This Buffalo Chicken Casserole has quickly become one of my favorite pasta dishes. I use precooked chicken to cut back on time, but the flavor of the creamy sauce makes up for it. The buffalo sauce is tangy and spicy and complements the cream cheese and bold blue cheese beautifully.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Dish
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 15 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 8
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Savory, cheesy, with a punch of creaminess.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Steamed rice, noodle bowls, or alongside grilled chicken or steak.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, this chicken casserole dish reheats beautifully and is great for meal prep.
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Casserole recipes are my go-to when I want a lovely home-cooked meal but don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. This one in particular is one of my favorite buffalo chicken dinner ideas because it's easy to make tweaks and put your own spin on it to create a delicious meal the whole family can get behind. Plus, what's not to love about a Frank's Red Hot chicken wing casserole?
Some more amazing chicken casserole recipes include my chicken hash brown casserole and this million-dollar chicken casserole.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's ready in 30 minutes: It takes about 25 minutes to prepare and cook this easy buffalo chicken casserole, so you can have dinner on the table pretty quickly.
- It's a great way to use leftovers: I like that I can use leftovers like chicken from another meal and repurpose them into something new and just as yummy.
- It's family-friendly: You can adjust the spice level to make this buffalo chicken bake a favorite of the entire family.
Ingredients
The key elements for this Frank's buffalo chicken casserole are listed below. You can't have a good result without buffalo sauce and chicken!
- Pasta: I like rigatoni for this recipe because the holes fill up with the buffalo cream sauce, but other varieties like shells and ziti are amazing, too.
- Cream cheese: This doesn't need to be completely softened, but slightly softened will help it melt easily. That is also why I like to cut it into cubes.
- Blue cheese dressing: Use any brand that you like for this recipe. Try this creamy blue cheese dip for an extra-rich dressing.
- Buffalo sauce: Frank's Red Hot is obviously a classic, but if you feel like making your own, I love this vegan buffalo sauce.
- Chicken: Grab a rotisserie chicken or use leftovers from a recipe like cast-iron chicken breasts. Any cooked and shredded chicken is great!
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Ranch: Swap the blue cheese dressing for ranch, and it will still be so satisfying. Buttermilk ranch dip is a great homemade option, too.
- Add veggies: Include some veggies like steamed broccoli or cauliflower to add more nutrition.
- Roasted garlic: Stir some roasted garlic into the sauce to add more depth!
You're going to want to try my buffalo chicken sandwich if recipes like this are your thing.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Here are the steps needed to prepare this easy chicken casserole recipe. Ensure your cooked chicken is shredded and your pasta is cooked and drained first.
Step 1: Start the buffalo sauce. Combine the buffalo sauce, cream cheese, and blue cheese dressing in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the cream cheese melts.
Step 2: Add chicken and cheese. Next, stir in the chicken and shredded cheese. Once melted, add the milk and pasta.
Step 3: Pour it into the baking dish. Once all the ingredients are fully combined in the saucepan, pour it into the prepared casserole dish and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. And
Step 4: Bake it. Stick the pan into the oven and bake it for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Recipe Tips
- Slightly undercook the pasta: When you boil the pasta, undercook it by about 2 minutes. It will continue to cook in the oven, and if it goes into the casserole fully cooked, it will be mushy.
- Use foil if needed: If the cheese on top is browning too quickly, cover the chicken buffalo casserole with foil for part of the baking time.
- Don't add raw chicken: You must add cooked chicken to the other ingredients. Raw chicken doesn't work here. If you don't have any cooked chicken on hand, bake or boil chicken breasts first.
If you love buffalo chicken and pasta, you need to make this buffalo chicken mac and cheese.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You may freeze this casserole, but I recommend doing so unbaked to maintain the integrity of the sauce. Keep it tightly covered in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Pop the pan into a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or microwave a portion for 2-3 minutes, but expect some separation.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole and cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bake it straight from the fridge, adding 10 minutes to the baking time.
Serving Suggestions
- Add some veggies to your plate! I highly recommend sautéed greens and bacon, and easy sweet green beans.
- Keep it simple with a simple garden or wedge salad on the side.
- You can always sweeten the experience with desserts like an easy almond croissant or cranberry white chocolate cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Avoid overbaking the casserole and ensure there is plenty of the sauce mixture to coat the chicken and pasta. Both of these can result in a dry baked chicken casserole that's difficult to eat.
Watch your oven and drop the temperature if needed. High temperatures can cause dairy products to separate and curdle. I also recommend using full-fat when possible to minimize the risk.
Sure! Follow the same steps, but instead of putting the ingredients into a casserole dish, transfer them to a slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Add the shredded cheese on top during the last 30-45 minutes.
More Leftover Buffalo Chicken Recipes
Do you like buffalo chicken recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 2 bricks (8 oz) cream cheese softened and cubed
- 1 cup blue cheese dressing
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup Frank's buffalo sauce
- 3 cups cooked chicken diced (or 1 pound)
- 2 cups Monterey jack cheese shredded, divided
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Start cooking pasta to al dente based on package instructions, then prep the sauce.
- Add cream cheese, blue cheese dressing and Frank's buffalo sauce to a large skillet over medium heat and mix until combined (press down the cubes of cream cheese to incorporate faster).
- Add chicken and one cup of each shredded cheese and melt.
- Remove from heat and pour in milk, stir to combine.
- Once pasta is cooked save 1 cup of pasta water if desired, then transfer strained pasta to the pan and mix until fully coated.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and top with remaining shredded cheeses.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until cheese on top is fully melted and bubbling. Serve warm and garnish with blue cheese crumbles and sliced green onions, if desired.
Notes
- Prepare this creamy chicken casserole in your crockpot instead of in the oven.
- Slightly undercook the pasta so it doesn't become mushy after it bakes.
- Cover the casserole with foil if you notice that the cheese is browning too quickly.
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