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.
This was good. I added cheese to the soup mix and then put the noodles on the bottom, soup mix and then added herb seasoned stuffing mix with pats of butter. Cooked it on 350 for 30 mins. I also warmed up the mixed veggies before I put them in. My family scarfed this down.
I made this and added celery to it. My family loves it!!!!
I made this and halfed it and froze half because it makes a lot. Also didn’t use onion and I cooked my chicken differently. With the frozen batch, I added bisquick dough to the top. Made a huge improvement just by doing that!
I cooked the onion (and 2 cloves of garlic) with the chicken. Left out the beans (not a fan) and it was creamy and delicious! Will be making it again. Thanks for sharing!
Can tuna be used to replace the chicken
That sounds delicious with Tuna or Chicken in it or even leftover Turkey! Wonderful recipe thanks for sharing it! 😁
This chicken noodle casserole is one of my son and his wife favort meals I've already have made this 3 times already.
I made this tonight. I sautéed the onions based on the comments and had to cook it about 30 minutes longer. It was cold after the original 30 minutes. Other than that it was a hit!!
Is your dish a Homer Laughlin c.1940? My grandma would make a delicious casserole in hers. Now I have the dish and this recipe is similar to hers- full if memories.
Can't wait to make this. Do you freeze it before or after it is cooked? Please email me the answer or I'll never get your answer to my question.
Made this tonight and it was very good. Came out tasting like just what I was craving. The only change I made was omitting the butter to save some fat and calories and I don't think I missed it all. I did sauté the onions a bit at a previous commentator's suggestion and that was a good idea. I've moved this recipe to my Tried and True Board. Thank you.
I'm making this tonight for the second time by the request of my husband (who never requests meals). The only thing I do different is sauté the onion in the melted butter and I use fresh garlic minced. I also added some crushed potato chips on top, kind of like a tuna casserole. I buy a whole rotisserie chicken for the chicken meat. This is a huge hit at my house served with homemade biscuits and a salad. It's not easy finding meals the 2 teens, the husband and myself will all happily eat.
hi chrissy, iam new to cooking, could you please tell me if when doing this tuna casserole do you just use condensed soup without the water or do you thin it out
thanks rich
Hi Richard, you just use the soup. Do NOT add water to it. Hope that helps!
This is so good! The only things I did differently was use a little more than 1/2 tsp. of onion powder since I didn't use real onions and used 1 1/3cup of milk instead of just 1 cup. 2 chicken breasts was more than enough for this as well. My 10 year old son ate it up!
What's the best approach for freezing this meal?
I was just curious as to how many servings this dish makes. I don't think I saw it anywhere.
Thanks!