Chicken Noodle Casserole (Dump and Bake Recipe)
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.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 367kcal
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
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14g