You don’t even have to boil the pasta for this cozy dump and bake chicken noodle casserole! All of the ingredients cook together in one dish for a simple comfort food dinner that’s ready with just 15 minutes of prep.
If you love easy dump-and-bake dinners, you’ll also enjoy my chicken pot pie pasta and baked ravioli casserole. Find more one-dish favorites in my Favorite Dump and Bake Dinners collection.
Table of Contents
Before You Get Started
A few tips to help this casserole turn out perfectly:
- Use short, sturdy pasta. This recipe is specifically designed and tested with rotini, but you can sub with penne, elbows, or cavatappi. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the rotini (about 7-8 minutes recommended on the package) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven.
- Dice your veggies small. Finely diced carrots, celery, and onion (about ¼-inch pieces) cook evenly with the pasta and blend into every bite.
- Cover tightly with foil. A tight seal traps steam, which is essential for cooking the pasta through. If steam escapes, your noodles may end up undercooked.
- Check pasta doneness before adding cheese. The bake time can vary depending on your oven and pasta shape. If the noodles are still too firm at the 40-minute mark, cover and bake a bit longer before moving on.
How to Make a Chicken Noodle Casserole
This casserole takes all of your favorite chicken noodle soup flavors and bakes them into a hearty, healthy, family-friendly dinner. No extra pots, no boiling pasta on the stovetop. Just stir, cover, and bake.
Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients
Start by preheating your oven to 425°F and spraying a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Dice your cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can use leftover chicken from a previous meal, a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or the refrigerated cooked chicken strips from the grocery store. Any of these options work great and save time.
Finely dice the celery, carrots, and onion so they cook evenly with the pasta. Mince your garlic and measure out the thyme (fresh or dried both work).
** Creamy Variation: For a creamy sauce that binds the casserole (rather than just broth), use 2 cans of condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, as well as 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1 1/2 cups of broth.
** Make-Ahead Tip: You can chop all the chicken and veggies in advance and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble.
Step 2: Assemble the Casserole
Add the chicken, celery, carrots, onion, thyme, garlic, uncooked pasta, chicken broth, and salt to your prepared baking dish. Stir everything together until well combined.
The broth should just cover the pasta and veggies. This liquid is what cooks the noodles in the oven, so make sure everything is evenly distributed.
Step 3: Bake Until Bubbly
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. You want a good seal so the steam stays trapped inside. This is what cooks the pasta through without any pre-boiling.
Bake for 40 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and give everything a good stir. Check the pasta at this point. It should be al dente (firm but almost finished cooking).
If the noodles are still too hard, cover and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, then check again.
Step 4: Add the Cheese Topping
Once the pasta is al dente, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 5-10 more minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the pasta is fully tender.
Let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving. This helps it set up slightly and makes it easier to scoop.
Scaling This Recipe
Cooking for Two? Cut the recipe ingredients in half and bake in an 8-inch square pan. The cooking instructions remain the same.
Feeding a Crowd? This recipe doubles well. Use two 9 x 13-inch dishes or one large roasting pan, and add 10-15 minutes to the covered bake time.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftover casserole in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave, adding a splash of chicken broth if it looks dry. For larger portions, cover with foil and warm in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Freezing: This casserole freezes well for up to 2-3 months. Let it cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container or wrap the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Make-Ahead: Assemble the casserole (without baking) up to 24 hours in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Add 5-10 minutes to the bake time since the dish will be cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really not have to boil the pasta first?
That’s right! The pasta cooks directly in the broth as the casserole bakes. Just make sure to cover the dish tightly with foil so the steam stays trapped inside.
What kind of pasta works best?
This recipe is designed for and tested with rotini. You can sub with other similar short pasta shapes, but make sure they have the same recommended cooking time on the package (7-8 minutes). Otherwise, you’ll need to adjust your casserole’s baking time.
How do I keep the casserole from drying out?
Make sure your foil is sealed tightly during the first 40 minutes of baking. If the casserole looks dry when you uncover it, stir in a splash of extra chicken broth before adding the cheese.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Absolutely! Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut. Just shred or dice about 2 cups of meat. Leftover cooked chicken or refrigerated chicken strips work well too.
Can I add other vegetables?
Yes! Peas, corn, or diced bell peppers are all good additions. Stir them in with the other ingredients before baking.
More Easy Casserole Dinners
Did you make this recipe?
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Watch How to Make It
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Noodle Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken
- 1 cup finely-diced celery
- 1 cup peeled and finely-diced carrots
- 1 cup finely-diced onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 12 ounces uncooked rotini pasta
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the cooked chicken, celery, carrots, onion, thyme, garlic, uncooked pasta, and salt to the prepared dish. Stir until well combined.
- Pour the broth into the dish and use a spatula or spoon to make sure that most of the pasta is submerged in the liquid.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove foil and stir. Check the pasta. It should be al dente (firm but almost done). If still too hard, cover and bake 5-10 more minutes, then check again.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes until cheese is melted and pasta is tender.
- Let rest a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pasta: Use rotini (or another short, quick-cooking pasta like penne or cavatappi). Rotini is tested for this recipe, but any shape with a similar 7-8 minute cook time will work, too. Avoid thicker shapes like ziti or shells that take longer to soften.
- Chicken options: Use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or refrigerated cooked chicken strips.
- Tight seal: Cover the dish tightly with foil so steam stays trapped. This is what cooks the pasta.
- Check pasta early: Bake times can vary. If pasta is still hard at 40 minutes, cover and bake longer before adding cheese.
- If it looks dry: Stir in a splash of extra chicken broth before adding the cheese.
- Cooking for two: Halve the ingredients and use an 8-inch square pan. Same bake time.
- Make-ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours ahead. Refrigerate covered. Add 5-10 minutes to bake time.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers up to 3-4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth.
- Freezing: Freeze up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
Originally published in September, 2017, this post was updated in January, 2026.
Enjoy the senior meals
Looks good
Thanks, Kathy. I hope you’ll try it!
Hi, love your recipes! Can this be done on stove top & not oven? Thank you.
Hi! I imagine it could! You would need to keep the pot covered and maybe give it a stir occasionally to make sure that the ingredients cook evenly.