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Looking for an easy comfort food dinner that comes together with leftover chicken? This Easy Chicken Stuffing Casserole with Apples is creamy, cozy, and perfect for busy weeknights.
Tender shredded chicken, green beans, crunchy water chestnuts, and savory gravy are topped with a lightly sweet stuffing mixture made with chopped apples and raisins. It’s a delicious combination of savory and sweet that feels especially comforting during the fall and holiday season, but it’s simple enough to enjoy any time of year.
Using rotisserie chicken makes prep even easier, turning a handful of pantry staples into a satisfying family meal in about 45 minutes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great way to use leftover or rotisserie chicken
- Easy weeknight comfort food
- Sweet and savory flavors in every bite
- Family-friendly and budget-friendly
- Perfect for meal prep
- Easy to assemble ahead of time
Ingredients & Notes
- Light butter – Adds richness to the stuffing topping.
- Chicken stuffing mix – Low-sodium stuffing mix works well if you’re watching sodium.
- Apple – A crisp apple such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji adds sweetness and texture.
- Raisins – Add little bursts of sweetness throughout the stuffing. Dried cranberries are an excellent substitute.
- French-style green beans – Frozen green beans make prep quick and easy.
- Cooked chicken – Shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken breast both work perfectly.
- Chicken gravy – Brings the filling together into a creamy, savory casserole.
- Water chestnuts – Add a pleasant crunch. If you’re not a fan, chopped celery or bamboo shoots make good substitutes.
How to Make Chicken and Apple Stuffing Casserole, Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients: light butter, chicken/turkey stuffing mix, apple, raisins, French-style green beans, leftover cooked chicken breast, chicken gravy and water chestnuts.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
Step 3: In a medium saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil. Add the butter and give time to melt. Remove from heat and stir in the stuffing mix, chopped apple and raisins. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl (affiliate link) stir together the green beans, chicken, gravy and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
Step 5: Spoon stuffing mixture evenly over the top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Remove foil and continue baking about 10 more minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and casserole begins to bubble.
Step 7: Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Step 8: Store any leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe Tips
- Pat the thawed green beans dry so the casserole doesn’t become watery.
- Let the stuffing rest for a few minutes before spreading it over the filling.
- Allow the casserole to rest 5–10 minutes after baking so it’s easier to serve.
- Rotisserie chicken makes this recipe especially quick.
Variations
- Substitute dried cranberries for the raisins.
- Add sautéed mushrooms or onions.
- Use leftover turkey instead of chicken.
- Replace the water chestnuts with chopped celery if preferred.
- Stir in a little fresh thyme or sage for even more holiday flavor.
Make Ahead
Assemble the chicken filling up to one day ahead and refrigerate. Prepare the stuffing topping just before baking for the best texture, then bake as directed.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with:
- Mixed green salad
- Steamed broccoli
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Cranberry sauce
- Fresh fruit
Storage
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave (affiliate link) or warm larger portions, covered, in a 325°F oven until heated through.
How Many Calories and WW Points?
According to my calculations, each serving has about 290 calories and 7 WW Points.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
If you’ve made this Easy Chicken Stuffing Casserole with Apple, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Easy Chicken Stuffing Casserole with Apples
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons light butter
- 1 box (6 ounces) chicken stuffing mix
- 1/2 cup finely chopped apple
- 1/4 cup raisins, chopped
- 4 cups frozen French-style green beans, thawed, drained and patted dry
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
- 1 jar (12 ounces) chicken gravy
- 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil. Add the butter and give time to melt. Remove from heat and stir in the stuffing mix, chopped apple and raisins. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl (affiliate link) stir together the green beans, chicken, gravy and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
- Spoon stuffing mixture evenly over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue baking about 10 more minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and casserole begins to bubble.
- Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- Store any leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 7 PointsPlus (Old plan) This yummy casserole calls for raisins, but I sometimes like to substitute dried cranberries, or Craisins, instead—especially in the fall and during the holiday season. I also replaced regular Stove Top Chicken Stuffing Mix with the low sodium version which has 25% less sodium. To make this ahead, prepare the chicken and green bean mixture and store in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake the casserole, remove the chicken and green mixture from the fridge and add to a lightly greased baking dish. Prepare the stuffing mix topping and layer on top of the chicken mixture and then cover and bake as directed. Not everyone is a fan of water chestnuts, but we happen to really like them. If you prefer, you can try substituting and equal amount of bamboo shoots, celery or pecans to maintain a similarly crunchy texture. Be sure to adjust your WW Points accordingly when making any ingredient substitutions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe source: Hungry Girl Magazine (affiliate link), Fall 2021
