Inspired by the classic soup, this Chicken Noodle Casserole recipe is full of chicken, vegetables, and egg noodles with a creamy sauce that ties all the flavors together. This budget-friendly meal uses pantry staples, and you can easily customize it based on what you already have on hand!
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.
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.
How to Customize This Recipe
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 ½ 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) or cook 1 ¼ 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 ½ cup of cracker crumbs (Ritz crackers work well).