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Inspired by the classic soup, this chicken noodle bake recipe is a casserole full of chicken, vegetables, and egg noodles with a savory, creamy sauce. For this budget-friendly family meal, we make a quick and easy homemade version of cream of chicken soup that’s way more flavorful than the canned version. This easy weeknight chicken dinner idea will put your pantry staples to good use!
I love having a few meals that are made entirely from pantry staples in my recipe repertoire. They come in handy for times when you don’t feel like running to the grocery store! Or when you’re snowed in or rained in and need a cozy, nourishing meal.
This chicken noodle casserole is a delicious pantry staple recipe to have up your sleeve. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your cupboard or freezer. But not worries if you don’t; all of the ingredients can easily be swapped out to help you use what you have on hand.
Chicken noodle bake starts with a quick and easy homemade creamy sauce. Don’t be intimidated to make your own sauce; it whips up in less than 5 minutes and is packed with flavor. You may never buy canned cream of chicken soup again!
Then the sauce is combined with egg noodles, canned chicken (rotisserie chicken is also a great choice), and frozen vegetables. Buttered breadcrumbs on top add flavor and a bit of crunchy texture.
Chicken noodle hotdish is a satisfying, hearty meal in itself. Just like chicken noodle soup, this casserole is healthy comfort food at its finest!
Why This Will Become Your New Favorite Casserole Recipe
- Economical cooking. This recipe makes 8 servings and uses relatively inexpensive ingredients. It’s great for meal prep or a dinner of leftovers!
- You probably have all the ingredients on hand. With items like canned chicken, egg noodles, and frozen peas and carrots, this is a pantry and freezer staple casserole, which means that you might already have everything you need to make it.
- We don’t use canned soup. It takes only 5 minutes to whip up a rich, creamy, and flavorful sauce for this casserole, and it makes all the difference.
- It’s easy to customize. You can swap out any component in this casserole recipe! See the Notes in the recipe card below for details.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Creamy Sauce Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – together with the flour, this is used to make a roux to thicken the sauce
- All-purpose flour – along with the butter, this forms a roux that thickens the creamy sauce
- Chicken stock – use homemade chicken stock or a good-quality store-bought chicken stock
- Milk – I like to use whole milk here instead of reduced fat for creamy texture and richness, but any type of milk will work
- Dried minced onion – look for this in the spice aisle; instead of using fresh onion, this pantry staple is a time saver and adds a ton of flavor
- Garlic powder – instead of taking the time to peel and mince fresh garlic, this pantry staple ingredient is a good option here
- Salt and black pepper – to season the creamy sauce
- Cream cheese – for creamy texture and rich flavor
Breadcrumb Topping Ingredients
- Italian style seasoned breadcrumbs – these are regular breadcrumbs that are already seasoned
- Salted butter – to add flavor and help brown the breadcrumbs
- Fresh thyme – this optional garnish adds a pop of green color and bright flavor
Chicken Egg Noodle Casserole Ingredients
- Egg noodles – just like in classic chicken noodle soup, we use egg noodles in this casserole
- Canned chicken – using canned chicken makes this a pantry staple meal; if you prefer, you can use rotisserie chicken (about 3 cups chopped) or cook 1 1/4 pounds of chicken breasts and chop it up
- Frozen peas and carrots – these freezer staples are the vegetables in our chicken noodle casserole
How to Make This Chicken Noodle Bake Recipe
There are two easy steps to this recipe. This casserole doesn’t use canned soup, so the first step is to make a quick homemade version on the stovetop. You can do this while the egg noodles cook. After that, the second step is to combine everything and pop it in the oven!
Note that you can make this chicken noodle casserole with canned cream of chicken soup or canned cream of mushroom soup, especially if you’re in a time crunch. But if you have a couple extra minutes and a well-stocked kitchen, homemade cream soup is so much better.
How to Make Quick Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
- Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Cook 1 minute, whisking occasionally.
- Whisk in the chicken stock, milk, dried minced onions, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Add the cream cheese.
- Whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Remove from the heat.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Stir together the breadcrumbs and butter in a small bowl until well-combined.
- Add the egg noodles, chicken, peas, and carrots to a large bowl. Pour on the creamy sauce and stir to coat.
- Spread this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish, and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top.
- Cover the casserole with foil, and bake until warm throughout, about 15 to 20 minutes at 375F. Remove the foil and broil a couple minutes to brown the top.
Storage & Reheating
Store this casserole covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
After freezing, let it thaw overnight before reheating.
To reheat chicken casserole in the oven, sprinkle a couple tablespoons of chicken stock or water on top of the casserole. Cover the top of the casserole with foil. Reheat it in a preheated 350F oven until warm throughout, about 20 to 30 minutes.
To reheat chicken casserole in the microwave, put however much casserole you want on a microwave-safe plate. Dampen a paper towel with water and place it in on top of the casserole. Microwave in 45-second intervals until warm, stirring between each interval.
Recipe Tips: How to Customize This Recipe
The beauty of this meal is that you can swap out just about any of the ingredients to truly make it your own! It’s the perfect recipe to help you use what you have on hand. Here are the ingredient substitutions you can make:
- Creamy sauce: If you have a 22.6-ounce family size can (or two regular-sized 10.5-ounce cans) of cream of something soup (such as cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, cream of potato soup, etc.) on hand, feel free to use it (plus 1 1/2 cups of milk) instead of making the creamy sauce for this casserole.
- Canned chicken: Instead of canned chicken, if you prefer, you can use rotisserie chicken (about 3 cups chopped) or cook 1 1/4 pounds of chicken breasts and chop it up.
- Egg noodles: You can use 3 cups of cooked rice (brown or white rice is fine) instead of the egg noodles.
- Vegetables: Instead of frozen peas and carrots, you can use up to 6 cups of frozen broccoli (thawed) or fresh broccoli (steamed).
- Breadcrumbs: If you don’t have Italian style seasoned breadcrumbs on hand, you can use regular breadcrumbs or 1/2 cup of cracker crumbs (Ritz crackers work well).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. For this recipe, cook the noodles to al dente according to the package directions, drain, and then they’re ready to use here.
Yes. Cover this casserole with foil before baking to help prevent it from drying out. Before serving, we remove the foil and broil a couple minutes to brown the top.
Like many casseroles, the beauty of this chicken noodle bake is that it’s a full meal in one recipe! With egg noodles, chicken, and vegetables, this dish is hearty and satisfying.
Because of this, don’t feel like you have to serve something along with this casserole. However, if you want to serve a side dish with this for variety, or if you want to make this casserole stretch a bit, there quite a few things that pair well with it.
Here are some side dish ideas that pair well with this casserole:
Crusty bread: You can pick up a loaf at the store, or make this no knead bread recipe (or try my favorite easy artisan bread!).
Biscuits: A comfort food staple, biscuits are easy to whip up; try this quick and easy recipe for garlic bread drop biscuits.
Salad: Throw together a salad with a base of chopped lettuce or leafy greens and any vegetables you have on hand. If you have the ingredients for it, this is the best salad dressing!
More Weeknight Dinner Casserole Recipes to Make
- Quick Lasagna Casserole (aka Lazy Lasagna)
- Million Dollar Ritz Chicken Casserole
- Vegetable Beef Guinness Casserole Topped with Scallion Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole
Let’s Connect
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Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe
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Ingredients
Creamy Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
Topping:
- 1/2 cup Italian style seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
- Fresh thyme for garnish (optional)
Casserole:
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 12 ounces egg noodles cooked to al dente according to the package directions and drained
- 25 ounces canned chicken drained
- 15 ounces frozen peas thawed
- 15 ounces frozen carrots thawed
Instructions
For the Creamy Sauce:
- Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Cook 1 minute, whisking occasionally.
- Whisk in the chicken stock, milk, dried minced onions, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Whisk in the cream cheese until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Remove from the heat.
For the Topping:
- Stir together the breadcrumbs and butter in a small bowl until well-combined.
For the Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray the inside of a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Add the egg noodles, chicken, peas, and carrots to a large bowl. Pour on the creamy sauce and stir to coat. Spread this mixture into the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top.
- Cover the casserole with foil, and bake until warm throughout, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil and broil a couple minutes to brown the top.
- If desired, sprinkle fresh thyme on top and serve warm.
Notes
- Storage: Store this casserole covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. After freezing, let it thaw overnight before reheating.
- To Reheat Chicken Casserole in the Oven: Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of chicken stock or water on top of the casserole. Cover the top of the casserole with foil. Reheat it in a preheated 350F oven until warm throughout, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- To Reheat Chicken Casserole in the Microwave: Put however much casserole you want on a microwave-safe plate. Dampen a paper towel with water and place it in on top of the casserole. Microwave in 45-second intervals until warm, stirring between each interval.
- Creamy Sauce: If you have a 22.6-ounce family size can (or two regular-sized 10.5-ounce cans) of cream of something soup (such as cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, cream of potato soup, etc.) on hand, feel free to use it (plus 1 1/2 cups of milk) instead of making the creamy sauce for this casserole.
- Canned Chicken: Instead of canned chicken, if you prefer, you can use rotisserie chicken (about 3 cups chopped) or cook 1 1/4 pounds of chicken breasts and chop it up.
- Egg Noodles: You can use 3 cups of cooked rice (brown or white rice is fine) instead of the egg noodles.
- Vegetables: Instead of frozen peas and carrots, you can use up to 6 cups of frozen broccoli (thawed) or fresh broccoli (steamed).
- Breadcrumbs: If you don’t have Italian style seasoned breadcrumbs on hand, you can use regular breadcrumbs or 1/2 cup of cracker crumbs (Ritz crackers work well).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on January 18, 2023 and updated on September 6, 2024.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
I used crushed Savory Stove Top stuffing mix mixed with some melted butter on top of mine…..it was the best tasting!
Where are the quantities of the ingredients?
Coleen, The ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card: https://www.anediblemosaic.com/chicken-noodle-casserole-recipe/#recipe. You can toggle between US Customary and Metric amounts.