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 or pretty much whatever frozen vegetable you like.
- 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
Originally published: June 2012
Updated photos & republished: January 2020
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.
family loved it and using low carb pasta I am able to make the dish low carb for my husband.
Easy and tasty! I cut the recipe in half since it’s just me and my husband. I used frozen mixed vegetables instead of peas and carrots. Next time I might try cream of mushroom soup with herbs; my niece made a pot pie with that and it seems like it would be good with this dish.
I made this recipe but cut it in half. It’s sooooo good . We will be making this every week.
Love hearing that Sheila, thank you for coming back to comment!
We loved it! Definitely making it again.
This is definitely a 5 star recipe! Very tasty!
I absolutely love this. Have made many times. I also add can of drained yellow skin potatoes & use Townhouse crackers.
very good!
I have made this several times and we love it. I was wondering if I double it for an event, how much cook time would I need? would I need to double the cook time if I’m making it in a very large pan? or keep it the same?
Just made this casserole and it’s so delicious!
I used rotisserie chicken, skim milk, Greek yogurt for the Mayo, and doubled the veggies! Also used fake butter spray instead of actual butter, but the panko actually still crisped up very nicely! I can see this being a hit at family dinner time!
It was super easy to make, the only actual prep was dicing an onion!
I live alone and now I have this huge pan or food to last me the week and I’m so excited! It’s gonna get me through finals week at college.
I recommend throwing in some salt and garlic powder as well!
Thanks so very much Kylie!!
Wow! It is delicious and my folks loved it. It is very filling. And it’s so easy to make, I will be making it again. We didn’t have frozen veggies, but we had canned, and it was great! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks so much for coming back to comment – I always love hearing when a recipe turns out well!
Delicious, I’m glad to have this recipe.
Delicious!
Very Delicious! Easy to make
I made this for a friend who needed meals while recovering from a fall. She absolutely loved it! I did find it to be a lot of work with all the ingredients. I did not include the mayo because I did not have it on hand I did use chicken breast in lieu of canned. And I used frozen brocolli, which I had on hand. I did not pour melted butter over the panko bread crumbs. I put it into 2 9×9″ pans so that she could freeze one. I will make it again! I want to have some in my freezer for people who need a meal!
Great recipe! Made this in large quantities for Wednesday night dinner at my church. Was very well received! Kids loved it, too! Made a few modifications: used rotisserie chicken, heavy cream for milk, extra cheese, some corn in addition to peas and carrots, and crushed Ritz crackers instead of panko crumbs. It was delicious!
Perfect! The Parmesan underneath the Panko crumbs and sautéing the onions, garlic and celery really did the trick to enhance the flavor.
Can this be frozen
I actually answer that question in detail above in the Frequently Asked Question section 🙂
Made this with my 2 boys. A great recipe for them to help with since it’s so easy. Just dump and stir basically. Flavor was great and they were very proud of themselves. We will definitely make more of your recipes. Thanks for all the step by step photos and ingredient photos & video. I’m sure that’s a lot of work but it’s so helpful to folks who don’t cook often or who are learning to cook(or for kids) – you must be a teacher ha!
My dad used to make this for me growing up- I just recently found the recipe in my email account from 2012!! I’m delighted to have found the brilliant person who gave him the idea, this was always one of my favorites. Thank you sooooo much!
I used cream of mushroom instead, and I boiled the noodles in broth. I cooked for 35 and peas/carrots not cooked enough, so I think I just needed a few extra minutes. I also would say it overall needs some salt and pepper added to the mixture. I forgot to add seasonings, no big deal, still very good, but added seasonings enhanced it! Thanks! Super easy and cheap.
Does the chicken breast have to cooked first. It would be in a rotisserie cgicken?
Yep, you want cooked chicken for this recipe 🙂
My family and I LOVE this recipe!!!! We use boneless skinless chicken breast and it’s absolutely delicious! The buttered breadcrumb topping is what puts the icing on the cake though!
Was very good and I loved how simple it was to make. As a single Mom on a tight budget, I appreciate that this is so affordable too (without sacrificing flavor!)
My grandkids went crazy for this (and so did me and my husband – ha!) It was so easy to make and they helped me make it which made it even more special. Thanks so much!
I did add mushrooms, peppers, mixed veggies rather than just peas. add extra cheese.
Can I use canned vegetables?
I don’t see why not – just drain them well.
Unfortunately I was unable to take a photo, my family dug in before I could. I substituted broccoli for the mixed veggies and french fried onions for the breadcrumbs. My family LOVED this! My granddaughter (12y.o.) ate 2 large helpings!!
Did you still use butter with the French fried onions? I’d love to use French fried onions but feel that may not need butter.
I had a bag of egg noodles to use and came across this recipe and it was delicious!! I’ve made it numerous times now and it’s a hit every time. You can add anything you like and it’s easy to sub out just about every ingredient. Amazing thanks!
So I just made this for the first time and it was a huge hit. Yum. Total comfort food on a cold and windy night. I sauteed the onion along with some celery. Added a layer of parmesan under the bread crumbs, as someone suggested. Definitely a keeper!
I used cream of mushroom and cream of onion mixed. Oat milk. leftovers for lunch at school and work tomorrow!
I will make this again!
i made this and the only change i made was replacing one can of regular cream of chicken soup with a same sized can of campbells buffalo cream of chicken soup. to add a tiny kick. it was perfect. were it not for some people i feed hating spice id swap out both cans for the spicier version of cream of chicken soup.
Instead of peas and corn, and carrots I used broccoli and cauliflower. my family didn’t leave any left!
Thank you! I didn’t think I had anything for dinner but I had all the ingredients to make this and it was a hit. I made a half size casserole and my husband had thirds. It was so comforting! I added a little pepper and seasoned salt but that’s the only change. Definitely a keeper.
Yay! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know. I think canned meats can get a bad rap but it’s just so convenient to have it in your pantry for evenings like this. You were so sweet to come back and comment!
Love this recipe, so quick and easy. I added a little shredded parmesan under the panko crumbs this time, it gave the recipe a new kind of yum!
Fantastic idea Gina!
Can I use Miracle Whip in place of mayonnaise if I don’t have mayonnaise?
I would!!
Used French fried onions instead of diced onions! YummY
Honestly , I have not sat down to eat this yet… it’s in the oven right now. I have however, made so many wonderful casserole recipes based on many recipe blogs. I can tell this is going to be Awesome! The past few years I have been stocking up on all sorts of canned items because I never want to be out of the basics and there have been times as we all know that the stores have been extremely limited ( and very expensive ). I am also in the process of selling my house right now and moving to another state to take care of my elderly parents. I’m not going to be buying another house but rather moving directly in with them so short story long ( lol ), I needed to use up a lot of the pantry items that I had been collecting. I googled best ever casseroles using canned chicken and your recipe popped up and with rave reviews. Like I said, I’ve made many casseroles in the past but this is the first time using so many canned items. I am super excited to try this with my son, he comes over to eat every Sunday and these types of recipes are our Jam for sure. Thank you , thank you for coming up with something so creative ( and I know it will be delicious ) recipes and sharing them with the rest of us. I will look at some of your other recipes too. Thank you , thank you , thank you . God Bless! – Susan : )
Trying this tonight…looks great! And what a surprise, when I changed serving to 3 (original was 6), the instructions changed to 3 servings also. I’ve never (ever!) seen that in the instructions! Thank you SO much for this!
Wow, wish they all did that!!
I have been making this recipe again and again over the last year. Everyone loves it! Recipe makes a lot and it is gone super fast. Great go-to every time!
This makes me so happy to read Rhonda!! Thank you so very much!
Super easy to make. I added more cream of chicken soup and also added Broccoli into it. Very very good!!!!
Went together quickly. I made 1/2 recipe. I sautéed the onions with celery and garlic. I added 1 4oz can of sliced mushrooms. Sooo good!
My adult daughter raves about this dish. Calls it my crack casserole. And it is so easy to make. It’s now one of my go-to recipes for goodness and convenience.
Thanks so very much Rossana! I’m laughing at your daughters new name for it LOL
This was delicious. My husband loves casseroles so this was perfect for him. I had some left over baked chicken and was searching for something different. I used celery and mushroom soups because that is what I had in my pantry. A win! I will make again.
This was delicious! The whole family loved it!
Grabbed a rotisserie chicken from the deli. Used everything but the legs, wings, and thighs (my girls favorite). Everything else was almost a dump meal, no measuring. Everyone loved it! Already asking for it again and they’re not even done!!!! Thanks so much for this super easy meal!!
Good comfort food. I cut the recipe in half. I might think about adding a few dashes of hot sauce to kick up the flavor a bit. But this is a good, reliable recipe. Pot pie-ish comfort food.
This was soo good. I never leave reviews but this one surprised me. Will def be making again. Thanx for sharing!
Super simple absolutely delicious!
Took it to a church dinner and someone snuck a bite before it hit the table. Really tasty.
Came out Excellent. Already been asked to make it again! Thankyou
Thanks so much PC!