Huntington Chicken Casserole

Chicken casserole in the baking dish being spooned out to serve.

5 from 3 votes

Huntington chicken is a delicious combination of pasta and chicken in a cheesy sauce topped with breadcrumbs then baked to perfection.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: casserole, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 610kcal

Author: Dawn

Equipment

13x9 baking dish

Ingredients

2-3 Tablespoons oil we use olive oil
1½ pounds chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
4 cups chicken broth see notes
2 cups elbows or small shells uncooked
1 cup breadcrumbs We use Italian seasoned
2 cups fresh shredded cheese cheddar, gouda or Colby Jack
1 cup milk or half and half
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt see notes
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
Bring the broth and salt (if adding) to a gentle boil. Stir in the pasta and cook over medium - medium high heat until al dente. Cook the chicken and sauce while broth is heating and pasta cooks. Once pasta is cooked, set aside and do not drain (any extra broth goes in the casserole.)
4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups elbows or small shells, ½ teaspoon salt
Add the oil and chicken pieces to a 3 quart sauce pot. Cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes stirring often. Cook until chicken is cooked and no longer pink.
Remove chicken and set aside, do not drain the pot.
2-3 Tablespoons oil, 1½ pounds chicken breasts
Add the butter and flour to the sauce pot the chicken was cooked in. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes, until it is completely combined and thickened.
2 Tablespoons butter, 2 Tablespoons flour
Slowly pour the milk in while stirring constantly. Once all the milk is added and it is blended together with no large lumps, cook for about 2 minutes stirring often until it is thickened. Do NOT boil the milk mixture. Cook over medium heat.
1 cup milk
Mix in the pepper and garlic powder.
Add in the cheese a handful at a time, mixing it well each time you add it. Once the cheese is all mixed in and melted, remove from heat.
¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 cups fresh shredded cheese
Stir the pasta along with any extra broth into the cheese sauce. Mix the chicken in and stir well.
Taste it to see if you want anymore seasoning.
Pour into a 13x9 baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
1 cup breadcrumbs
Bake at 400° for about 25 minutes. The breadcrumbs will be starting to brown and the sides will be bubbling.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Nutritional values and serving sizes are estimated.

For the broth and salt - We usually use unsalted in our food here and add salt. If you are using regular broth, you may want to reduce the amount of salt. You can taste it once you mix everything together before pouring it into a casserole dish to see if it needs more seasoning.

For the pasta - Small shells or elbows are best for cooking in the broth. You can use any small pasta, but I wouldn't use a large pasta because you may need to adjust the amount of broth used. You can use egg noodles if you choose, they cook fast enough to work with 4 cups.

For the cheese - You can use your favorite cheese as long as it is fresh shredded and a smooth melting cheese. We prefer to use a mix of cheddar and gouda or Colby Jack.

For cooking the chicken, the sauce and the pasta - I try to time it so the sauce and the pasta is done close to the same time, it doesn't have to be exact. I turn the stove on to start to heat the broth to the gentle boil at the same time I cook the chicken. Then make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.

Nutrition