Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole (Creamy Comfort Food)
When you need an easy dinner that feels cozy and comforting, this Chicken Noodle Casserole is always a winner. It's creamy, hearty, and packed with tender chicken, egg noodles, and vegetables-all baked together into the ultimate comfort food.
This is the kind of recipe that's perfect for busy weeknights, chilly evenings, or when someone in the family needs a little extra comfort. It comes together with simple ingredients and just a few minutes of prep, making it a great meal to keep in your regular dinner rotation.
If you love family-friendly casseroles like my Cheese and Hashbrown Hamburger Casserole or Crockpot Cheeseburger Casserole, this chicken noodle casserole is another easy recipe you'll want to save.
Quick Look: Chicken Noodle Casserole
⏱ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 40 minutes
⏳ Total Time: 50 minutes
🍽 Servings: 6
🔥 Calories: ~403 per serving
🥘 Flavor Profile: Creamy, cozy comfort food
👌 Difficulty: Easy family dinner
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Why You'll Love This Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Expert Tips For The best Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Chicken Noodle Casserole FAQs
- Variations and Substitutions
- Storage
- What to Pair With Chicken Noodle Casserole
- More Casseroles To Try!
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
Why You'll Love This Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Classic comfort food - Creamy noodles, tender chicken, and vegetables baked together into a cozy casserole.
- Easy weeknight dinner - This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and comes together quickly.
- Family-friendly - Even picky eaters usually love this creamy chicken casserole.
- Great for leftovers - It reheats well the next day for lunch or dinner.
- Perfect for potlucks - This casserole travels well and feeds a crowd.
Key Ingredients
Here are some of the ingredients you will need for chicken noodle casserole:
- Egg Noodles - These wide noodles work perfectly in casseroles because they hold the creamy sauce well while staying tender.
- Cooked Chicken - Rotisserie chicken works great here and adds flavor while saving prep time.
- Onion - Cooking the onion before adding it to the casserole softens the texture and adds a deeper savory flavor.
- Butter - Melted butter adds richness to the creamy sauce and helps bring all the ingredients together.
- Cream of Chicken Soup - Creates the creamy base of the casserole and adds comforting chicken flavor.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup - Adds depth and extra richness to the sauce.
- Milk - Thins the condensed soups so the casserole has a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables - Adds color, flavor, and nutrition. These can be added directly from frozen.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Step 2: Cook the egg noodles according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Step 3: In a skillet over medium heat, add a small drizzle of oil or butter and cook the diced onion for 4-5 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Step 4: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, milk, melted butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir until smooth.
- Step 5: Add the cooked chicken, sautéed onion, frozen vegetables, and cooked egg noodles. The vegetables can be added directly from frozen. Stir everything together until evenly coated in the creamy sauce.
- Step 6: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Step 7: Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the vegetables are tender. Let the casserole rest for about 5 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens slightly.
Expert Tips For The best Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut and adds extra flavor.
- Cook the noodles just until al dente so they don't become mushy while baking.
- Cooking the onion first prevents crunchy onions in the finished casserole.
- Frozen vegetables can be added directly without thawing.
- Let the casserole rest for a few minutes after baking so the sauce thickens before serving.
Chicken Noodle Casserole FAQs
No. Frozen vegetables can be added directly to the casserole mixture and will cook while the casserole bakes.
Cooking the onions softens their texture and prevents crunchy onions in the finished casserole.
Yes. Assemble the casserole and freeze before baking for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator and bake at 350°F for about 35-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
If baking directly from frozen, cover the casserole with foil and bake at 350°F for about 60-70 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 10-15 minutes so the top can lightly brown.
This recipe works best in a 9x13-inch casserole dish so the casserole cooks evenly.
Variations and Substitutions
This chicken noodle casserole is very flexible, which makes it easy to adjust based on what you have in your kitchen.
- Add Cheese - Stir in ½ to 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese for an extra creamy and cheesy casserole.
- Try Different Vegetables - Instead of mixed vegetables, you can use broccoli, peas, green beans, or corn.
- Use Leftover Turkey - This casserole works great with leftover turkey, especially after the holidays.
- Swap the Soup - Cream of celery soup or cream of cheddar soup can be used instead of cream of mushroom for a slightly different flavor.
- Make It Crunchy - Sprinkle buttered breadcrumbs or crushed crackers on top during the last 10 minutes of baking for a crispy topping.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the casserole in the oven until heated through.
What to Pair With Chicken Noodle Casserole
If you tried this Chicken Noodle Casserole or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments! Thanks for visiting, and come back again!
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Large skillet
- 1 9x13 baking dish
- 1 Pot for cooking noodles
Ingredients
- 12 oz egg noodles
- 2 cups cooked chicken
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the egg noodles according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add a small drizzle of oil or butter and cook the diced onion for 4-5 minutes until softened and translucent.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, milk, melted butter, italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir until smooth.
- Add the cooked chicken, sautéed onion, frozen vegetables, and cooked egg noodles. The vegetables can be added directly from frozen.
- Stir everything together until evenly coated in the creamy sauce.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the vegetables are tender.
- Let the casserole rest for about 5 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens slightly.
Have you ever frozen this and if you have did it taste the same?
i loved this! i usually have all the ingredients on hand, so it's an easy last minute meal. i add a half sleeve of crushed ritz crackers in the last part of the cooking time. gives a good crunch. thanks for sharing.
I'm making this for my friend and her partner for their supper tonight; one of them has just been diagnosed with metastatic ovarian cancer, and she's home recuperating after surgery. I wanted something comforting and nourishing for them, before the chemo begins....and this seems to fit the bill. It's in the oven right now, and it already looks wonderful. I did saute diced onions and shallots in olive oil, then added the frozen peas, garlic powder, salt and pepper; then I added to soup, mixed and then noodles. Thank you for sharing this!!!
Just wondering if you could use canned chicken for this recipe? If so, how much do you think you'd need for the recipe? Thanks!
I'm sure that would work just fine!
Made this tonight! Girls loved it and it is definitely a PINTEREST keeper!!!!! Next time I will be more prepared and have some Pillsbury Biscuits to go with it!!!! Thank you for a great easy meal!!!!
This looks so good! It reminds me if an easy pot pie. I might try and add biscuits on top. Yum!
How would you go about re heating this from frozen?
Hi Jonie. I have noticed that there were never any answers regarding the freezing or reheating of this casserole . It looks good and I want to try it, but I was really looking for some casseroles to freeze
Looks great! Can I substitute a different soup for cream of mushroom? Family does not like that one. Thanks Chrissy!
My new years resolution is to lose 33 lbs. I can do it with this recipe (I'm part of WW and luckily this recipe is doable with the program, yay).
That looks great, even when you are not sick. Going to add this to my list of new things to try!
This was so good! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks, Chelsey! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! I appreciate you stopping by to let me know!
I made this tonight and it is delicious!! I omitted the onions because I'm not a big onion person, but added some onion powder and yum! It reminds me of something my grandma would make when I was feeling under the weather, so it is for sure comfort food! 😀 I froze the leftovers and am excited to be able to have this without much work since I'm not feeling well.
Thanks for the great recipe!
This has been one of my husbands favorite recipes for years... we put some shredded cheddar on top though;)
This looks yummy:-) Was looking for some budget/kid/weeknight friendly recipes when I found this. Can't wait to try, I am planning to sub in left over turkey from our Turkey Day feast tho to make it even better on the budget!!
Has anyone made this ahead of time. I am having guests and would like to make it the night before. I'm worried the noodles might soak up the moister and it will end up being dry when I cook it the next day. Thanks!
Hope you're all better soon, Chrissy...and I feel the need for this casserole, even though we're all healthy (right now!), Thanks for sharing it!
Thanks, Megan! It was really good! I could see lots of different ways to make it too! Have a great evening!