Chicken-And-Biscuit Casserole

Hearty, homey chicken-and-biscuit casserole features a creamy filling studded with sweet and tender vegetables and topped with crunchy, buttery biscuits. What's not to love? The cheesy drop biscuits get a delightful crunch on top to contrast the velvety filling. And don't worry—these biscuits are very forgiving. Save all your kneading and folding skills for weekend mornings; these biscuits couldn't be easier.

If you want to make this dish quicker, you could use canned biscuits or even frozen Cheddar biscuits, but if you have the time, homemade is the way.

Learn how to make chicken-and-biscuit casserole for your next dinner. Plus, get ideas for sides for this special dish.

Tips for the Best Chicken-and-Biscuit Casserole

You'll tag this dish as a favorite in no time, if not for its flavor and easy preparation but because it's happens to be very forgiving and accepting of ingredient swaps. Our Test Kitchen developed this with pantry and fridge cooking in mind so that you can use what you have on hand to make this when you're in a hurry.

They offer these tips for making it even better, too:

• Add biscuits to hot filling: You want the casserole filling to be hot when you place the biscuits on top; this helps them cook all the way through instead of remaining raw on the bottom.
• Don't work the biscuits too much. The grated butter really helps make the biscuits flaky, so you want to make sure to not overwork the dough, melting the butter and making the biscuits tough. You can keep bags of grated butter in the freezer to cut down on prep time, or to use when making a pie crust.
• Add a layer of protection: Make sure to bake with a baking sheet underneath (preferably lined with aluminum foil, too). The casserole will drip lots of butter over the sides and could smoke out your kitchen when you open the oven. (We learned that the hard way.)
  

Ingredients for Chicken-and-Biscuit Casserole

The full ingredient list for chicken-and-biscuit casserole with complete measurements is further below, but here are a few highlights and suggestions:

• Vegetables: We like the classic combination of yellow onions, carrots, celery, and frozen peas, but you could add other favorites, like corn and even frozen broccoli. If you use larger vegetables like broccoli, make sure to thaw them before adding to the filling.
• Chicken: To make this casserole extra easy, we call on that weeknight wonder, rotisserie chicken, to speed things up. But we have a few other options outlined for you below if you don't want to use a rotisserie chicken.
• Herbs and spices: We call upon garlic powder, dried thyme, and dried rosemary for warm and inviting flavors in this dish, but feel free to get creative with your own preferences. Fresh chives finishes the dish for a bit of brightness.

• Butter: When you know you plan to make this dish, put a stick of butter in the freezer. Frozen butter makes the drop biscuits more tender.
• Cheeses: For the drop biscuits, we use two different types of cheese. Gruyère and Cheddar both lend incredible flavor and cheesy texture.
• Buttermilk: This essential Southern ingredient adds a slight hint of tang to the biscuit batter, and it helps make the final bread tender and flaky.

How To Make Chicken-and-Biscuit Casserole

The full recipe for chicken-and-biscuit casserole, with step-by-step instructions and photos, is below, but here's a brief recap of this recipe before you get started.

• Prepare the filling: Cook to tender onions, carrots, and celery in melted butter. Add seasonings and spices, Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened, before adding the chicken, frozen peas, and salt and pepper.
• Bake casserole filing: Pour the chicken mixture into a greased baking dish, then cover the dish with aluminum foil. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through.
• Make biscuits: The steps for a drop biscuit are a bit different than folded biscuit, so be sure to follow the directions closely for the right texture. Mix the dry ingredients, and grate the frozen butter into a bowl. If at any point you have to walk away from the biscuits, put the butter into the freezer so it won't melt and make your biscuits dense. Toss butter, flour mixture, and cheeses. Then stir in buttermilk and chives to form a shaggy dough.
• Add biscuits to casserole: Use a cookie scoop or measuring cup to scoop up 1/4-cup biscuits. Place them on top of the casserole, evenly spaced.
• Finish baking: Return the casserole with biscuit topping to the oven, and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the biscuits are browning.
• Add chives: Let the casserole rest before serving. Add fresh chives before making the first scoop.

Can This Casserole Be Made in Advance?

Chicken-and-biscuit casserole can be partially made in advance. You can complete the recipe through Step 5, adding the filling to the casserole dish. But instead of covering it to move to the oven and bake, cover it and move it to the fridge to keep until you're ready to finish the recipe.

Before you plan to serve this dish, let the casserole filling come to room temperature, and then heat it until warm throughout, as instructed in Step 6. This will take a little longer than the original 10 minutes, but it's important the filling be hot when you add the biscuit dough, or the bottoms may be soggy and underdone.

Make the biscuit dough, and once the casserole is warm, scoop the dough onto the casserole as originally outlined in the recipe. Then finish baking.

Substitutions and Variations

One of the best things about this casserole is how flexible it can be, and we've outlined a few ways you can change things up without affecting the final outcome:

• Swap cheeses: Use all Cheddar in the biscuits, or mix in a semi-hard cheese favorite like Colby Jack and Parmesan. Soft cheeses, such as mozzarella or goat cheese, won't work here.
• Try different seasonings: Use different herbs, such as thyme and rosemary, in the biscuits. If using fresh herbs, use twice as much as called for dried.
• Take a shortcut: If you don’t want to cut your own vegetables, a frozen vegetable medley would be OK in a pinch.
• Use pre-made biscuits: If you want to make this dish quicker, you could use canned biscuits or even frozen ones. Adjust the cooking time for the frozen biscuits.

How To Store Leftovers

Wrap the baking dish with aluminum foil if you have leftover chicken-and-biscuit casserole, and store it in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.

If you want to make these leftovers last even longer, spoon the casserole into an airtight, freezer-safe dish, and freeze the casserole for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat in the microwave or oven. The oven is the best choice if you want to crisp up the biscuits once again.

What To Serve With Chicken-and-Biscuit Casserole

Chicken-and-biscuit casserole is a one-dish meal. With vegetables, meat, and a fluffy bread, everything you'd normally want is in one baking dish. But if you want to round out the meal a bit more, we wouldn't mind serving this with roasted broccoli or a chopped kale salad.

More Comforting Casseroles

If you're looking for a family-friendly casserole, you've come to the right place. Try one of these next:

• Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole
• Cornbread Casserole
• Chicken Parmesan Casserole
• Italian Casserole
• Meatloaf Casserole
  
• Doritos Casserole