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An oval white baking dish filled with a cheesy, golden-brown Chicken and Cheese casserole sits on a green, white, and gray striped cloth, atop a dark wooden surface.
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Chicken and Cheese Casserole

a hearty bechamel based baked dish loaded with tons of flavour!
Course Main Course
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Author Sarah Mir

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp butter (or 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil)
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 3 +1 cup milk (whole preferred, 2% works)
  • ½ cup minced onions
  • 2-4 minced green chilies
  • 1 - 1 ½ cup cut up boiled potato (1 cm pieces)
  • ¾-1 cup sweet corn
  • 1-1 ½ cup shredded chicken or chicken pieces
  • 1 cup chicken stock or half a boullion cube diluted in one cup water
  • pinch of grated nutmeg (optional)
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • salt
  • 2 ½ cups shredded cheese - cheddar or monterey jack

Instructions

  • Lightly grease a 10 cup dish and set it aside
  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F
  • Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven on medium heat.
  • Sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly until it starts looking a little darker and has an almost nutty aroma - 2 minutes
  • Gradually add the three cups of milk, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps
  • The sauce will start to thicken and bubble (stir frequently so it doesn't burn)
  • Add in the onions, green chillies, nutmeg, pepper, and stock.
  • Mix well and cook to thicken - another 3-5 minutes
  • Fold in your chicken, potatoes and corn and take it off the heat
  • Stir in 1.5 cup of the cheese and then if your sauce is too thick looking add a little of the reserved milk until you get the right consistency. It should be thick enough to easily scoop up with a piece of bread.
  • SEASON! Because salt varies with stock and cheese wait till the end to season the dish. You want the dish to be a smidge more salty because the potatoes will suck up a little of the salt.
  • Pour into your pan, scatter over the remaining cup of cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes, can broil for another 2 to get crispier cheese.

Notes

Make ahead tip: If you're making this ahead of time then bake it 375 degrees uncovered for 25-30 minutes to ensure it gets heated the whole way through. 
A note on the ingredient ranges: for a chunkier casserole use the larger amounts and for a lighter one dial it back a little.
for the chicken you can boil half a chicken breast and shred it, use leftover rotisserie chicken, etc
1 ½ cups of sliced potatoes is about 2 4-5 inch potatoes. I prefer to use yellow fleshed potatoes if you have them handy.