Chicken by the Sea: Creamy, Comforting & Crowd-Ready
- Mar 4
- 2 min read
Every family has that one casserole—the dependable, creamy, golden-topped dish that shows up at gatherings, gets requested again and again, and never disappoints. Chicken by the Sea is exactly that kind of recipe. This was my youngest daughter's first solid food aside from mashed potatoes.
Tender chicken, buttery seashell pasta, creamy soups, a touch of lemon brightness, and layers of melty mozzarella all come together under a blanket of crispy Italian breadcrumbs. It’s cozy, filling, and perfect for feeding a crowd—or stocking your freezer for later.
This is comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
4 cups rotisserie chicken (or cook 4 small chicken breasts and chop)
¾ package seashell pasta, cooked and drained
2 TBS butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
8 oz sour cream
1 cup chicken stock or broth
2 TBS mayonnaise
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Dash of Nature’s Seasoning
¼ cup butter, thinly sliced
Italian bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Boil ¾ package of seashell pasta for about 9 minutes. Drain and toss with 2 tablespoons of butter. Set aside.
Chop 4 cups of rotisserie chicken (or use cooked chicken breasts).
In a large bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, chicken broth, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Stir in pasta and chicken until well combined.
In a greased casserole dish, layer half of the pasta mixture and top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Nature’s Seasoning. Add the remaining pasta mixture and top with the remaining cup of cheese.
Sprinkle generously with Italian breadcrumbs and dot the top with thin slices of butter.
Bake uncovered for approximately 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly with a golden top.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
Creamy with just a hint of brightness from fresh lemon
Perfect make-ahead meal
Freezes beautifully
Crowd-pleasing comfort food
If freezing, cover tightly and increase baking time by about 10 minutes when cooking from frozen.
Serve it with a simple green salad and warm bread, or deliver it to a friend who could use a little comfort. However, it lands on the table, Chicken by the Sea is one of those recipes that feels like home.
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