Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
This Chicken and Dumplings Casserole is filled with all the cozy, comforting flavors of classic chicken and dumplings in an easy, one-pan, family-friendly baked casserole perfect for busy weeknights and weekend dinners.
Our family always craves comfort food when the temperatures drop, but we don’t always have time to make it from scratch. When chicken and dumplings are requested, I make this Chicken and Dumplings Casserole. Layered with a creamy, savory filling and an easy, golden biscuit topping, this recipe is a delicious baked, casserole-style take on the classic version. It’s filled with hearty ingredients and cozy flavors for the perfect family-friendly dinner on busy weeknights or chilly weekends.
With tender shredded chicken, hearty vegetables, and a rich, creamy sauce, all topped with a fluffy shortcut biscuit-style dumpling layer, this Chicken and Dumplings Casserole bakes up golden right in the same dish. It’s warm, hearty, and packed with homemade comfort in every bite. This is comfort food at it’s finest and guaranteed to be a regular in your family’s meal rotation.
If you like this recipe, be sure to try some of our other favorite one pan hearty chicken dinners. We love this easy Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie and this flavor-packed Easy Chicken Taco Casserole, too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cozy shortcut chicken and dumplings. In this one pan casserole, you get all the cozy flavors of classic stovetop chicken and dumplings, but without the effort of constantly watching over a pot.
- No-fuss dumpling topping. The oven does the work on the fluffy dumpling topping in this recipe, so there’s no need for any rolling or dropping dough on top. This is a fuss-free version.
- Great way to use up leftover chicken. This recipe is ideal for giving rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken a new, tasty use.
- One pan with minimal clean-up. With just one baking dish, cleanup is simple and a breeze for a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- Butter: For richness, to sauté the veggies in.
- Celery & Onion: Classic aromatic ingredients for flavoring.
- Shredded Chicken: Use rotisserie or any leftover chicken you have on hand.
- Bisquick Mix: For the fluffy, no-fuss dumpling topping.
- Chicken Broth: Savory, to build the sauce. Use your favorite brand, or homemade if you have it.
- Milk: For extra richness and a note of creaminess.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Savory and richly flavored to add creamy texture to the sauce.
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder & Dried Thyme: For seasoning.
- Parsley: Use freshly chopped for a nice finishing touch and pop of color.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste.
How To Make Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and cook for about 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and tender. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
3. Pour the cooked onion, celery, and any remaining melted butter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread everything into an even layer.
4. Arrange the shredded chicken evenly over the vegetables. Rotisserie chicken works especially well for this recipe and makes the casserole quick and easy to prepare.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together the Bisquick and milk just until combined. Carefully pour the Bisquick mixture evenly over the chicken. Do not stir the layers together.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
7. Slowly pour the cream of chicken mixture evenly over the Bisquick layer. Do not stir. Keeping the layers separate allows the Bisquick mixture to bake into a soft dumpling layer while the chicken broth and soup create a creamy gravy underneath.
8. Bake the chicken and dumplings casserole uncovered for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, the edges are bubbling, and the dumpling layer is cooked through.
9. Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. The creamy chicken filling will thicken slightly as the casserole rests.
10. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired, and serve warm.
Expert Tips
- Let the sauce thicken fully on the stovetop. Allow it to thicken up nicely before pouring it into the dish, so the casserole doesn’t come out watery. Avoid a thin sauce.
- Don’t mix the layers. Once you add the bisquick layer and the cream of chicken layer, it’s essential you don’t mix or stir — this is what keeps the layers separate and helps the casserole bake up perfectly.
- Use rotisserie chicken. This shortcut is great to help cut prep time significantly on a busy weeknight. Not to mention, they’re delicious!
- Let casserole rest for a few minutes after baking. This allows the sauce to set slightly before serving. If you cut into it too soon, it’ll run everywhere.
Watch How to Make It
Variations & Substitutions
- Use refrigerated biscuit dough. Try this instead of the Bisquick or homemade dumpling batter for an even faster version.
- Add extra veggies. Stir in sliced mushrooms or diced potatoes to the filling for extra heartiness.
- Swap chicken for leftover turkey. After holiday dinners, we all have some on hand, so try this swap to make this a post-holiday leftovers recipe too.
- Top with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Do this right before serving for a pop of color and extra freshness.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350° until warmed through, or in the microwave in 30-second intervals.
Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven for the best texture.
This is a great make-ahead meal to save time on dinner prep. We recommend prepping the chicken filling in advance, but keeping the dumpling dough mixture separate — add this right before you’re ready to bake and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Rotisserie is a great shortcut to save even more time. Shred the white and dark meat, or whatever your family prefers.
Sure! Use your favorite brand from the store to cut back on prep.
This can happen if the dumpling topping is added in unevenly, or if the casserole isn’t baked long enough. Be sure to add the dumpling topping in drops or tears equal in size (but not one solid sheet), and bake until golden on top.
Easy Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 celery ribs finely chopped
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 10.5-ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh chopped parsley optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and cook for about 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and tender. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Pour the cooked onion, celery, and any remaining melted butter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread everything into an even layer.
- Arrange the shredded chicken evenly over the vegetables. Rotisserie chicken works especially well for this recipe and makes the casserole quick and easy to prepare.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the Bisquick and milk just until combined. Carefully pour the Bisquick mixture evenly over the chicken. Do not stir the layers together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Slowly pour the cream of chicken mixture evenly over the Bisquick layer. Do not stir. Keeping the layers separate allows the Bisquick mixture to bake into a soft dumpling layer while the chicken broth and soup create a creamy gravy underneath.
- Bake the chicken and dumplings casserole uncovered for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, the edges are bubbling, and the dumpling layer is cooked through.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. The creamy chicken filling will thicken slightly as the casserole rests.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350° until warmed through, or in the microwave in 30-second intervals.
- Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven for the best texture.
- This is a great make-ahead meal to save time on dinner prep. We recommend prepping the chicken filling in advance, but keeping the dumpling dough mixture separate — add this right before you’re ready to bake and serve.
- Rotisserie chicken is an easy shortcut. Remove the skin and shred or chop the meat before adding it to the casserole. Leftover cooked chicken also works well.
- Don’t stir the layers. This is the most important part of making this chicken and dumplings casserole. Layer the vegetables, chicken, Bisquick mixture, and creamy broth mixture in order and let the oven do the rest.
- Don’t overmix the Bisquick. Stir the baking mix and milk just until combined for soft, tender dumplings.
- If the top begins browning too quickly before the center is cooked, loosely cover the casserole with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warmed through, or cover the baking dish with foil and reheat in a 325°F oven. The dumpling layer will absorb some of the gravy as it sits, so leftovers may be thicker than the freshly baked casserole.
