Chicken Noodle Casserole
This easy Chicken Noodle Casserole recipe is made with egg noodles, chicken breast, a creamy, tasty filling and topped with buttered bread crumbs! A family favorite dinner!
A Family Favorite Dinner Recipe
I love a good casserole. You just can’t beat a tasty and filling meal that is all in one baking dish. This one is made with easy to find ingredients. In fact, you probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry right now!
We really loved this!! Perfect recipe – don’t need to change a thing!
– Debbie
Frequently Asked Questions
I created this recipe to be a “pantry” recipe. Which means I wanted you to be able to pull almost all the ingredients from your pantry to create it. However, you could boil chicken and dice it. You could use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. You could use leftover roasted chicken or turkey. You have a lot of options depending on your personal preference.
Cream of mushroom or creamy of celery are also good substitutes for the cream of chicken. Or you can even try making your own cream of chicken soup!
Just use regular bread crumbs, crushed Ritz crackers or crushed saltine crackers.
I have not tried making this recipe in a crock pot to Instant Pot, but if you try it, please let me know!
Yes! Prepare the casserole as directed but don’t bake. Cover the casserole very well. I usually put on a layer of plastic wrap then another layer of aluminum foil before freezing. It will last up to 3 months. Let casserole partially defrost before baking. You will probably need an extra 10 minutes or so of baking time since baking it from cold.
This chicken noodle casserole is so good as leftovers! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- egg noodles – I generally use the no yolk noodles but you can use what you prefer. Whatever you use, it needs to be cooked first.
- chunk chicken breast – as I said above, I wanted this to be a pantry recipe with things you would have on hand and wouldn’t necessarily have to run to the store for. You can certainly substitute with your own cooked chicken or turkey.
- cream of chicken soup – any cream soup will pretty much work here as long as you like the taste.
- mayonnaise – not a fan of mayonnaise? Try sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- milk – I prefer whole milk or 2 %.
- onion – Don’t have a fresh onion? No problem, don’t run to the store. Just use 1 Tablespoon of dried minced onion.
- shredded cheddar cheese – as you can see in my picture below, I actually ended up using a triple cheese mix when I got around to taking pictures. So please use what you like, it doesn’t have to be just straight cheddar.
- frozen peas and carrots – you could also use frozen mixed vegetables. You just want to make sure they are smaller vegetables so they cook evenly. I do not defrost the peas and carrots first because they are so tiny, they will cook with everything else in the dish but if you like your veggies a bit more mushy and soft, then feel free to defrost first.
- panko bread crumbs – any bread or cracker crumbs can be used.
- salted butter – it really should be real butter and not margarine. Margarine won’t brown and crisp up the topping the same as real butter will.
How To Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
If you haven’t done so already, cook egg noodles and drain well. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, milk (or water), diced onion, shredded cheese and frozen peas and carrots. Stir until combined.
Gently stir in cooked egg noodles.
Pour in baking dish. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs.
Pour melted butter evenly over top of bread crumbs.
Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes until bubbly and top is golden brown.
Craving More Recipes?
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Beef Noodle Casserole
- Chicken Cobbler
- Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles
- Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
- Sour Cream Noodle Bake
- Cafeteria Noodles
- Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- White Chicken Enchiladas
- No Peek Chicken Casserole
- Shepherds Pie
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- The Best Chicken Spaghetti
- Butter Swim Biscuits
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 (12.5 ounce) cans chunk chicken breast, drained (or about 3 cups of store-bought rotisserie chicken, diced)
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup milk
- ½ onion, finely diced (optional) (you could also use about 1 Tablespoon of dried onion flakes – see notes below)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas and carrots
- 12 ounce package egg noodles, cooked and drained
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 stick salted butter (1/2 cup), melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine 2 (12.5 ounce) cans chunk chicken breast, drained, 2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup milk, 1/2 onion, finely diced (optional), 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots.
- Stir until combined. Gently stir in 12 ounce package egg noodles, cooked and drained.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top evenly with 1 cup panko bread crumbs.
- Pour 1 stick salted butter (1/2 cup), melted evenly over top of bread crumbs.
- Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes until bubbly and top is golden brown.
- Dig in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Feel free to use store-bought rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken meat you may have (grilled chicken also tastes wonderful with this recipe.)
- Cream of mushroom or creamy of celery are also good substitutes for the cream of chicken.
- Sauté the onions first if you prefer them softer (they will still have a slight crunch otherwise.) Onions are optional.
- Regular bread crumbs or crushed Ritz crackers can be substituted for the panko bread crumbs.
- I have not tried making this recipe in a crock pot.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: June 2012
Updated photos & republished: January 2020
Easy and delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
I’ve made this three times now and it’s a hit with the whole family each time!!! I make it just as written.
Made this with rotisserie chicken it was fantastic
We loved this recipe!
I used two air fried chicken breasts and cubed. I made it early and put in the fridge. I forgot about the casserole dish being cold.
So if you make early and are staring from cold, I would suggest 375 degrees for 40 – 45 minutes. It’s delicious!
I made this and it turned out absolutely delicious! I even made your homemade cream of chicken soup — which is now my new go-to recipe — and it was so good. I used unsweetened almond milk and it worked perfectly. The garlic bread on the side really completed the meal. This is definitely going into my regular dinner rotation. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
delicious. easy.
made 1/2 and used 8 x 8 dish. Great meal to bring to someone…Ill, new baby, etc.
Definitely on my “make again” list
I used cream of mushroom instead of chicken, and I didn’t have any shredded American so I used Parmesan cheese. it was so easy, and it came out tasting fantastic!
So good! Love how you layout your recipe card with all the ingredient amounts listed in the directions part and the photos. So easy to cook along with. Love your site!
This was delicious! Great recipe. Our 4 grandchildren loved it!!!!!
I had raves from my friends when I made this. I loved it too
Thanks so much Sue!! It means a lot that you took the time to come back and comment!
Very good and a family favorite.
Can I use Miracle Whip as a substitute for the mayonnaise?
I personally don’t like Miracle Whip so I would not use it. I suppose if that is something you enjoy the taste of then you could certainly give it a try! 🙂
This one is a winner! It’s a delicious, easy recipe made with staple ingredients. I made a half recipe since there’s only two of us and the leftovers the next day were just as good if not better. I did reduce the pasta by an ounce because we like a creamy casserole. This casserole will be going into my regular rotation of dishes.
Easy to make
This was the best chicken noodle casserole I’ve ever had. The leftovers reheated really well. The only change I made was to cut the amount of noodles because we like casseroles really creamy. Delicious!
Can’t say enough about this chicken casserole!!! It’s tastes amazing!! Thanks for posting the picture of items to buy and video. So helpful.
Can you make this in morning to cook later in the day?
This is a simple, tasty meal. Grandcherubs approved! Thank you
I needed a good recipe with canned chicken for 2 people! I halved the entire recipe and it was delicious! I added salt, pepper and garlic seasoning.
I’ve made this 3 times now, tomorrow will be 4. It is so delicious and so easy and a crowd pleaser every time. I’m not a fan of canned chicken so I was skeptical at first, but you can’t even tell! There are never any leftovers when I make it!
I used cream of celery instead of of chicken and sour cream instead of mayo
Came out sooooo good! This is a keeper!
Totally awesome. but, how can I make this Cajun tasting?
When I cook for my Louisiana family, I add some Tony Chachere’s. Usually does the trick.
This is so easy, I had my 6-year-old grandson help on each step. I didn’t have any crackers, club or regular, but did have smoked cheddar Cheese-Its. Worked perfectly, added a little color and a smoky accent. It was a hit!
Great
So, so good! This is so easy that my kids can make it! Thank you for the cook mode button the recipe card, they can cook directly from your recipe card and with all your step by step photos and video, it makes it so easy for them to follow along and make sure they are doing it right. We all really enjoyed this and will make it many more times to come.
thank you. made for supper tonight. followed instructions. it was delicious. Will make again
I made this one night because I seriously only had canned chicken to work with. It was super good! Way better than I expected. Now I make it a lot. Awesome recipe!
I made this today and it was delicious! I also broiled it at the end for 5 minutes on high. It was extremely flavorful with an added crunch. And I cooked my noodles al dente. I am very pleased at this casserole outcome.
My mom made this regularly but the only difference was that she topped it with crushed potato chips
I made this yesterday. Amazing!! I seasoned & cooked 2 chicken breasts. I also made homemade cream of chicken soup. Used gluten free Banza pasta and gf Italian bread crumbs. Turned out so good!! Lots of flavor. Will be making many, many more times. Thank you for this recipe ❤️
Thanks so very much Holly! I am glad you were able to make simple changes to meet your dietary needs – thank you for letting me know!
We all loved this – especially the kids. And I loved how easy it was to make after working two jobs!
This is delicious! The next day or two, even better!
I used boneless skinless chicken breast, one whole breast for 3 servings.
Three servings cuts the recipe in half.
This turned out really good! I didn’t have onions so just did onion powder. And for any one who is gluten free, it tastes great with gluten free cream of chicken and Jovial gluten free egg noodles!
This was delicious! I didn’t have any panko or crackers and I remembered my Grandmother used to use corn flakes…amazing! Thank you!