Chicken Noodle Casserole channels the flavors of chicken noodle soup into a creamy, cheesy dish the whole family will love. This best-ever version features loads of veggies, tender chicken, a cheesy cream sauce, and a crunchy topping.
Try some other favorite chicken noodle recipes like this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup or this one pot Chicken Pot Pie Pasta.
A Chicken Casserole With Noodles
There are few things better than a cheesy chicken casserole, but load it up with some pasta, veggies, and top it all with a crunchy topping? Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
One of the best things about this dish is that the creamy cheesy sauce is made from scratch. Not only are you avoiding all the chemicals (and who knows what else) found in “cream of something” soups, but you’re also going to get far more flavor this way. Nothing is better than a homemade cream sauce in a casserole and this “no-soup” Chicken Noodle Casserole is no exception.
Quick Tip
Love a good casserole? Me too. Here are a few favorites: Chicken Divan, Chicken Tortellini, Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole, Tuna Casserole (made in one pan!), Crockpot Cowboy Casserole, and this Tortellini Casserole
How To Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
There are four components to this recipe: 1. pasta, 2. chicken, 3. vegetables, and 4. the cheesy cream sauce. Here’s a quick overview along with some tips:
- Pasta. Be sure to salt the pasta water, as this will season the pasta. I recommend cooking the pasta for 1 minute shorter than the shortest time indicated on the box. Why? The pasta will be baked later on so if it’s slightly too firm after being boiled, it will be perfect after baking!
- Chicken. The more seasoned and flavorful the chicken, the better the casserole will taste. That said, be sure the seasoning flavor correlates well. A spicy, Asian-inspired, or BBQ-sauced chicken isn’t going to work well flavor-wise here.
- Vegetables. To keep things as simple as possible, use frozen diced veggies. Grab your favorites; we like peas, corn, and carrots best. (And, those are typically the veggies in chicken noodle soup!)
- Cheesy cream sauce. More tips on this sauce below!
What Do You Eat With Chicken and Noodles?
We like this creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole best with a homemade cheese sauce. Here are a few tips:
- Use flavorful cheese: Sharp or extra sharp cheese has a richer taste. If your cheese sauce lacks flavor, it might be because the cheese isn’t aged enough or the sauce needs more salt.
- Grate your own cheese: Packaged grated cheese can make the sauce powdery and won’t melt well because of the anti-clumping coating.
- Thicken the sauce properly: This recipe uses 4 cups of milk, so it takes a while to thicken. To test, stir the sauce and lift the spoon. Draw a line across the back with your fingertip. If the line stays clear, the sauce is thick enough; if not, cook it a bit longer.
Variations
Recipe Variations
- Make an old-fashioned chicken and egg noodle casserole by replacing the rotini pasta with egg noodles. We like the rotini better because it holds up really well, but egg noodles are still tasty.
- Prepare a healthy casserole by leaving off the crunchy panko topping, using 1% milk instead of whole milk, and slightly reducing the cheese (leave out 1/2 cup). This will make the casserole a bit healthier, but note: there will be some flavor and texture missing.
- Make a Chicken Noodle Casserole with broccoli by adding 1 cup diced broccoli to the cooking pasta water in the last 1 minute of boiling. Drain with the pasta and broccoli and use in this recipe.
Shortcuts
Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole
- I like to use frozen veggies for this recipe — no prep needed!
- I also use seasonings instead of chopping onions and garlic to save time.
- Another tip is to use pre-cooked chicken. I buy rotisserie chicken that’s already shredded or diced. Stores often sell pre-sliced roasted or grilled chicken, which is perfect for this casserole.
- I make everything ahead of time and put it together when I’m ready to eat. I keep the pasta, veggies, and chicken separate from the sauce so the pasta doesn’t soak up too much liquid. When I’m ready to bake, I mix everything together and add 5-10 minutes to the bake time since the ingredients are cold from the fridge.
What Do You Serve With A Chicken Casserole?
The nice thing about a chicken casserole is it’s really an all-in-one type of meal. We’ve got carbs, proteins, and fats — pasta, chicken, and a cheese sauce. Plus, there are loads of veggies.
That said, here are our favorite sides for this Chicken Noodle Casserole:
- A quick veggie salad like this Italian Salad, Garden Salad, an everyday Salad Recipe, or this Olive Garden Salad
- A roasted veggie side dish like Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or a medley of Roasted Vegetables
- Cool, crisp, and crunchy side like Cucumber Salad or Apple Fennel Salad
- A side of fresh fruit such as this Creamy Fruit Salad, Winter Fruit Salad, or this Fruit Salad Recipe
- Some type of bread to sop up any leftover casserole sauce–try this easy No-Knead Bread or these no-knead Dinner Rolls
More Tasty Chicken Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta with Alfredo and Buffalo sauce
- Teriyaki Chicken Salad with a three-ingredient dressing
- Chicken Fajitas with charred peppers and onions
- Moroccan Chicken over couscous
- Chicken And Broccoli Pasta with a cheesy cream sauce
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Chicken Noodle Casserole channels all the flavors you know and love from chicken noodle soup into a creamy, cheesy casserole dish the whole family will love! This is the absolute best-ever version of the popular casserole--it's got loads of veggies, tender chicken, a cheesy cream sauce, and a crunchy topping.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. (4 cups) rotini pasta (Note 1)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup white flour
- 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme and dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed, optional
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- Fine sea salt & pepper
- 4 cups whole milk (Note 2)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, optional
- 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, divided (Note 3)
- 1-1/2 cups diced rotisserie/leftover cooked chicken
- 1 bag (12 oz.) frozen peas and carrots
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Optional topping: 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons butter (Note 4)
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Remove milk from the refrigerator, measure, and set aside. Take frozen peas and carrots plus corn from the freezer and let stand at room temp for now. We want all of these ingredients to come close to room temperature.
- PASTA: Generously salt pasta water (I add 1 tsp fine sea salt to every 4 cups of water). Cook pasta according to package directions, subtracting 1 minute. Drain, allow to slightly cool, then pour directly into the prepared casserole dish. (Don't rinse in cold water.)
- OPTIONAL TOPPING: Meanwhile, prepare topping if desired. (See Note 4.)
- SAUCE: Add the butter to a nonstick pot over medium heat. Once melted, add in all the seasonings plus salt & pepper (to taste; I add 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper). Stir. Then, sprinkle flour on top and briskly whisk until the mixture forms a dough. Cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Very gradually pour in 1/2 cup of milk, whisking constantly until mixture forms a smooth paste. Gradually add in remaining milk, 1/2 cup at a time, while whisking briskly and constantly.
- CREAM SAUCE CONT.: Increase high to high. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring frequently so the sauce doesn't catch. Boil for 3 minutes and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer until sauce is nicely thickened. (Sauce should be thick enough that you can draw a path across the back of a spoon and it stays; this takes about 5-8 minutes.) Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Add in Dijon mustard and 1-1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and stir gently until melted.
- ASSEMBLE: Add diced chicken, frozen peas, carrots and corn to the prepared casserole dish. Pour the sauce over all; then stir until everything is nicely coated. Smooth everything into an even layer. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar evenly over everything. Top evenly with the panko topping.
- BAKE: Bake 25 minutes until top is golden and edges are bubbling. Serve immediately!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Pasta: Most packages of penne pasta are either 12 ounces (perfect amount for this recipe!) or 16 ounces. If you get a 16-ounce package, measure out 1 and 1/4 packed cups and remove that (use in a different recipe). The remaining left in the package is 12 ounces (or 4 cups) -- just the right amount for this recipe.
Note 2: Whole milk: Remove from the fridge, measure, and set aside before starting to cook. Room-temperature milk will heat quicker! This is intended to be a creamy recipe, and the lower-fat milk choices won't achieve the right texture. That said, you can use 1% or 2% (for a less creamy dish). Unfortunately, skim milk or a dairy milk alternative doesn't work the same in this recipe.
Note 3: Cheese: Use a flavorful cheese. Sharp (and extra sharp) indicates a more aged cheese that will deliver a richer and more pungent flavor. If you’ve ever noticed your cheese sauce to be lacking, it’s likely because the cheese wasn’t aged, or the sauce needed more salt. Avoid this by grating your own cheese! Already-grated packaged cheese will give the sauce a powdery texture and won’t melt as nicely (Pre-grated cheeses have a powder coating to keep shreds from clumping in the bag).
Note 4: Optional topping: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add in panko and salt to taste, I add a heaping 1/4 teaspoon. Stir constantly until lightly browned then sprinkle over the casserole. (Don't want to use stovetop/pan? Just melt butter in the microwave and mix panko through with heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt.)
Nutrition information does not include the panko topping.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 702kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 742mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 6203IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 502mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
As your sister, it’s official. I found my new comfort meal🥹 Thank you so much for this recipe!
YAY! So happy to hear this! Thanks Callie! 🙂