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    Home » What We're Eating » Dump and Bake Chicken Noodle Casserole

    Dump and Bake Chicken Noodle Casserole

    Published: Sep 8, 2017 by Blair Lonergan

    Jump to Recipe
    A collage image of a chicken noodle casserole

    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!

    An overhead shot of a chicken noodle casserole in a white dish with a wooden serving spoon

    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."

    A side shot of a chicken noodle casserole in a white casserole dish

    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

    An overhead shot of a chicken noodle casserole with vegetables

    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?!

    A close up of a chicken noodle casserole in a white dish

    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.

    A side shot of a chicken noodle casserole with a serving spoon

    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
    Print Pin
    5 from 4 votes

    Dump-and-Bake Chicken Noodle Casserole

    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!
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Chicken Noodle Bake, Chicken Noodle Casserole
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 270kcal
    Author The Seasoned Mom

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups diced cooked chicken
    • 1 cup finely-diced celery
    • 1 cup finely-diced carrots
    • 1 cup finely-diced onion
    • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 12 ounces uncooked rotini pasta
    • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
    • In the prepared dish (or in a separate bowl), stir together cooked chicken, celery, carrots, onion, thyme, garlic, uncooked pasta, chicken broth, and salt.
    • Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
    • Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
    • Sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender).

    Notes

    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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/8 of the recipe | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 6.7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 669mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3.4g
    « Brunswick Stew Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

      September 08, 2017 at 7:59 am

      Chicken casseroles like this are my version of pure comfort food. I love that you made your dump and bake version, Blair! I could dive right into this for breakfast!

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 08, 2017 at 2:16 pm

        Thanks, Gayle! Chicken casseroles definitely = comfort! Have a great weekend!

        Reply
    2. Tracey

      September 08, 2017 at 8:36 pm

      If I want to use previously cooked pasta, how much do I reduce the liquid?

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 09, 2017 at 5:15 am

        Hey, Tracey! I'm not sure, since I've never tried it that way. I would just eyeball it and see how much liquid you think it needs once you have all of the ingredients stirred together. You would want enough to keep it moist, but not so much that it looks like soup. 🙂 Maybe 1 cup? But here's my main concern: when you cook the raw pasta in the dish, it absorbs most of the liquid, but it also releases starches that thicken the liquid that's left. If you're not actually cooking the pasta (and you're just using pre-cooked pasta instead), the end result will be a runnier "sauce" since there's no starch added. I suppose you could mix some cornstarch into the liquid before putting it in the dish, which would act as a thickener in a similar way? I've just not tried that. 🙂

        Reply
        • Angelina

          October 15, 2017 at 11:11 am

          Thanks for the tip Blair, since I too, like to cook my pasta (or rice) separately, in order to eliminate the excess starch.. I'm sure that adding the cornstarch will work. This dish sounds sooo yummy & easy. We love Chicken Noodle Soup, so I'm sure this casserole will be a huge hit with my family. The only thing which I'll do differently, is to use No Yolks Egg Noodles (the ruffled ones), b/c that's what I normally use when I make chicken soup from scratch.

          Reply
          • Blair

            October 15, 2017 at 8:26 pm

            Sounds good, Angelina! Let me know if that works for you!

            Reply
        • Leigh

          April 10, 2022 at 3:20 pm

          You could stir in a can of cream of something soup, with the 1 cup broth, bet that would thicken the sauce.

          Reply
    3. Dee

      September 08, 2017 at 8:50 pm

      Thanks for such a great idea for someone who cannot have tomatoes with pasta! Thanks again.

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 09, 2017 at 5:15 am

        Great! Enjoy, Dee!

        Reply
    4. Megan

      September 08, 2017 at 9:15 pm

      Blair- My hubby has been feeling cruddy all day, so I made this tonight, along with a batch of your slow cooker applesauce. Perfect meal! He and our daughter gobbled it right up- definitely going in our dinner recipe collection!

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 09, 2017 at 5:16 am

        That's wonderful, Megan! Thank you so much for letting me know! I agree -- it sounds like the perfect dinner, and I hope that your husband is feeling better soon! Doesn't it smell so good while it's cooking too? Just like a pot of soup simmering on the stove... 🙂

        Reply
    5. Kathy S

      September 10, 2017 at 8:06 am

      We are tha Florida evacuees staying in Alabama. It's nice to see your normalcy at this time. It's heartening there is something out there that is still normal. Please keep us in your prayers.

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 10, 2017 at 8:41 am

        Praying for you, Kathy! My brother and his family live in Orlando, so the people of Florida are on my mind! xoxo

        Reply
    6. Jessica Swan

      October 14, 2017 at 3:38 pm

      Love! We have a three year old and a one year old and while they are both lovers of good food, we have to watch the sizes of veggies and meat we give them. Instead of dicing and chopping, I literally threw everything (but the noodles, ha!) in my food processor and pulsed. The veg were small enough for the babies mouth and the chicken shredded into perfect bites. It was so fast and so easy and beyond delicious. I normally prep for dinner in the morning while the baby naps. But wih this meal didn't have to! Instead, spent the time playing with our three year old. And because it took me all of five minutes to get everything into my baking dish, I was able to spent even more time playing with my kids AND sipping on a martini! You're my hero. Xo. Love from Vancouver, Canada.

      Reply
      • Blair

        October 14, 2017 at 5:20 pm

        Oh, that makes me so happy to hear, Jessica! Thanks for letting me know! The food processor is a great shortcut -- love that idea!

        I have tons of other dump-and-bake recipes on the blog, so hopefully they will offer other quick options for dinner prep at your busy house. Thanks again for your sweet note!

        Reply
    7. Jallyce

      January 17, 2018 at 2:14 am

      Can I just sub. whole wheat rotini? Or would I need to change liquid ratio and cooking time?

      Reply
      • Blair

        January 17, 2018 at 6:37 am

        Hi, Jallyce! Yes, the whole wheat rotini and the elbow macaroni have about the same cooking time, so it should work as an equal substitute. Just keep an eye on it towards the end of baking so that you can pull it out when it's done and it doesn't get overcooked (or add a few extra minutes, if necessary). Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Brandy

      February 12, 2018 at 4:15 pm

      This looks fantastic. I will use canned chicken breast for extra ease on preparation.

      Reply
      • Blair

        February 12, 2018 at 6:01 pm

        That should work well, Brandy!

        Reply
        • Brandy

          February 12, 2018 at 6:49 pm

          Turned out wonderful. Was a huge hit. Will be added to dinner rotation. Thank you

          Reply
          • Blair

            February 12, 2018 at 8:27 pm

            That's great, Brandy! Thank you for letting me know!!

            Reply
    9. Terry Franklin

      March 02, 2018 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      I tried the Dump-and-Bake Chicken Noodle Casserole tonight, as written. Perfect--thank you!

      Reply
      • Blair

        March 03, 2018 at 5:14 am

        Awesome! I'm so glad that it was a hit, Terry! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂

        Reply
        • Meka

          April 29, 2018 at 3:49 pm

          Love your recipes ideas this will be the first one I try. Can I substitute broccoli for the celery, its what I happen to have on hand? Also has anyone ever tried using the noodles infused with veggies? Does that change the taste?

          Reply
          • Blair

            April 29, 2018 at 4:06 pm

            Hi, Meka! So glad that you found my blog! 🙂

            The celery gives the dish that "chicken noodle soup" taste, since garlic, celery, and onion are key ingredients in a classic chicken noodle soup base. You can definitely substitute with broccoli instead, but I just wanted you to know that it will change the taste of the finished dish a bit.

            I've never used the veggies noodles, so I'm not sure if that would alter the taste at all.

            Enjoy! 🙂

            Reply
    10. Kenneth Carver

      November 08, 2018 at 12:49 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this and...It's FANTASTIC!!!!

      Reply
      • Blair

        November 08, 2018 at 2:11 pm

        Yay! So glad that you enjoyed it, Kenneth!

        Reply
    11. Gisele Sabourin

      November 12, 2018 at 4:39 pm

      I tried you recipe twice, once the way you suggest and once on stove top instead of oven. I loved both of them. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Blair

        November 12, 2018 at 6:54 pm

        That's awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know, Gisele!

        Reply
    12. Casy

      January 30, 2019 at 10:38 am

      Do you think this can be baked with raw chunks of boneless, skinless chicken? This would save a step, of having to cook the chicken. Would time and/or temperature need to be changed?

      Reply
      • Blair

        January 30, 2019 at 3:18 pm

        Hi, Casy! Yes -- you can definitely use raw, diced chicken. As long as the chicken is diced pretty small, the cooking time and temperature should remain the same!

        Reply
    13. Kathlene

      April 08, 2019 at 10:53 am

      Do you really need to use cooked chicken? Since it bakes for 45 minutes, could you just cut up a couple of raw chicken breasts and use that?

      Reply
      • Blair

        April 08, 2019 at 12:02 pm

        Hey, Kathlene! You can definitely use the raw chicken -- just make sure that you dice it into bite-sized pieces so that it has a chance to fully cook through. I've used both the raw and the cooked chicken in a lot of recipes like this, and either option works! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Lisa

      February 10, 2020 at 10:17 am

      5 stars
      Great easy meal and tasted like chicken soup! My daughter loves it and she is hard to please! Can you use a whole
      Box of pasta? How much more liquid would you need??

      Reply
      • Blair

        February 10, 2020 at 12:41 pm

        So glad that your daughter enjoyed it, too! You can definitely use an entire box of pasta -- just make sure that you're also using a deep dish to accommodate the extra noodles and liquid. 🙂 I haven't tested it myself, but I would suggest trying a 16 ounce box of rotini with about 5-5 1/3 cups of broth. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    15. Esadora

      February 16, 2020 at 10:44 am

      I would like to make this recipe and freeze it for later use. Does it freeze well?

      Reply
      • Blair

        February 16, 2020 at 12:38 pm

        Hi, Esadora! I don't typically freeze dishes like this for a couple of reasons: (1) if you freeze it before baking, I feel like the noodles absorb the liquid as it sits and then have a weird texture later; and (2) if you freeze it after baking, any cooked noodle tends to get a bit mushy when thawed. That said, I've had plenty of readers tell me that they've frozen this type of dish and found that it worked fine. I think it's really just a matter of preference. If you're picky about the texture, I would avoid freezing. If you don't mind a mushy noodle, it will be fine. 🙂

        Reply
    16. Sarah

      March 29, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious! The recipe is super flexible and I appreciate all the tips. I used a different pasta I had on hand and look forward to making it again, with just about anything I have on hand, though the recipe is fantastic as is!

      Reply
      • Blair

        March 29, 2020 at 2:23 pm

        Thanks, Sarah! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note. You're right -- totally customizable! 🙂

        Reply
    17. Janet Rice

      June 10, 2020 at 2:16 am

      We love the chicken, broccoli, rice dump casserole so I was looking at the recipes for other ones. I notice this one uses cooked chicken, where the other let's you put in raw chicken. One of the things I love is that there's next to no prep with the chicken, rice, broccoli one. I'm wondering why the chicken had to be cooked for this one.

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Blair

        June 10, 2020 at 5:12 am

        Hi, Janet! Some folks don't like the idea of using raw chicken in this type of dish, so I try to mix it up. There's no other explanation than that. 🙂 If you like the convenience of using the raw diced chicken in these dump-and-bake casseroles, you can certainly do that for this recipe as well. Just make sure that you dice the chicken into small bites before adding it to the dish so that it's sure to cook through in the same time as the pasta. Enjoy!

        Reply

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