There are plenty of ways to make chicken casserole feed more mouths – add in more veggies, double the sauce, and use more chicken. But the tastiest way to make a chicken casserole last longer is to cook up some side dishes.Â
9 Dishes to Serve with Chicken Casserole
Of all the meats, chicken is the easiest to pair other dishes with, which is why there are so many dishes that you can serve with chicken casserole. Though some work better than others.
Here are our top 9 dishes you can serve with your chicken casserole:Â
1) Plain Boiled Rice
The chicken and vegetables in a chicken casserole are delicious and tasty, but it is the chicken casserole sauce that has your guests going back for seconds.
Despite the moreish nature of the sauce, you will likely find that each plate will still be swimming with plenty of leftover liquid. Serving plain boiled rice with your chicken casserole is a way to help soak up some of that sauce to ensure none is wasted.Â
A chicken casserole can be a meal with a lot of nutrients, but not very filling. This is because chicken casserole does not contain many (if any) starchy foods.
Plain boiled rice can help to bulk out your chicken casserole and make it a more filling meal without distracting from the hard-earned flavour of the casserole itself.Â
Plain Doesn’t Have to Mean Plain
Simply boiled rice doesn’t have to be as plain as it sounds. There are various ways to upgrade your rice: Try cooking the rice in stock, add in a couple of bay leaves or stir through some fresh herbs after cooking it.
What About Brown Rice?
It is worth mentioning that while you could use brown rice to serve with chicken casserole, there are some drawbacks to brown rice.
For example, brown rice, while more nutritious, does have a noticeably nutty taste that can alter the overall flavour of your plate. Use white rice for a more neutral plate filler.Â
2) Rosemary Dinner Rolls
You can use any bread you like, but rosemary dinner rolls taste like they were invented for the sole purpose of chicken casserole.Â
Plain dinner rolls could be used to soak up the savoury sauce of the casserole and offer a pleasant buttery reprieve from the ample amount of vegetables within the casserole.
However, the addition of rosemary is a particularly nice touch for such a savoury dish as a chicken casserole.
Rosemary has a delicious and prominent earthy taste with a touch of lightness. Chicken casserole, while not exactly earthy, is a homely dish that offers comfort on cold evenings. Pairing a rosemary-flavoured bread with chicken casserole will only make that cosy comfort feel even more hearty.Â
3) Honey Glazed Carrots
A good chicken casserole contains a variety of veg to both bulk out and add flavour to the chicken itself while cooking.
As there is so much veg within the casserole itself, you may be a little hesitant to serve an array of vegetables alongside the casserole.
However, glazed carrots are a classic chicken side dish that treats the carrots vastly differently than the casserole. Because they are cooked differently, you will not feel like you are eating double the amount of the same vegetable.Â
Honey-glazed carrots are a lot easier to make than some people would think. You can prep the carrots in some oil, honey, salt and pepper and then place the carrots in the oven at the same time as your chicken casserole. The honey adds a nice sweetness to your plate while still holding savoury tones to match the chicken casserole.
Remember to add some spices to your honey-glazed carrots too. Otherwise, you risk the carrots tasting precisely the same as the carrots used in the casserole, limiting the amount of variation on your plate.Â
4) Cheesy Broccoli
It is rare that you will find broccoli in a chicken casserole. If you want a vegetable-based side dish that is different from the ingredients of the casserole itself, cheesy broccoli is a safe bet.Â
Even if you do not use cheese in your main casserole, the slight bitterness of the cooked broccoli and the cheesy goodness of the cheese topping will only serve to complement your chicken casserole.Â
Some people prefer cheesy cauliflower, which is fine and can be served with chicken casserole as well. However, cheesy broccoli adds not only more colour but also more sweetness to your plate.Â
5) Lemon Roasted Broccoli
Depending on the type of cheese you have to hand, you may find cheesy broccoli too overpowering to serve with your chicken casserole. So, keep the broccoli basic and roast it.
What most people forget about broccoli is that though it does have a slight bitterness, it also has a great sweetness once cooked.
This becomes more apparent once the broccoli is roasted, making it an even more enjoyable dish. Roasting the broccoli with a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a sprinkle of lemon zest can add some citrusy freshness to the broccoli, melding perfectly with the broccoli’s natural sweetness.Â
When paired with your chicken casserole, lemon-roasted broccoli can provide unique flavours and textures that the casserole lacks. For instance, the tangy freshness of the lemon juice and the wonderful crunch from the roasted broccoli itself.
6) Fresh, Crusty Bread
If you want to keep things simple and effort-free, then a French baguette, Italian ciabatta or crusty sourdough loaf will all work well alongside chicken casserole.
Ultimately, you’re after a bread variety that has enough body to soak up the casserole sauce without disintegrating. This is why bread with a thick, crunchy crust is a must.
7) Roasted Baby Potatoes
Serving a rich casserole alongside full-blown goose fat roast potatoes would be a tad extravagant and indulgent.
That’s why simply roasted baby potatoes work perfectly with a casserole. They soak up the sauce. They’re a filling starch. And they taste delicious.
Add Herbs After Roasting
A mistake that many people make when roasting potatoes is to mix the potatoes with the herbs before roasting them. You’ll end up with charred, flavourless herbs this way. Instead, fine dice and mix them through the potatoes after roasting.
Don’t both peeling the potatoes – just give them a good scrub. Slice them in half and then toss in oil, salt and pepper before roasting in a hot oven for 45 minutes or so until crispy and cooked through. It’s that easy!
8) Mash, Of Course
You’re probably a little surprised that you had to scroll to number 8 on our list to find mash – it’s the obvious side dish! But, we didn’t want to be too predictable.
Having said that, buttery and creamy smooth mash is the ultimate side dish to serve with casserole. If you don’t know what to serve but want to play it safe then mash is the only option.
9) Polenta or Grits
If you want to stick to a traditional side dish but want a slight change from mash, then try grits or polenta.
They offer the same sort of texture and do the same sort of job as mash but provide something a little different.
Chicken Casserole Accompaniments FAQs
Do you still have questions about what to serve alongside chicken casserole? Then these FAQs might help you out:
Not really… Chicken casserole is the perfect comfort food. Salad, on the other hand, is not. Mixing saucy, hot casserole with cold leaves will not work out well.
No, you shouldn’t need to serve gravy with a casserole. The casserole sauce should provide enough liquid to the dish.
Sources
Where we obtain our information and verify the facts in this article:
Good House Keeping
The critical components of a chicken casserole and how to make it.
Serious Eats
How to make crispy roast potatoes with herbs.
BHG
Various chicken casserole recipes from across the globe.
Acacia may be a freelance writer by day, but they are a food fanatic by night. They are always trying out new recipes or finding different ways to elevate classical dishes. But their biggest culinary aim is to educate others on the basics of the kitchen so that they too can enjoy delicious food.
