Easy Loaded Baked Potato and Chicken Casserole is so good! Chunks of chicken and cubed potatoes are tossed in olive oil and seasonings then baked to perfection.
And if that isn’t enough, we add crumbled bacon, green onions, and top it with cheese that melts down over all of it. Doesn’t that sound delicious?!
I love this dish because I could eat meat and potatoes every. single. night. Really! Potatoes are one of my favorite things to eat, and it doesn’t even matter how they are prepared. I have yet to make, or be served, a dish containing potatoes that I did not like. For me potatoes are total comfort food.
We don’t eat as many potatoes as we used to. When my kids were little we ate potatoes A LOT, probably 3 or 4 nights a week. When you find what works for a picky eater you tend to stick with it to save time, money and your sanity. Okay, maybe saving my sanity should be listed first. Lee is glad we eat a wider variety of foods now and so am I.
This post and recipe have been updated (in July 2023) because I have made a couple of changes over the years to make this dish even easier for me, and you, to make! Our new version of chicken and potatoes casserole has the following changes:
- we don’t peel the potatoes. The peeling of the potato is good for us so why not leave the peel on? I can benefit by not doing something? I’m in! LIVESTRONG has an article about the benefits of eating the skin of the potato. But you can certainly peel them if you want to.
- using all one kind of cheese. I mean, who wants to buy two different kinds of cheese to make a recipe? The original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of Romano cheese. You can still use whatever combination of cheeses you like. We usually have a couple of different cheeses on hand but I wanted this to be better for the young family or new cook that may not want to use, or be able to afford, two different kinds of cheese.
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Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Ingredient Notes
Simple ingredients are used to make this comfort food that is sure to become a family favorite!
Chicken – we use boneless skinless chicken breasts. We have not tried this recipe with precooked or rotisserie chicken.
Potatoes – I like red potatoes for this dish. Any kind can be used, Yukon Gold potatoes or Russet potatoes work great too.
Olive Oil – we use everything from extra virgin to light tasting olive oil. Canola oil, vegetable oil or corn oil will work just fine.
Seasonings – salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika is what we use. I use smoked paprika if I have it and the regular kind if I don’t. I have to visit the local spice merchant to buy the smoked variety because the grocery store closest to my house doesn’t carry it so I don’t always have it on hand.
Bacon – I like thick cut bacon for this.
Cheese – we mainly use cheddar cheese but I do sometimes use a couple of different types of cheeses. Usually 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup other cheese. You can use any melty type of cheese you like. The Italian blend or Mexican blend work great or spice it up by adding some pepper jack cheese.
Green Onions – we like them quite a bit but if you don’t like them, or the kids don’t like them, you can leave them off or only put them on part of the dish.
How to Make Chicken Potato Casserole
- Preheat oven to 400°. Coat a 9″ X 13″ casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Dice potatoes and cut chicken, both into 1″ pieces. Place the raw chicken and potatoes into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl mix olive oil, pepper, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and paprika until well combined. Pour over chicken and potatoes. Toss to coat, I use my clean hands for this. You can use a spoon.
- Bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. You can tell they are done if a fork goes into the potato easily.
- While the chicken and potatoes bake fry the bacon in a large skillet and crumble it. Chop the green onions.
- Spread the cheese evenly on top of the potatoes, add bacon pieces and green onions and bake until cheese melts, about 2-4 minutes.
Recipe Note – chicken we buy at the store is injected with a saltwater solution and this is released into the casserole when the chicken cooks. It is fine. I pour it off the leftovers before I store them in the refrigerator so it doesn’t make them soggy. Just wanted to let you know that this is normal.
Chicken Potato Bake Topping Ideas
- Sour Cream
- Ranch Dressing
- Hot Sauce
- Barbecue Sauce
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover chicken potato casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes stirring about half way through.
Side Dish Ideas
A vegetable side dish goes perfectly with this incredible loaded chicken and potato casserole and is a great way to make a complete and delicious meal. Here are some suggestions for an easy veggie dish:
Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash
Copycat Longhorn Brussels Sprouts
None of these sound good? Check out the side dish section for other ideas.
Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken I use 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 pounds red potatoes about 5 large
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 2 cups cheese see note below
- 4 green onions
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Coat a 9" X 13" casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Cut potatoes and chicken into 1" pieces. Place in prepared baking pan.
- In a small bowl mix olive oil, pepper, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and paprika until well combined. Pour over chicken and potatoes. Toss to coat..
- Bake, uncovered, for 55-60 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- While the chicken and potatoes bake fry bacon and crumble. Chop green onions.
- When potatoes are tender top with cheese, bacon and green onions; return to the oven and bake until cheese melts, about 2-4 minutes.
Notes
Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!
Nutrition Facts
Adapted from Life In The Lofthouse
This is delicious, I’ve made several times and just wanted to thank Mindy and add some add-ins ideas that have been delicious:
—Sour Cream/Creme fraiche (1-2 teaspoons)
—Chopped jalapeños
—Corn
—Salsa (1 tablespoon)
—Powdered white pepper (in addition to black!)
—Cayenne pepper (1-2 teaspoons)
—Diced black olives
—Parsley (fresh sprigs or 1 teaspoon)
—Oregano (2 teaspoons, perhaps my favorite add-in)
And this is delicious with any meat, inc. beef or pork or even turkey, in which case I’d add some ground cumin to kick the turkey up to true meat flavor.
These additions sound great. Except the olives, I’m not a fan of olives. Haha! Thanks
Can you prepare day before and cook next day?
I have never done it that way. I think you would need to cut the potatoes fresh or they might turn brown. You could try it but I would cut the potaotes and put them in the casserole right before baking. Then I would bake covered with foil for maybe half the time and then take the foil off and proceed with the recipe. I hope this helps.
I love this dish! However I add some spice by putting in some tabasco sauce (about 1/2 teaspoon)! If you like spice, I definitely suggest you try that! Perfect recipe otherwise!
Great tip! We like spice occasionally so we might have to give it a try. Thanks
What do I do if I already precooked the chicken?
I have never done it that way but I think it would probably work out. I have used precooked chicken in other casseroles. You could par-boil the potatoes so they will cook in a shorter amount of time, then you could cut the baking time by 20 minutes or so. But I don’t think the chicken would overcook if you made it according to the recipe with the only difference being the precooked chicken.
Hi Mindy I had a question if I wanted to substitute the chicken for ground beef how would u suggest I go about doing it? I did your dish tonight and it was a hit. Thank you in advance
That sounds yummy! I would brown the ground beef first and then continue with the recipe. Thanks
Hi Mindy – when I saw this come up over the weekend, I decided I was going to make it soon – and “soon” is today! Hope mine turns out as well as yours did. Kelli at YG!
We just ate and it was a big hit! Thanks!
Yay!! Thanks so much for letting me know.
That is awesome, let me know how it turns out!
We often roast veg, but have never thought to do this before, thanks for the 1 vessel cooking tip.
I am definitely a meat and potatoes kinda girl. Thanks!
This is the kind of dish that I can eat every day and still want more! A very satisfying and delicious casserole.
Me, too! Thanks