Cheesy Nashville Hot Chicken Casserole
Cheesy Nashville hot chicken casserole is an easy way to turn the classic dish into a hearty meal to feed a family. With only 10 minutes of prep and tons of flavor, this chicken casserole will be on repeat.
Have you ever had Nashville hot chicken?
It’s truly a thing of deliciousness.
It’s a special kind of fried chicken native to the Nashville area that features a robust blend of spices and flavors.
So the result is hot and spicy fried chicken that’s finger lickin good.
This Nashville hot chicken casserole gives you all that bold flavor and texture in a cheesy pasta casserole you’ll love.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Water
- Milk– Regular milk will work fine or you could substitute buttermilk for more of the tang.
- Butter– Unsalted is best here
- Ranch seasoning– A packet of your favorite ranch seasoning
- Pasta– Short pasta like penne, etc.
- Half and half– Don’t substitute this for a lower fat milk product. You want the rich creaminess from the half and half.
- Cheese– Shredded cheddar
- Hot seasoning – I recommend Frank’s for the best flavor.
- Rotisserie chicken– Shredded
- Panko breadcrumbs– To give the casserole the crunch that emulates the fried chicken.
- More butter– Melted for the topping.
How to Make
Making Nashville hot chicken casserole is pretty easy.
Bring the water, milk, butter, ranch, and pasta to a simmer in a large pot set over medium heat.
Let it simmer until the pasta is tender.
Then, turn off the heat and stir in the half and half and the cheese until the cheese is completely melted and evenly incorporated.
Stir in the chicken and 2 tablespoons of the hot seasoning.
Then spread the cheesy pasta out into an even layer in a 9×13″ casserole.
Stir together the breadcrumbs, melted butter, and remaining tablespoon of hot seasoning in a small bowl until evenly combined.
Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs evenly out overtop of the casserole.
Bake the casserole at 325° for 20 minutes, until it has cooked through and the breadcrumbs are toasty.
Serve warm with a drizzle of ranch, if desired, and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat them in a hot oven until warmed through or microwave until warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- You can adjust the amount of hot sauce to suit your tastes.
- Salted butter may make the casserole too salty.
- Any short pasta will work. Just cook it until al dente.
Other Chicken Casseroles
Cheesy Nashville hot chicken casserole is a bold, flavor packed take on the fried chicken dish.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other chicken casseroles?
Try these:
- Creamy Poppyseed Chicken Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Cool Ranch Doritos Chicken Casserole
- Chicken And Dumpling Casserole
If you’ve tried this NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN CASSEROLE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cheesy Nashville Hot Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 pkt dry ranch seasoning
- 1 lb short pasta
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 tbsp Frank's red hot original seasoning blend divided
- 2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 3/4 cup plain panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Add the water, milk, butter, ranch, and pasta to a large pot set over medium heat. Allow it to come to a nice simmer, stirring often, and cook just until the pasta's tender.4 cups water, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup butter, 1 pkt dry ranch seasoning, 1 lb short pasta
- Turn off the heat and stir in the half and half, then add the cheese and continue stirring until it's completely melted and evenly incorporated. Stir in the chicken and 2 tbsp of seasoning.1/2 cup half and half, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 3 tbsp Frank's red hot original seasoning blend, 2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- Transfer the cheesy pasta to a 9×13" casserole dish and spread it out in an even layer.
- In a small bowl stir together the bread crumbs, melted butter, and remaining tablespoon of seasoning until evenly combined. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly out overtop of the casserole.3/4 cup plain panko bread crumbs, 2 tbsp butter
- Bake the dish at 325° for 20 minutes, until the dish has cooked through and the bread crumbs are nice and toasted.
- Serve warm with a drizzle of ranch, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of hot sauce to suit your tastes.
- Salted butter may make the casserole too salty.
- Any short pasta will work. Just cook it until al dente.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Or Whatever You Do
