This is the best recipe for Nixon's Chicken Casserole. It's a 70s American classic dish named after the US President Richard Nixon (1969-1974) that went viral after featuring in the TV series 'The Watcher'. Nixon's chicken casserole is a super simple 4 ingredient recipe that comes together in around 45 minutes and is comfort food at it's finest.
I've seen dozens of recipes all over the internet and social media for this recipe, but after watching the scene from 'The Watcher', Pearl (the character who mentions the dish) gives a very brief recipe method that goes as follows:
"Nixon's Chicken. You heat the oven at 425F, brown some boneless chicken, put it in an 8x12 casserole dish. Add broccoli, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a sprinkle of cheese over the top...cheese of your choice...myself I prefer a nice soft cheddar, and then bake for 35 minutes"
So, after following her instructions, I've come up with this recipe and it's delicious! It's such a comfort food that is great when you need something warming and easy to make.
Because it's such a simple recipe, feel free to soup it up a bit by adding more ingredients. I've provided some recipe variations further down the blog for those of you who want to make more of a meal out of it!
If you love cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup recipes, then you'll adore my Baked Chicken with Cream of Chicken Soup recipe!
For more comforting, wholesome recipes, my Simple Boursin Pie is a personal favourite. For a rainy day, I love my chicken casserole French onion soup, my old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese recipe, or my Kale and White Bean Sausage soup recipe. And for a speedy warming dinner, I love to go for my Baked Pesto Chicken...it's a crowd favourite.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Chicken: I've used boneless and skinless chicken thighs. You could use chicken breast if you prefer, but don't fry it for too long as it will go dry when baking. If you don't want to use chicken, pork could be a nice alternative. For a veggie alternative, I'd recommend using portobello mushrooms, extra firm tofu, or cooked sweet potato.
Broccoli: A whole head of broccoli is perfect for this recipe. I've also used the stem...nothing goes to waste!
Cheddar cheese: Mild or mature cheddar cheese is great. Buy a block and then grate it fresh.
Cream of mushroom soup: In the canned foods aisle of the supermarket, you'll find a variety of cream of mushroom soups, so pick out your favourite brand and use that! Alternatively, you could use cream of chicken soup for a different taste!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Recipe Variations for Nixon's Chicken
Nixon's Chicken Pasta Casserole: If you're wanting to turn Nixon's Chicken into more of a substantial meal, adding partially cooked pasta to your casserole dish is a great option. Just combine the pasta in with the chicken, broccoli, cheese, and cream of mushroom soup, then pour it into your casserole dish, top with cheese, and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
Nixon Chicken Salad: For a summer's day, turning this recipe into a salad is indulgent and delicious. Firstly, you'll want to use chicken breast that is then cooked and shredded. Combine that with a variety of vegetables from celery to radishes. Add a few tablespoons of cream of chicken soup, your par-boiled broccoli, and grated cheddar cheese.
Frittata: This chicken casserole is quite saucy, so if you're looking to turn it into more of a solid dish, then I'd recommend adding in 2-3 eggs into the casserole mixture. When cooked, the eggs will solidify, bonding the ingredients together into a frittata-type casserole.
Step by Step Instructions with Photos
Step 1: Place a non-stick frying pan on medium heat and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in your sliced chicken thighs and fry for 7 minutes until lightly golden. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 210C/245F. Place your chopped broccoli into a pan of boiling salted water. Simmer for 5 minutes and then drain and set aside.
Step 3: Grab a large bowl and combine your chicken, broccoli, ½ of your grated cheese, and cream of chicken soup until well integrated. Season with some more pepper and optionally some more salt.
Step 4: Pour your Nixon's chicken mixture into a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Place in the oven for 35 minutes - make sure to keep a look out so it doesn't burn the top.
Step 5: Remove the casserole from the oven and serve hot with pasta, bread, or anything you fancy!
Top Tips!
- Make sure to buy good quality cream of chicken soup. Campbells is my favourite.
- If you'd like to make this dish bulkier and less saucy, double up on the chicken quantities or broccoli quantities. Same goes, if you like a saucier casserole, then double the cream of chicken soup quantities.
- When you're frying the chicken, don't cook it for too long. It most likely won't be fully cooked either, because we want to finish the cooking process in the oven. If you overcook it, it will become rubbery and less tasty.
What To Do with Leftovers
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also tightly cover the baking dish with a couple of layers of kitchen foil to store - I did this for a couple of days and then reheated it on the stove top and it was perfect!
- Reheating: Leftovers are great just reheated in the microwave for 3 minutes at 800W, stirring halfway through. You could also just place the casserole dish onto the stovetop as I mention above and heat it on a low setting until bubbling and hot.
- Freezing: You can make this Nixon's Chicken casserole ahead of time and freeze it! Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge. Then bake as directed.
FAQs
I love eating it with pasta, bread, or mashed potato. A few extra cooked veggies on the side never hurt anyone either!
You can either make your own cream of mushroom soup, or you can replace it with fried chopped mushrooms, cream, and 2 minced garlic cloves. It won't taste the same as the cream of mushroom soup, but it will have a delicious taste nonetheless.
Absolutely, just make sure to not overcook the chicken when frying. The chicken will cook further when in the oven.
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The Best Nixon’s Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 600g boneless and skinless chicken thigh chopped into bitesize pieces
- 300g broccoli chopped into bitesize pieces
- 400g cream of chicken soup
- 200g cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Place a non-stick frying pan on medium heat and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in your sliced chicken thighs and fry for 7 minutes until lightly golden. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 210C/245F. Place your chopped broccoli into a pan of boiling salted water. Simmer for 5 minutes and then drain and set aside.
- Grab a large bowl and combine your chicken, broccoli, ½ of your grated cheese, and cream of chicken soup until well integrated. Season with some more pepper and optionally some more salt.
- Pour your Nixon's chicken mixture into a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Place in the oven for 35 minutes - make sure to keep a look out so it doesn't burn the top.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and serve hot with pasta, bread, or anything you fancy!
Notes
- Make sure to buy good quality cream of chicken soup. Campbells is my favourite.
- If you'd like to make this dish bulkier and less saucy, double up on the chicken quantities or broccoli quantities. Same goes, if you like a saucier casserole, then double the cream of chicken soup quantities.
- When you're frying the chicken, don't cook it for too long. It most likely won't be fully cooked either, because we want to finish the cooking process in the oven. If you overcook it, it will become rubbery and less tasty.
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