, or whatever you have on hand.
    • Mozzarella cheese works great for a mild and light flavor.
    • Cheddar cheese will add a little more savory flavor to this leftover casserole.
    • Parmesan cheese will give it a bit of an Italian flare.
  • To make it extra creamy, substitute the milk for heavy cream or half and half.

Common questions

How do you store leftover chicken?

Make sure it is cooled and then sealed and wrapped in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Never allow poultry to sit at room temperature for over 2 hours.

How long is leftover chicken good for?

It should be tossed out after 3 or 4 days in the fridge. If it starts to smell or look funky, throw it out. To reheat this, follow the same directions for when reheating alfredo sauce.

Can I freeze this casserole?

You can freeze this leftover chicken recipe for up to 6 months. Use plastic wrap to seal it before placing it in the freezer Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight, the day before you bake it.

What to serve with it

This is a meal all by itself, but if you want to add a side dish or two, consider some of the following easy side dishes:

More leftover chicken recipes

Be sure and see our entire collection of easy dinner recipes.

If you’re a fan of leftovers, be sure and read how to reheat enchiladas; they can taste even better the next day! Speaking of leftover and enchiladas, you’ll want to check out our leftover steak recipe for enchiladas!

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Crispy Leftover Chicken and Shells Casserole

4.81 from 89 votes
If you have ever wondered what to do with leftover chicken, this easy and fast kid-friendly recipe is a Godsend!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients 

  • 16 oz. chicken, coarsely cubed
  • 16 oz. pasta shells
  • 8 oz. shredded cheese
  • 1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F°
  • Grease a 9 x 13 casserole pan.
  • Prepare pasta as directed, drain.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cube leftover poultry. Add grated cheese, soup, milk, breadcrumbs and pasta.
  • Stir mixture thoroughly then evenly distribute in prepared casserole dish.
  • Bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Video

Notes

You can add fresh or dry herbs to this leftover chicken recipe, depending on your preferences.
  • Basil
  • Oregano/Italian seasoning
  • Thyme
Remember, oven temperatures may vary. The casserole is done when it is brown and bubbly.
Use cream or half and half instead of milk, for a creamier casserole.

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 260mg, Potassium: 302mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 320IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 202mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree
Cuisine: Comfort food
Tried this recipe?Mention @plattertalk or tag #plattertalk!
This recipe has been updated from the original post of March 3, 2016.

Meet the Platter Talk Guys

Dan & Scott split their time between Wisconsin and Southwest Florida and are dads to six boys. Good food runs through their veins, and they love showing others how to cook easy recipes.

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57 Comments

  1. Can I substitute leftover mac & cheese for the shells and cheese? About how much should I use. I’ve never cooked pasta shells so not sure how much the package actually makes in terms of cups for using in the casserole. I will be using leftover chicken tenders or nuggets as well.

    1. Hi. Yes, that sounds like a delicious idea! The amount of pasta will depend on how much Mac and cheese you are using. Good luck; it sounds delicious!

  2. 5 stars
    aMAZing! I added a little pepper on top since I forgot the spices that were suggested but even without this dish was Great!
    Definitely will be making it again.

    1. Loved it! So easy, I added some left over broccoli & chopped up half of sweet red pepper. It was a great and easy brunch meal, thanks for the recipe

  3. 5 stars
    Just tried this tonight, it was delicious!
    Served it with multi greens salad with cranberries and vinaigrette dressing!
    Hubby took seconds and thirds!
    Thanks Dan❣️🤗

    1. Starr! So nice to hear from you. Give my best to Dale, and enjoy the warm weather down in Sarasota! xo -Dan

  4. 5 stars
    My husband us not s big casserole person. He told me, “you did good”. I added a little garlic powder and I had a some frozen peas I needed to use up. I will definitely make this again.

  5. 4 stars
    I made this but adjusted a little to use what I had. I didn’t have much chicken left so I sauted up a little chopped onion and garlic with bacon. I added a handful of chopped up baby spinach and mixed it just enough with the cooked bacon to wilt it.
    I mixed a can of cream of chicken soup and whole milk, then added grated swiss cheese, and then added the meat/spinach mixture, and the mini penne (which is what I had) Poured into a casserole. Topped with some crushed butter crackers that I mixed with a little melted butter. Delicious

    1. Hi Janet. You can make this and freeze it for up to 3 months. Otherwise, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (wrapped and sealed.)