Chicken Noodle Casserole
A better-for-you take on chicken noodle casserole, without any canned soups! Here we have a super-easy, homemade creamy sauce that forms as the casserole bakes. Perfect for using up leftover rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken.
Servings: 4 servings
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
Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1015mg | Potassium: 949mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 6824IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 449mg | Iron: 3mg