Dolly Parton’s 5-Ingredient Casserole
Dolly Parton's 5-ingredient casserole is a creamy, cheesy bake made from pantry staples. One dish, about 50 minutes, and dinner is on the table.
Five ingredients. One baking dish. That is the whole shopping list for this casserole, and two of them are salt and pepper you already own.
You mix everything cold, pour it in, and bake. No browning meat, no boiling noodles first, no sauce on the stove. The oven does the work while you clean up one bowl and one spoon.
What comes out is soft, creamy, and cheesy, with a top that sets firm enough to cut into squares. It is the kind of bake that feeds six without a side dish.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Cut them cold from the fridge; warm chicken is slippery and hard to cube evenly. Boneless thighs work just as well and stay juicier if you tend to overcook chicken.
2 cans (10.5 oz / 298 g each) condensed cream of chicken soup
Do not add water. The condensed soup is the sauce. Cream of celery or cream of mushroom gives a milder, earthier flavor if you prefer.
1 1/2 cups (360 g) sour cream
Full-fat sour cream holds its shape in the oven. Plain Greek yogurt works as a swap, though the bake comes out slightly tangier and looser.
2 cups (225 g) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Sharp cheddar gives more flavor per cup than mild. Bagged shredded cheese is fine, but grating a block yourself melts smoother because it has no anti-caking starch.
1 teaspoon salt
Canned soup and cheese are already salty, so start here and taste the raw mix before adding more.
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh-cracked pepper is stronger than pre-ground. Add a pinch of garlic powder too if you want a little more depth.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven
Set a rack in the middle and heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Lightly grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
2. Mix the sauce
Stir the two cans of soup, the sour cream, salt, and pepper together right in the baking dish. It should look like thick pancake batter.
3. Fold in the chicken
Add the raw chicken cubes and 1 cup of the cheese. Fold until every piece is coated, then spread the mix flat.
4. Add the topping
Scatter the last cup of cheese over the top in an even layer. Do not press it down.
5. Bake covered
Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. The edges will bubble and the center will still look loose.
6. Bake uncovered
Pull the foil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the middle reads 165 F (74 C) on a thermometer.
7. Rest and cut
Let the dish sit 10 minutes on the counter. Cut into squares and serve.
Pro Tips
How to Store Dolly Parton’s 5-Ingredient Casserole
Refrigerator
Cool within 2 hours, cover, and refrigerate up to 4 days.
Freezer
Wrap cooled squares tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheating
Cover with foil and warm at 350 F (175 C) for 20 minutes, or microwave single squares for 2 minutes.
Delicious Variations
Broccoli version
stir 3 cups of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry, into the filling before baking.
Crunchy top
mix 1 cup crushed buttery crackers with 3 tablespoons melted butter and scatter it on for the last 15 minutes.
Tex-Mex swap
use cream of mushroom soup, pepper jack cheese, and a 4 oz can of diced green chiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of raw?
Yes, and it cuts the bake to about 25 minutes total. Stir in 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken, bake covered 15 minutes, then uncovered 10 minutes, just until the sauce bubbles at the edges.
Q: Why is my casserole watery?
Usually wet chicken or wet vegetables. Pat the chicken dry and squeeze thawed broccoli in a towel before it goes in. Resting the bake 10 minutes also lets the sauce thicken back up.
Q: Can I make it ahead of time?
You can assemble it up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Add 10 minutes to the covered bake time, since cold filling takes longer to heat through.
Q: What do I serve with it?
A plain green salad or steamed green beans, because the bake itself is rich. Warm bread works if you want something to soak up the sauce.
Q: Can I use frozen chicken?
No, thaw it fully first. Frozen pieces release water as they cook and the center stays under 165 F (74 C) while the outside dries out.
Mix it in the dish, bake it, and rest it 10 minutes before you cut. Dinner's done. Go put your feet up.
Dolly Parton's 5-Ingredient Casserole – Easy Creamy Bake
Dolly Parton's 5-ingredient casserole is a creamy, cheesy bake made from pantry staples. One dish, about 50 minutes, and dinner is on the table.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cans (10.5 oz / 298 g each) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 1/2 cups (360 g) sour cream
- 2 cups (225 g) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
đź“‹ Instructions
- 1Heat the oven — Set a rack in the middle and heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Lightly grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
- 2Mix the sauce — Stir the two cans of soup, the sour cream, salt, and pepper together right in the baking dish. It should look like thick pancake batter.
- 3Fold in the chicken — Add the raw chicken cubes and 1 cup of the cheese. Fold until every piece is coated, then spread the mix flat.
- 4Add the topping — Scatter the last cup of cheese over the top in an even layer. Do not press it down.
- 5Bake covered — Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. The edges will bubble and the center will still look loose.
- 6Bake uncovered — Pull the foil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the middle reads 165 F (74 C) on a thermometer.
- 7Rest and cut — Let the dish sit 10 minutes on the counter. Cut into squares and serve.
