Chicken and Noodle Casserole
Easy, cozy, comfort food at its finest! This chicken and noodle casserole is creamy, cheesy, and finished with a buttery cracker topping.
Servings 4 - 6 people
Calories 560kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
- 2 cups cooked, diced chicken
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups grated Colby Jack cheese, divided
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
- 1 cup coarsely crushed Ritz crackers
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish with butter or cooking spray; set aside.
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente. Drain.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, condensed soup, milk, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the cheese. Add the cooked spaghetti and frozen peas to the chicken mixture; stir to combine.
- Transfer the chicken and noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of grated cheese over top.
- In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and the melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly.
Notes
- Don't overcook the pasta. Boil the spaghetti just until it's al dente (or 1 minutes less), so that it still has a firm bite. The noodles will continue to cook in the oven, and you don't want to end up with mushy spaghetti in your casserole.
- Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut. If you prefer to cook your own chicken at home, boil about 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs until cooked through (about 15 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken and use in the recipe.
- Bake the casserole just until it's heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly. Don't bake it for too long or it will dry out and the noodles will get mushy. You know a casserole is done when the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping is toasted and golden brown.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired, just before serving.
- To serve a larger group, double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a deep 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the casserole | Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 622mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1009IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 397mg | Iron: 2mg