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This Chicken Noodle Casserole is a cozy comfort food the whole family will love. Broccoli, rotisserie chicken, and egg noodles are baked in a homemade creamy, cheesy sauce. It’s made from scratch, without canned soup, for a healthier twist on the classic.
If you’re craving chicken noodle soup but want something a bit heartier, this casserole has all the same classic flavors. Making this casserole without relying on canned soups may sound more complicated but it’s really just so easy. I love that you don’t have to make the sauce separately for this recipe. You simply bake the noodles, chicken and veggies in a mixture of milk, yogurt, chicken stock and cubed cheddar cheese. In the oven it melds together into the creamiest sauce. This makes it incredibly quick to prep, especially if using leftover cooked chicken, meaning dinner can be ready with minimal fuss.
For more nostalgic, comforting casseroles, try my Healthier Sloppy Joe Casserole and my Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole.
Recipe Overview
Before You Get Started
- This recipe uses pre-cooked chicken, so ensure you’ve got some ready to go! Otherwise, you can cook a couple of chicken breasts and shred or chop them to use in this recipe.
- This recipe does not use canned soup! It features a creamy sauce that’s made from scratch, which is super simple to make.
- While I’m using fresh veggies here, you can also use frozen mixed veggies (diced carrots, corn, broccoli, peas) if you prefer. Use approximately 3 to 4 cups of them instead of the fresh carrots and broccoli in the recipe.
- I bake the casserole covered for the first portion of its cook time. This stops it from drying out while allowing the ingredients to cook through. The foil is removed for the final 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and the top to crisp up a bit.
- I like to cook the egg noodles al dente as they’ll continue cooking in the casserole. This way, they don’t become overcooked in the finished dish.
Common Questions
Yes! You can assemble the dish up to the point just before you bake it. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, simply pop into the preheated oven and bake for the same amount of time.
You don’t necessarily have to serve this dish with anything else as it contains carbs, protein and veggies all in one dish! However, it is great as part of a larger spread served with a simple lemon-dressed salad, some sauteed zucchini or even garlic bread.
Yes! This recipe doesn’t use canned soup. Instead, it relies on whole milk, yogurt, and chicken stock to form the creamy sauce, which thickens up as the casserole bakes.
Chicken noodle casserole is baked for 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes covered, to allow the ingredients to cook, then 10 minutes uncovered so that the sauce can thicken up.
Ingredients Needed
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this Chicken Noodle Casserole. Full quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Egg noodles: These soak up the creamy liquid as the casserole bakes. You can use any other noodles of your choice.
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Olive oil: I like using olive oil here for the flavor, however you could use avocado oil instead if you prefer.
- Sweet onion: These have a mild, sweet flavor that works well in this casserole. You could also use a red onion if you like.
- Carrots: I like to dice these into small-ish cubes so that they cook quickly in the oven. Try to chop them the same size.
- Garlic cloves: It’s best to use fresh garlic here instead of powdered for the best flavor.
- Italian seasoning: This convenient blend of herbs is widely available and contains lovely herbs like dried oregano, sage, basil, and sometimes red pepper flakes.
- Cooked chopped chicken: I find this is the perfect dish for using up leftover rotisserie chicken. Otherwise, you can either buy some pre-cooked, shredded chicken or just cook a couple of chicken breasts and shred them up.
- Broccoli florets: If you’re not a fan of broccoli, feel free to use other veggies like frozen corn or cauliflower florets, which have been cut into small pieces.
- Chicken stock: This adds a lot of savory flavor to the creamy sauce. Vegetable stock will also work.
- Plain yogurt: I like the tanginess that the yogurt brings to the sauce. It also adds a bit of thickness to the sauce which makes it taste creamier.
- Whole milk: Using whole milk here is my favorite as it provides that rich, dairy taste for the sauce. You could use skim milk instead, but the sauce will be less creamy.
- Cheddar cheese: I like a mild cheddar cheese here, but you could use sharp cheddar if that’s your preference.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F and spraying a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
1️⃣ Cook the egg noodles
Cook the egg noodles in salted water then drain them and set aside.
✏️ You can also use any other pasta of your choice.
2️⃣ Saute the veggies
Cook the onion, carrot, and garlic in a little olive oil until softened slightly. Stir in the Italian seasoning.
✏️ You just want the veggies to soften here, no need to brown them for this recipe. If you do not want to use broccoli, you can use green beans or zucchini.
3️⃣ Add the other fillings
Add the milk, yogurt, chicken stock, cooked chicken, and broccoli florets to the veggies in the skillet and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
✏️ The liquids will thicken as the casserole bakes, forming a creamy, rich sauce in the finished casserole.
4️⃣ Layer up the casserole
Add half the cooked noodles to the prepared dish. Layer on half of the creamy chicken-broccoli mixture. Add half of the cheddar cubes. Repeat this layering.
✏️ Instead of cubing the cheddar cheese, you can shred it instead.
5️⃣ Bake
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
✏️ The casserole is covered for the first 20 minutes, as this helps to keep the moisture in, steaming the veggies and melting the cheese. It’s baked uncovered in the final 10 minutes so that the sauce can thicken up and some of the noodles can get a bit crispy.
6️⃣ Mix and serve
Stir everything together, then serve hot!
✏️ By mixing the dish after baking, you’ll distribute the melted cheese evenly throughout and coat the noodles with the tasty sauce.
Variations & Substitutions
- Turkey-Swiss Casserole: replace the chicken with cooked, shredded turkey and use Swiss cheese instead of the cheddar.
- Chicken Mushroom Casserole: saute 8 oz of sliced cremini mushrooms with the other veggies in step 3 of the recipe.
- Chicken Noodle Casserole with Zucchini: Instead of the broccoli, dice 2 medium zucchinis and saute in olive oil until golden before adding the onion, carrots, and garlic in step 3.
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 cups cooked chopped chicken, leftover or rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups small-chopped broccoli florets
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup small diced cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ and lightly spray an oval baking dish with cooking oil spray.
- Cook the 8 ounces egg noodles in salted water to al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the 1 sweet onion (finely diced), 2 large carrots (diced), and 3-4 garlic cloves (minced) for 5-7 minutes; Stir in the 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and remove from heat.
- Add the 2 cups cooked chopped chicken, 2 cups small-chopped broccoli florets, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 cup plain yogurt and 1 cup whole milk; Stir well to combine into a creamy sauce.
- Add half of the cooked egg noodles to your prepared baking dish. Top with half of the creamy chicken sauce and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of diced cheddar cheese (from 1 cup small diced cheddar cheese). Repeat the layers, finishing with the remaining 1/2 cup of diced cheddar. Season with Kosher salt and pepper.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue to bake for 10 more minutes, until the top is golden brown and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
- After you take it out of the oven, give it a good stir to coat all the noodles with the sauce.
Notes
Tips:
- This recipe uses pre-cooked chicken, so ensure you’ve got some ready to go! Otherwise, you can cook a couple of chicken breasts and shred or chop them to use in this recipe.
- This recipe does not use canned soup. It features a scratch-made creamy sauce, which is super simple to make. You just mix the milk, yogurt, chicken stock, and layer it into the casserole with cheddar cheese. As the casserole bakes, the noodles release starch into the sauce, thickening it.
- While I’m using fresh veggies here, you can use frozen mixed veggies (diced carrots, corn, broccoli, peas) if you prefer. Use approximately 3 to 4 cups of them instead of the fresh carrots and broccoli in the recipe.
- I bake the casserole covered for the first portion of its cook time. This stops it from drying out while allowing the ingredients to cook through. The foil is removed for the final 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and the top to crisp up a bit.
- I like to cook the egg noodles to al dente as they’ll continue cooking in the casserole. This way, they don’t become overcooked in the finished dish.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips:
- Make ahead: You can assemble this casserole, cover it with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge up to 24 hours before you’re ready to bake it. Just remove the plastic wrap and bake as usual when you want to eat it.
- Fridge: Allow leftover casserole to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Allow leftover casserole to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storage & Make Ahead Tips
Make ahead: You can assemble this casserole, cover with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge up to 24 hours before you’re ready to bake it. Just remove the plastic wrap and bake as usual when you want to eat it.
Fridge: Allow leftover casserole to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Allow leftover casserole to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
You May Also Like
- Easy Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Comforting Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Chicken Broccoli Soup
- Cozy Harvest Chicken Casserole
- Chicken, Cauliflower Casserole
- Healthy Chicken Parm Casserole
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