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🧀 Cheesy Casserole (Classic Baked Version)
🧾 Ingredients
Base
- 2 cups cooked pasta (penne, macaroni, or fusilli) or 2 cups diced boiled potatoes
- 1½ cups cooked chicken (shredded) or vegetables (broccoli, peas, carrots)
Cheese sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1½ cups shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or mix)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Topping
- ½ cup shredded cheese
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs (optional, for crunch)
🥣 Instructions
1. Preheat oven
- Set to 180°C (350°F)
- Grease a baking dish
2. Make cheese sauce
- Melt butter in a pan
- Add flour and cook 1 minute (forms a roux)
- Slowly whisk in milk until smooth
- Cook until thickened
- Add cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- Stir until melted and creamy
3. Combine
- In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta (or potatoes) with chicken/vegetables
- Pour cheese sauce over and mix well
4. Assemble
- Transfer mixture to baking dish
- Sprinkle cheese and breadcrumbs on top
5. Bake
- Bake for 20–25 minutes
- Top should be golden and bubbly
🍽️ Serve
- Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving
- Serve warm as a main dish or side
💡 Tips
- Use a mix of cheeses for better flavor
- Add a little chili flakes for heat
- Don’t overcook pasta—it softens more while baking
- For extra creaminess, add a spoon of cream cheese
🍲 Variations
- Vegetarian: use mushrooms, spinach, corn
- Beef version: use cooked ground beef
- Spicy: add jalapeños or hot sauce
