I love a good casserole, but if the recipe has me boiling this, sautéing that, and dirtying three pans before it even makes it into the oven, we've lost the plot. Some nights I need dinner to require as little from me as possible, and this Dump and Bake Chicken Noodle Casserole understood the assignment and keeps things simple. Everything comes together right in the baking dish with tender chicken, noodles, vegetables, and a creamy, well-seasoned sauce, no standing over the stove making a bunch of separate components.
Here's the Tea From Brandi
I've spent more than a decade developing recipes for folks with busy lives (LIKE ME!), and dump-and-go meals like this are exactly why easy doesn't have to mean bland. Assemble it, pop it in the oven, and let dinner handle itself for a minute. I grew up eating this crunchy breadcrumbs casserole. I told my mom I had to switch it up to make it easier, no boiling the noodles!
Chicken Noodle Casserole Ingredients
- Egg Noodles
- Chicken Breasts or Thighs
- Broth: I use chicken broth, any broth will work.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt, and Pepper
- Cheddar Cheese: I buy a block of cheese and grate it myself. The pre-shredded stuff is coated in starch and preservatives. It will not melt the same!
- Breadcrumbs
- Butter
- Cream of Chicken Soup: I make my own homemade cream of chicken soup recipe using broth, flour, milk, onion powder, and garlic powder. The canned stuff will work, too.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Make the Creamy Sauce: If you plan to make homemade cream of chicken soup: Add chicken broth to a saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Combine the flour, milk, and seasonings in a separate bowl. Stir until the flour is combined. Slowly add the mixture to the pot with the broth. Stir. Lower the heat to medium low and cook until the mixture thickens, about 6-10 minutes.
- Add the Chicken: Add the chicken to the baking dish along with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Rub the spices into the chicken to ensure it's well seasoned.
- Add the Uncooked Noodles, Vegetables, and Creamy Sauce: Add the egg noodles, vegetables, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper directly to the baking dish. Stir until everything is well combined. Make sure the noodles are mostly submerged in liquid. Any noodles sticking out above the sauce can turn out hard and crunchy instead of tender.
- Cover and Bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This is important. The trapped steam helps cook and soften the noodles. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Stir the Casserole: Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Give everything a good stir, making sure to move the noodles around so they cook evenly. If the casserole looks dry or the noodles have absorbed most of the liquid, add a small splash of chicken broth or milk.
- Add the Cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheese over the casserole. Cover with foil again and bake for 10 minutes.
- Add the Crunchy Topping and Finish Baking: Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and then drizzle the butter over the breadcrumbs. Make sure the breadcrumbs are moistened, use more butter or oil if you need it. If not, the breadcrumbs will just sit on top and won't crisp. Return the casserole to the oven uncovered and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender, the sauce is creamy, the cheese is bubbly and the topping is golden.z
- Let It Rest: Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Don't worry if the sauce looks a little loose when it first comes out of the oven. The noodles will continue absorbing some of that sauce as the casserole rests.
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Chicken Noodle Casserole (Dump and Bake Recipe)
Want to save this recipe for later?
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds skinless chicken breast or thighs Diced into ½-1 inch cubes.
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder Divided into 1 teaspoon and ½ teaspoon servings
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder Divided into 1 teaspoon and ½ teaspoon servings
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz package egg noodles
- 10 oz frozen vegetables Thawed and excess water drained.
- 1 cup broth Any broth, chicken, vegetable, etc.
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese Feel free to add more if you like it really cheesy.
- ¼- ½ cup breadcrumbs I use ¼ cup.
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- foil
- cooking oil spray
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup (Use 2 cans of 10.5oz store bought soup if you don't wish to make your own)
- 2 cups broth
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- If you plan to make homemade cream of chicken soup: Add chicken broth to a saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Combine the flour, milk, and seasonings in a separate bowl. Stir until the flour is combined. Slowly add the mixture to the pot with the broth. Stir. Lower the heat to medium low and cook until the mixture thickens, about 6-10 minutes.2 cups broth, 1 ½ cups milk, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Add the chicken to the baking dish along with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Rub the spices into the chicken to ensure it's well seasoned.1 ½ pounds skinless chicken breast or thighs
- Add the egg noodles, vegetables, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper directly to the baking dish. Stir until everything is well combined. Make sure the noodles are mostly submerged in liquid. Any noodles sticking out above the sauce can turn out hard and crunchy instead of tender.12 oz package egg noodles, 10 oz frozen vegetables, 1 cup broth
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This is important. The trapped steam helps cook and soften the noodles. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Give everything a good stir, making sure to move the noodles around so they cook evenly. If the casserole looks dry or the noodles have absorbed most of the liquid, add a small splash of chicken broth or milk.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over the casserole. Cover with foil again and bake for 10 minutes.2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and then drizzle the butter over the breadcrumbs. Make sure the breadcrumbs are moistened, use more butter or oil if you need it. If not, the breadcrumbs will just sit on top and won't crisp. Return the casserole to the oven uncovered and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender, the sauce is creamy, the cheese is bubbly and the topping is golden. Do not overbake. If the noodles are cooked and the cheese is melted, it's safe to remove from the oven.¼- ½ cup breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Don't worry if the sauce looks a little loose when it first comes out of the oven. The noodles will continue absorbing some of that sauce as the casserole rests.
Notes
- Do not cook the egg noodles first. Add them to the casserole dry. They cook right in the sauce while the casserole bakes.
- Keep the noodles submerged. Make sure the noodles are well coated and mostly covered with liquid before baking so you don’t end up with crunchy pieces.
- Cut the chicken into small, even pieces. This helps it cook through at the same rate as the noodles.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil. This traps the steam needed to cook the noodles. If your foil isn’t snug, you can lose too much moisture.
- Don’t skip stirring. When instructed, give everything a good stir so the noodles cook evenly and nothing along the edges dries out.
- Freshly shredded cheese melts best. Pre-shredded cheese works, but cheese grated from the block will give you a smoother, creamier finish.
- Wait to add the breadcrumb topping. Add it toward the end so it gets golden and crisp instead of soaking up the sauce.
- Watch the casserole during the final bake. Once uncovered, the breadcrumb topping can brown pretty quickly.
- Check the chicken for doneness. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Let it rest before serving. Give the casserole about 5-10 minutes after baking. The sauce will thicken as it sits.
- If it looks a little loose straight from the oven, don’t panic. The noodles continue soaking up some of that sauce as the casserole rests.
- If your noodles still seem firm, add a small splash of broth or milk, cover the dish again, and bake until tender.
- Don’t overbake it. Egg noodles can go from tender to mushy, so once the noodles and chicken are cooked, it’s time to eat.
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Frequently Asked Questions and Recipe Pro Tips
Chicken noodle casserole is basically everything you love about creamy chicken and noodles baked into one pan. It’s usually made with tender chicken, egg noodles, a creamy sauce, vegetables, and cheese or a crunchy topping. Think comfort food without making dinner an all-day situation.
Wide egg noodles are my go-to. They’re sturdy enough to hold onto that creamy sauce without disappearing into the casserole. You can use other pasta, but egg noodles give you that classic chicken noodle casserole texture.
You can, but this recipe was designed to be a dump and bake recipe so you don't have to do all of that. If you cook the noodles you would need to change the ratio of the ingredients I added, so I don't recommend cooking them beforehand.
Yes, it's a great shortcut. I recommend adding it later (add it during the step where I mention checking in on the casserole and stirring it up) that way the chicken doesn't dry out since it's already cooked. Cooked chicken doesn't need a bunch of extra time in the oven.
Either works. Chicken breasts are leaner, while thighs will give you a little more flavor and are harder to dry out. Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked before adding it to the casserole if that's what your recipe calls for.
You can. I don't eat canned chicken, so I don't have first hand experience. Drain it really well before adding it.
Don't skimp on the sauce and don't overbake it. The noodles will continue absorbing liquid while the casserole bakes, so the mixture should look nice and creamy before it goes into the oven. If it already looks dry before baking, baby, the oven is not coming to save it.
Too much liquid, frozen vegetables that weren't thawed or drained, or not allowing the casserole to rest can all be the culprit. Give it about 5–10 minutes after baking so the sauce can settle and thicken before serving.
Yep. Peas, carrots, broccoli, or a frozen mixed vegetable blend all work. Depending on the recipe, you may want to thaw and drain them first so they don't release a bunch of extra water into your sauce.
Of course. Sauté harder vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions first so they have enough time to soften. The casserole isn't in the oven long enough to turn big chunks of raw carrots tender.
You can make my homemade cream of chicken soup using easy, everyday ingredients.
Season every layer. Season the chicken and season the sauce. Creamy does not have to mean bland.
Buttery breadcrumbs, crushed Ritz crackers, crispy fried onions, shredded cheese, or a combination will give you a nice contrast to the creamy noodles underneath.
Yes. Assemble it, cover tightly, and refrigerate until you're ready to bake. I would wait to add a crunchy topping until right before baking so it doesn't get soggy.
Yes, but keep in mind creamy sauces and noodles can change texture after freezing. If you're making it specifically for the freezer, slightly undercook the noodles and wrap the casserole tightly. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Store the casserole tightly covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3–4 days.
How to Reheat Leftovers Without Drying Them Out
This is important because reheating will dry this casserole out really fast. Add a small splash of milk or chicken broth before reheating to loosen the sauce. Cover the casserole while warming it in the oven or air fryer at 350 degrees, or reheat individual servings in the microwave. That little bit of extra moisture makes a difference.
Substitutions and Variations
- Turkey instead of chicken
- Broccoli
- Peas and carrots
- Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack cheese
- Panko instead of regular breadcrumbs
- Crushed Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs
- Crushed cornflakes for extra crunch
- Parmesan added to the breadcrumb topping
- Gluten-free noodles and breadcrumbs if needed
What to Serve with Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole
I would keep the sides simple because the casserole is already doing a lot, and has vegetables. Southern green beans, broccoli, asparagus, a simple salad, or roasted vegetables all work.
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