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Just 10 minutes of prep time and you have a delicious creamy concoction of chicken, celery, and cheese topped with crispy fried onions!

If you think you don’t like casseroles, then you probably just haven’t tried the right one. We have several favorite chicken casseroles, like a chicken crescent roll casserole, chicken and broccoli casserole, and this French onion chicken casserole!

French Onion Chicken Casserole close up image

A casserole for even the pickiest eaters

I really don’t like being a picky eater, but I am. Yes, it’s true… I can’t stand onions. They gross me out. BUT, having said that I actually like french fried onions… maybe the fact they’re breaded and fried makes them okay. 😉

This next recipe I’m sharing is topped off with those delicious french fried onions and filled with all sorts of goodness like chicken, cheese, sour cream, mayo and almonds. It is DELICIOUS!

The best thing about this French Onion Chicken Casserole is that it takes little prep time. Literally, it takes minutes to throw together if your chicken is already made. You can buy cooked, chopped chicken, but I like to bake my chicken earlier in the morning.

French onion chicken casserole ingredients in bowl

10 minute prep

Although it takes awhile to bake, it really only takes about 5 minutes of prep work. Add that with the 5 minutes it takes to put this casserole together and you’re looking at about 10 minutes of work.

PREP. Preheat oven to 350 and coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

BAKE. In large bowl, stir celery, cheese, sour cream, mayo and cream of chicken. Add chicken and almonds. Spoon into dish. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

TOPPING. Sprinkle fried onion and cook another 5 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Casserole mixture in baking dish

Tips + variations

Here are a few ideas to tweak the recipe to make it a little more healthy:

  • Use a low fat Mayo and sour cream
  • Substitute all or a portion of the Mayonnaise with a low fat Greek yogurt 
  • Add veggies—sliced carrots, peas, broccoli florets, and shredded zucchini are all good choices 
  • Make it even more keto friendly and sprinkle cooked chopped bacon bits on top
  • Serve over white or brown rice, pasta, cauliflower rice, or zucchini pasta

Serve French onion chicken casserole with any of the following:

Chicken casserole in a baking dish with french onions

Storing info

To make ahead of time, assemble and cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for a day. If freezing, then add another layer of aluminum foil and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. Do not add the fried onions until the last 5 minutes of baking time.

To STORE, divide the leftovers into single serve portions. Store the portions in  airtight containers and keep in the fridge for days. To reheat quickly, use the microwave. If you have a little more time reheat in the oven.

The fried onions may become mushy as it sits in the fridge. To crisp them back up simply stick the casserole under the broiler. Watch carefully as they can go from soggy to burnt really quickly. 

French onion chicken casserole topped with onions in a baking dish

For more great chicken casseroles, check out:

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4.95 from 146 votes

French Onion Chicken Casserole Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Just 10 minutes of prep time and you have a delicious creamy concoction of chicken, celery, and cheese topped with crispy fried onions! 
Servings: 12
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 cups cooked chicken chopped
  • 1 cup celery chopped (or french style green beans)
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1 can cream of chicken
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 6 oz French’s fried onions
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Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 and coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, stir celery, cheese, sour cream, mayo and cream of chicken. Add chicken and almonds. Spoon into dish.
  • Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle fried onion and cook another 5 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 436mg, Potassium: 102mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 304IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 108mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




230 Comments

  1. Alisa says:

    5 stars
    Making something new Especially such recipes it is really hard but I can do it. Thank you for Recipe

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      You can do it 🙂 Thank you for stopping by and let me know how they turn out!

      1. Nicole says:

        Can you use miracle whip in place of regular mayo?

      2. Lil' Luna says:

        I haven’t tried, but if that’s what you like, doesn’t hurt to try! Let me know what you think 🙂 Thank you!

      3. Sandy says:

        Miracle Whip has sugar in it.
        I wouldn’t suggest using it.

  2. Echo says:

    5 stars
    I have made this several times, each time tweaking it just a little for our family’s liking 🙂 The 1st time I followed the recipe exactly as is, it was very soupy! I am in weight watchers so I changed up a few things to make it a little healthier. The few changes I used were:
    green beans instead of celery (pure preference)
    Cut out the mayo completely (honestly couldn’t even tell)
    Used Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, dont use quite a full 1/2 cup

    So for whoever had negative comments, the way I made it was very healthy, contained chicken, Greek yogurt, green beans, cheese and 1 can of soup, most of which are healthy items 🙂

    Thank you Lil Luna for the great recipe!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Oh, thank you so much for sharing that!!! I’m so glad you found a healthier alternative 🙂

  3. Jody says:

    5 stars
    Thanks for the great dinner idea. To make it a little healthier I used 1 and 1/2 cup lite sour cream and 1/2 cup lite cream cheese instead of mayo. It still came out so creamy. This one’s a keeper, thanks!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Thanks for sharing those healthier tips!! I am so happy to hear that you liked it!

  4. Karen K says:

    What would you recommend serving with this? Sounds delicious.

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      You can serve a vegetable, like zucchini or asparagus, a roll..maybe some chicken. Hope those help! Thank you!!

      1. Jane Marshall says:

        I made this recipe with the french style green beans and won for best side dish at my work. I have so many co-workers that are asking for the recipe. 🙂

      2. Lil' Luna says:

        Yay..that’s awesome!!! I’m glad it was a hit. Thanks for sharing!

      3. Denise Warth says:

        5 stars
        I just made this and my family absolutely loved it! Served tomato cucumber salad and Hawiian rolls on the side. So easy to make and delicious. Thanks so much!

      4. Lil' Luna says:

        That makes me so happy! Thank you for sharing!

  5. KittyBlaze says:

    5 stars
    I’ve made this twice now. The first time had too much mayo. I cut it in half and substituted more sour cream. Much better the second time! The men in my house really like it.

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      I’m so glad they liked it!! I’m glad you found a way to substitute the mayo. Thank you so much for sharing!!

  6. Laura says:

    This was amazing! Made long grain rice and put this over the rice and it was fabulous! And super easy! 5???? In my book.

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Great!!! Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m glad it was a hit 🙂

  7. Heather Mulligan-Gonzalez says:

    I bulked this up with 2 cups cooked pasta and 8 strips thick cooked bacon, chopped up. It is my family’s go to comfort food!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Sounds amazing!! Thank you for sharing..I’ll have to try that!

  8. Heather Mulligan-Gonzalez says:

    I added bacon and bulked it up with 2 cups cooked pasta. It has become my family’s go to comfort food!

  9. Amy says:

    5 stars
    This one is a keeper! Husband loved it! I don’t understand the comments from the folks who said theirs was soggy. Mine came out perfect. I’m going to stash some of these in the freezer, and add the onions at the end. BTW, I added some of the french fried onions into the actual casserole. Yum!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      That’s so good to hear! Thank you so much for sharing!!! I’m glad you liked it!!

  10. DeAnna says:

    Anyone ever try this in the crockpot? I love recipes that I can through in in the morning and this seems like it would work. Just through everything in except thr onions until the last 30 minutes or so?

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      I haven’t, but I would love to know, too!!