Easy Chicken and Vegetable Casserole – A Gluten-Free, Comforting Dinner
This easy chicken and vegetable casserole is a hearty, gluten-free dinner packed with protein, veggies, and a creamy, cheesy texture. A perfect make-ahead meal for busy nights!
Craving a warm, comforting dinner that's both easy and gluten-free? This chicken and vegetable casserole is a lifesaver for busy weeknights. Packed with protein, veggies, and a creamy, cheesy goodness, it's a dish the whole family will love. Plus, it's perfect for making ahead, so you can enjoy a stress-free meal. This recipe came about when I was trying to get dinner on the table, and wasn't thinking about sharing it, but my husband loved it so much, I had to recreate it, and share it with you!
Lately, my kitchen experiments have been a little hit or miss, but this chicken and vegetable casserole was a clear winner! It’s hearty, comforting, and packed with protein and veggies. Plus, it’s an easy make-ahead meal—perfect for busy nights!
It’s been a minute since I shared a recipe! Like I mentioned, my kitchen experiments haven't been going as smoothly as my crafts have been lately, but this chicken and vegetable casserole was declared yummy in the husband book.
This easy chicken and vegetable casserole is packed with protein, veggies, and a creamy, cheesy texture. This version is gluten-free and can be prepped ahead of time. Plus, you can swap ingredients to fit your preferences! This recipe is also a great time-saver—I like to cook a big batch of chicken ahead of time and use it throughout the week. That way, dinner comes together in a snap!
I made this recipe a few weeks ago, didn't take photos, didn't write down the ingredients, I just wasn't thinking of sharing at the time. I was more worried about getting dinner on the table, until my husband finished dinner, and said that was delicious. Then I thought oh, I should have written it all down and taken photos. Darn it. It doesn't pay to hustle through dinner I guess.
So, then I went back and thought about the ingredients for this chicken and vegetable casserole, and decided to give it another try, and see if I had the same results as I did the first time around. Well, it has his stamp of approval, so here we are sharing another recipe with y'all.
Chicken and Vegetable Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 box Chickpea pasta, cooked per box instructions (or your preferred pasta)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 (10 oz) bag frozen vegetables
- 10 mushrooms, sliced
- 3 chicken thighs, cooked and cut into chunks
- 2 cans gluten-free cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice, divided
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free bread crumbs or crushed crackers
- 2 tbsp butter
How to Make This Easy Casserole:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and place frozen chicken thighs in the pan.
- Add diced onion and frozen vegetables, cover, and cook until softened.
- Begin boiling water for pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Drain pasta, rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking, and set aside.
- Add cream of mushroom soup to the skillet, stirring well.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and half of the shredded cheese.
- Transfer mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, followed by bread crumbs.
- Dot butter over the breadcrumbs for a crispy, golden topping.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
- Remove from oven and serve hot.
Tips for the Best Chicken and Vegetable Casserole
Make-Ahead Tip: Cook and cut up the chicken in advance to save time.
Crunchy Topping: If you’re not gluten-free, try using crushed crackers instead of GF breadcrumbs for extra crunch.
Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs vs. Crackers: If you’ve never used GF bread crumbs before, they are very similar to crushed crackers—dry, crunchy, and perfect for casserole toppings! I personally think regular crackers give a better crunch, but either works depending on your dietary needs.
Vegetable Variations: Swap out the frozen mix for fresh veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, or spinach.
Dairy-Free? Use dairy-free cheese and a plant-based cream of mushroom soup.
FAQs – Chicken and Vegetable Casserole
Can I freeze this casserole?
Yes! Assemble everything but don’t bake it. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
What other veggies can I use?
Broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans work great in this dish!
This is a simple chicken and vegetable casserole where you can make things ahead of time so you do not need to cook everything all at once. Recently, I have started to purchase three pound bags of frozen chicken. I cook the entire contents of the bag, pull out what I need, and place the rest back into the refrigerator for the next evening's meal. Talk about a time saver, and when you are cooking dinner, any time you can save time, is a plus in my book.
This helpful tip was something that came from my great-aunt. While she worked, she would make the entire week's meals on the weekends, and then heat up when she and her husband came home. Her mind set was, they deserved a home-cooked, hot meal every night. I agree with her.
I choose chickpea pasta since it is a low GI food. My husband hasn't always been so crazy about it, but it doesn't spike blood sugar, and he really likes it once it has been cooked, and then baked in the oven, so he is slowly coming around to my way of thinking.
Hubby has a recipe idea with chickpea pasta, once he writes his idea down, and I make it, I will share it with you. Sometimes it takes a village coming up with recipes. Family members call me all of the time saying, hey, I have a recipe for you. Of course, they need to be changed over to gluten free for me, which is not always something that works out as easily as one would think, but that's okay, I love the effort.
Have a wonderful weekend, and we hope you enjoy this comfort food recipe as much as we did.
