You don’t even have to boil the pasta for this nutritious and cozy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Noodle Casserole! All of the ingredients cook together in one dish for a simple comfort food dinner on a cool evening!
Y’all know how much I love my dump-and-bake dinners, and this Chicken Noodle Casserole is no exception!
My kids have always loved chicken noodle soup, but their favorite part of the soup is always the pasta and chicken — not the broth. As a result, I end up draining off a lot of the excess broth and instead serving them bowls of tender chicken, noodles, and veggies. Not bad, but not exactly “soup.”
That’s why this Chicken Noodle Casserole is such a genius creation (if I do say so myself). It includes all of our favorite flavors and ingredients from the classic soup, but they’re baked into a hearty and nutritious casserole. Can’t beat a one dish meal on a busy night!
Here’s What You Need!
- Diced Cooked Chicken
- Carrot
- Onion
- Celery
- Thyme
- Garlic
- Short Pasta
- Chicken Broth
- Cheddar Cheese
But the ABSOLUTE BEST part of this whole meal is the fact that it’s a DUMP-AND-BAKE dinner! In other words, you don’t even have to boil the pasta before preparing the casserole! Just stir all of your ingredients together in the dish, cover it, and bake it in the oven. SO simple, right?!
You’ll add some shredded cheddar cheese on top during the final few minutes of baking, which gives the Chicken Noodle Casserole even more flavor and texture.
It’s a simple option that takes advantage of leftover chicken from a previous meal, a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or the refrigerated cooked chicken strips that you can purchase at any grocery store.
Did you have any idea that a homemade dinner could be quite this easy?! Time to pull out your fall sweaters and get cozy this season with a classic family-friendly dinner that only requires 15 minutes of prep!
Extra Tips;
- Cooking for Two? You can cut the recipe ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. The cooking instructions remain the same.
- Want to Prep Ahead? You can chop all of the chicken and veggies in advance and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to stir together the casserole.
More Casserole Recipes You Might Like;
- Dump and Bake Ravioli Casserole
- Taco Pasta Casserole
- 3-Ingredient Tuna Casserole
- Dump and Bake Sausage, Red Beans and Rice Casserole
- Dump and Bake Chicken Pot Pie Pasta
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
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.
Enjoy the senior meals
Looks good
Thanks, Kathy. I hope you’ll try it!