Chicken Noodle Casserole

Make this cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole from scratch with simple, wholesome ingredients. The egg noodles, vegetables and tender chicken come together in a creamy sauce with a buttery Ritz cracker topping. Add a salad and corn muffins or biscuits for an easy dinner any night of the week!

Chicken Noodle Casserole from Scratch

It might require a few extra minutes of prep time, but making this Chicken Noodle Casserole without canned soup yields a cozy, down-home comfort food supper that is worth every bit of effort! It's a basic dish that can be tweaked in a variety of ways to suit your family’s taste preferences and schedule. Use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken or baked chicken — anything goes! The kids will go crazy for the creamy, cheesy dish that's finished with a buttery, crunchy Ritz cracker topping!

Which Chicken to use for a Chicken Pasta Bake?

You'll need cooked chicken for this recipe, and a variety of options will work. Pick the most convenient method for you:

• Boiled and Pulled Chicken: Boil about 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through (about 20 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken. You can use as little as ¾ lb. of meat -- whatever you have on hand. You'll need a total of about 2 cups (more or less) shredded. I find that 1 lb. of chicken breasts yields about 2 cups of pulled chicken, but there's some flexibility here -- it doesn't need to be exact.
• Rotisserie Chicken: This is a great shortcut! Purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred the meat, and use in the recipe as instructed.
• Leftover Chicken: If you have leftover grilled or baked chicken from a previous meal, put those extras to good use in this casserole.
• Canned Chicken: Yep, you can even use canned chicken in this casserole!

What's a good substitute for cream of chicken soup?

I've got nothing against a creamy casserole that comes together in minutes with help from cans of condensed cream of chicken soup. That said, sometimes it's worth spending a few extra minutes in the kitchen to make a dish from scratch -- just like Grandma's!

Here, you'll whisk together a roux (with butter and flour), and then add chicken broth and milk. This process only takes a few minutes, and it creates a rich, creamy, flavorful substitute for cream of chicken soup.

Which pan to use?

I recommend baking this casserole in a 9-inch square dish or in another 2 ½-quart dish (like some 11 x 7-inch pans). If you want to feed a larger crowd, double the recipe and bake the casserole in a deep 9 x 13-inch pan.

How to make Chicken Noodle Casserole - No Soup

This old-fashioned chicken and egg noodle recipe tastes a lot like a cross between chicken noodle soup and a creamy chicken pot pie filling. It's total comfort food that the whole family will enjoy!

Ingredients for Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

• Egg noodles
• Butter
• Carrots, onion and celery
• Garlic
• All-purpose flour
• Milk
• Chicken broth
• Thyme
• Chicken
• Cheddar cheese
• Frozen peas
• Ritz crackers

Step 1: Cook Noodles

Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions, just until al dente. For wide egg noodles, this should only take about 5 minutes. Drain.

Step 2: Prepare Cream Sauce

Sauté the vegetables and garlic, make a roux with flour and butter, and then whisk in the milk and broth. Let the mixture bubble and thicken for a few of minutes, then add the thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Stir Together

Add the cooked noodles, chicken, cheese and frozen peas to the vegetables and sauce. Toss to combine, and then transfer to the baking dish.

Step 4: Add Ritz Crackers

In a small bowl, stir together the crushed Ritz crackers and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the top of the casserole.

Step 5: Bake

Pop the dish into a 350 degree F oven, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes -- or just until it's heated through, bubbly and golden brown on top.

What goes well with Chicken and Noodles?

This creamy casserole goes well with any of the following sides:

• Wedge Salad
• Caesar Salad
• Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
• Fluffy bakery-style Corn Muffins
• Pumpkin Bread
• A simple green salad dressed with Buttermilk Dressing or Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette
• Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon
• Roasted Broccoli
• Roasted Asparagus
• Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
• Three Bean Salad

Make Ahead

This is the ultimate prep-ahead meal to get dinner on the table quickly and easily -- even on busy nights. Assemble the casserole, wrap tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.

Can Chicken Noodle Casserole be frozen?

Freeze the chicken casserole before baking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, cover with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, allow the dish to come to room temperature on the counter for at least 30 minutes, and then bake according to recipe instructions. The creamy sauce is less likely to "break" when thawed if you give it time to come to room temperature (don't put the frozen or cold casserole directly in the oven), and if you use full-fat milk instead of skim milk.

Storage

The leftover baked casserole will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the casserole in a 350 degree F oven, covered, just until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute.

Recipe Variations

• Double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a deep 9 x 13-inch dish to serve a larger family.
• Try other good melting cheeses in this casserole, such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, Colby-Jack, Mozzarella or Gruyere.
• For an extra cheesy casserole, use 2 cups of grated cheese. You can also omit the cheese entirely if you prefer.
• Add more herbs to the sauce for extra flavor. Try parsley, oregano, basil or chives.
• Don't have Ritz crackers? Substitute with crushed potato chips, crushed Corn Flakes cereal mixed with melted butter, or other buttery crackers (like Keebler Club crackers).

Tips for the Best Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe

• Cook the pasta just until al dente (tender, but with a firm bite). The pasta will continue cooking in the hot sauce in the oven, so you don't want it to be mushy or overdone.
• Use pre-cooked chicken (not raw meat) in this casserole. Take advantage of leftovers from another meal, a store-bought rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or boil your own chicken at home.
• There's no need to thaw the peas before adding them to the dish. Just stir them in while they're still frozen -- this will help them stay nice and green in the casserole (rather than turning brown and mushy).
• If you'd like to include other larger vegetables in the casserole (like broccoli florets), steam them in the microwave so that they're tender before you add them to the dish. Sautéed mushrooms would also be a nice addition.

More chicken and noodle recipes that you might enjoy:

• Farmhouse Chicken and Noodles
• Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
• Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
• Dump-and-Bake Chicken Paprikash and Noodles

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4.82 from 11 votes

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Make this Chicken Noodle Casserole from scratch for a simple, easy dinner that the whole family will love!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword cheesy, Chicken Noodle Casserole, chicken noodle casserole from scratch

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 - 6 people

Calories 419kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, divided
• ½ cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced onion
• ½ cup diced celery
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ¾ cup Ritz cracker crumbs (about 15 whole crackers)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 9-inch baking dish (or other 2 ½ -quart baking dish) with cooking spray and set aside.
• Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions, just until al dente. Drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, sauté carrots, celery, onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of the butter until soft (about 5-7 minutes).
• Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and stir over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the flour and whisk until blended. Gradually add the milk and then the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Continue whisking and cooking until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Stir in the thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
• In a large bowl (or in the same pot if it’s large enough), combine the sauce with the cooked noodles, chicken, cheese, and frozen peas. Transfer to the prepared dish.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Combine the melted butter with the Ritz cracker crumbs. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over top of the casserole.
• Bake the casserole (uncovered) for about 20-25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Notes

• Cook the pasta just until al dente (tender, but with a firm bite). The pasta will continue cooking in the hot sauce in the oven, so you don't want it to be mushy or overdone in your casserole.
• Use pre-cooked chicken (not raw meat) in this casserole. Take advantage of leftovers from another meal, a store-bought rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or boil your own chicken at home.
• There's no need to thaw the peas before adding them to the dish. Just stir them in while they're still frozen -- this will help them stay nice and green in the casserole (rather than turning brown and mushy).
• If you'd like to include other larger vegetables in the casserole (like broccoli florets), steam them in the microwave so that they're tender before you add them to the dish. Sautéed mushrooms would also be a nice addition to the casserole.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the casserole | Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 641mg | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2628IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 2mg