I have a tendency to completely forget that stuffing exists outside of Christmas and Thanksgiving, and geez, what a mistake that is! Stuffing (even the kind out of the box) is a wonderful thing and it should be gracing our tables all year round. This Chicken and Stuffing Casserole is just the kind of dish to make that happen (though it works very well with holiday leftovers too) because it’s casual and quick enough to make any night of the week. And its delicious contrasting textures and savory flavors certainly don’t hurt matters either.

I love casserole because you generally end up being able to serve an entire meal out of one baking dish, but I especially love it when you don’t have to prep any of the ingredients, which is the case here. You don’t have to pre-cook any chicken, prepare the actual stuffing, or even chop anything. It’s a “dump and bake” kind of situation.

You just mix up some uncooked cubed chicken with cream of chicken soup (yes, that old standby) and some sour cream, garlic powder, and salt, and pepper. That goes into the casserole dish first to form a creamy, hearty base.

The stuffing layer goes on top, and in this case, all you’re doing to create it is mixing a package of stuffing mix with some melted butter. There’s not as much liquid as the standard preparation, so it ends up with a crunchier texture (especially on top) though it nestles down into the creamy chicken mixture and takes on some of that flavor. It’s a dinner in one dish that’s as comforting as can be.