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Chicken Noodle Casserole

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Chicken noodle casserole with wide egg noodles, shredded chicken, peas and carrots, and a creamy cheddar sauce under buttery cracker crumbs.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 12 oz wide egg noodles
  • 3 cups chopped cooked chicken about 1 lb
  • 2 (10.5 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 cups frozen peas and carrots thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar 6 oz block, divided
  • 1 cup crushed buttery crackers about 25 Ritz
  • 2 tbsp butter melted
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  • Boil the noodles short: Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Cook the egg noodles in a large pot of salted water for 1 minute less than the package says, so they're still firm. Drain well.
  • Whisk the sauce: In a large bowl, whisk the cream of chicken soup, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. Condensed soup goes in thick and lumpy, so keep whisking until it loosens.
  • Fold everything together: Add the drained noodles, chopped chicken, thawed peas and carrots, and 1 cup of the cheddar. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until the sauce coats everything evenly.
  • Fill the dish: Spread the mixture into the greased 9x13 and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar over it.
  • Butter the crumbs: Toss the crushed crackers with the melted butter in a small bowl until the crumbs look damp, then sprinkle them evenly across the top. Dry crumbs go pale in the oven, so make sure they're all coated.
  • Bake: Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the edges, the crumbs are deep golden, and a thermometer in the center reads 165°F.
  • Rest and finish: Let it stand 5 minutes so the sauce thickens, then scatter the parsley over the top and serve.

Notes

Boil the egg noodles 1 minute shy of the package time since they keep cooking in the oven, and thaw and dry the frozen vegetables so they don't thin the sauce. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes, until the center reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Any chicken or turkey used must have been cooked to 165°F.