Cafeteria Noodles
Come see why this recipe has gone viral on Tik Tok! These old-school Cafeteria Noodles are a nostalgic, comforting and super easy side dish recipe that everyone loves!
A CLASSIC, FLAVORFUL SIDE DISH
This recipe for Cafeteria Noodles has gone viral on social media for good reason – they taste amazing! The pictures just don’t do them justice. From the pictures they just look like regular ole buttered egg noodles but they aren’t! These are the perfect side dish for any night of the week and they pack a lot of flavor!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)
Absolutely! If you want to make this a whole meal-in-one, you could add some ground beef, chicken (ground, grilled or rotisserie) or even turkey! You could even add some veggies like peas, mushrooms or steamed broccoli.
I haven’t tested anything other than dried egg noodles so I can’t say for sure if others will work. For best results, follow this recipe as written.
The theme of this recipe is chicken flavor as we use chicken stock and chicken bouillon so I do not recommend using an other soup other than cream of chicken. But if you decide to experiment, please let me know!
If you’re out of the canned soup, you can make your own homemade version with this easy Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup.
This question is debatable. Everyone seems to have their own opinion on it. Since this has been around since at least the 60’s and 70’s, it is theorized that they are called this because they were served in school cafeterias or cafeteria-style restaurants.
This is one of those recipes you have to make as written for it to turn out as it should. Chicken bouillon cubes are very inexpensive so I recommend purchasing it. They can be used for adding so much flavor to chicken dishes!
Yes.
Sure, add some cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, shrimp, leftover pork, beef, etc. This is more of a side dish, but can easily be increased and adding protein is super simple.
You could serve it with roast chicken, pork chops, Ritz cracker chicken, or chicken tenders.
Absolutely! I kept the original recipe here but I have made this with about a teaspoon or so of garlic powder and it was delicious. I didn’t measure it since I tend to just add and taste and add more as needed.
These can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- chicken stock – you can also use chicken broth. Chicken stock has a slight stronger flavor than the broth. You can use low sodium or no-sodium here if you are concerned about the sodium levels.
- chicken bouillon cube – you can use the powder or the cube here. I find the cubes cheaper. I haven’t tried this with the better than bouillon paste but I imagine it would work the same way. Use whatever the equivalent of one cube would be. Again, you can choose a lower sodium option if you prefer.
- egg noodles – these can be regular eggs noodles or the no yolk egg noodles. They all work with this recipe.
- cream of chicken soup – this recipe is chicken flavored so I haven’t tried it with other cream soups but I imagine a cream of mushroom would work with this. If you wanted to add a stronger flavor, I imagine you could use cream of onion or cream of celery. As I’ve said earlier, you can certainly use low sodium options here. If you prefer, you can even make a Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup.
- salted butter – I have only used real butter not margarine. You could use unsalted butter for this as well to keep down the sodium levels. Use as much or as little as you prefer. You don’t have to go with exactly the same amount as I use.
HOW TO MAKE CAFETERIA NOODLES
In a large pot with a lid add the chicken stock and bouillon cube and bring up to a boil over medium high heat. When the stock comes to a boil add in the egg noodles and stir.
Let the stock come back up to a boil then add in the cream of chicken soup and stir. Bring up to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the stick of butter. Cover with a lid and let sit until fully melted. Top with parsley if desired.
Serve!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Cafeteria Chili
- Tik Tok Million Dollar Spaghetti
- Tik Tok Cinnamon Rolls
- Tik Tok Grinder Salad Sandwich
- Tik Tok Marry Me Chicken
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Butter Swim Biscuits
Originally published: November 2022
Updated photos and republished: April 2024
Original recipe by @carols_cookin
Cafeteria Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 16 ounces egg noodles
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1 stick (½ cup) salted butter
- parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot or deep skillet with a lid add the chicken stock and bouillon cube and bring up to a boil over medium high heat.
- When the stock comes to a boil add in the egg noodles and stir. Let the stock come back up to a boil.
- Add in the cream of chicken soup and stir. Bring up to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the stick of butter.
- Cover with a lid and let sit until melted. Stir again then top with parsley, if desired. Then serve!
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- I think adding some garlic to this would be delicious! Garlic powder would probably mix in the best. I would start with a teaspoon and go from there.
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.
The cafeteria noodles are delicious!! I am not a pasta/noodle fan, but I couldn’t stop eating them. I served them for dinner and the leftovers I stuck in the back of the fridge so I could eat the rest!!!
I’ve made this twice so far. The 1st time as written, the 2nd I stepped it up as a one pot meal. I made the noodle as directed in the recipe but added fresh steamed broccoli and shredded chicken. I couldn’t stop eating it. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
omg this is so good big hit in my house. I thought my family hated it until I went to get more later in the night and my son 20 left a little lol. They all love it so I like to feed people and even they told me they love it and would like more when I make it even my chef friend loves it and he hates everyone’s food. Definitely try it and its easy. Also I recommend adding shredded chicken for extra flavor.
first time ever leaving a food review but I’m seriously impressed with this, I tweaked the recipe a bit to make it more of a chicken noodle soup but followed your basic recipe and cook times. I added 2 more cups of stock, brought that to a boil and added the cream of chicken and some leftover rotisserie chicken continued your instructions. its the best and fastest chicken soup I’ve ever made
Awesome so flavorful and tasty
My kids would hopefully love this but I always try to use the high protein and fiber pasta rather than egg noodles. How would a typical box of pasta (usually 14.5 oz) change the ratios for broth, boullion, etc.?
I don’t know, I’ve only ever made it this way sorry.
Can you make these ahead and leave them in a crock pot?
I think the noodles would end up turning mushy