Chicken Noodle Casserole gives you creamy chicken and tender egg noodles under a crisp, buttery cracker topping. It’s a comforting weeknight dinner when you have cooked chicken ready to use, with peas and carrots tucked into the filling.
How to make chicken noodle casserole: Cook and drain the noodles, fold them into the creamy chicken filling, and add the buttered cracker topping. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes, then let it rest before serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses cooked chicken: You can start with chicken you already have rather than cooking it in the casserole.
- Creamy and crisp: The soup, mayonnaise, and cheese coat the noodles while the crackers turn golden on top.
- Vegetables included: Frozen peas and carrots go straight into the filling.
- A useful rest: After baking, you can leave the casserole alone for 15 minutes before scooping it.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: Buy cooked chicken or use cooked chicken you have on hand, then dice it for the filling. I like to get the chicken ready before I start mixing.
Cream of chicken soup and mayonnaise: Together, they make the thick, creamy coating for the chicken and noodles. Buy one can of condensed cream of chicken soup. Measure the mayonnaise separately so the filling gets the amount listed.
Shredded cheese: Use any shredded cheese you like; cheddar is an easy pick. Stir it through the creamy mixture rather than saving it for the topping.
Frozen peas and carrots: Add them frozen when you mix the filling. I keep them in the freezer until the bowl is ready; they’re easier to add as a measured ingredient than to work into the noodles afterward.
Crackers and butter: Crush the Ritz crackers into crumbs and melt the butter for the topping. I use the blender if it’s already out, but a food processor works too. The crumbs go over the casserole before the butter is poured on.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken, diced
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 12 ounces egg noodles
- 25 Ritz crackers, crushed (about 1 cup of crumbs)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
1. Cook the noodles. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions, stopping when they are al dente if you want a firmer finished noodle. Drain them before they go into the filling. Set them aside while you put the other ingredients together.
2. Prepare the chicken and onion. Dice the cooked chicken and yellow onion. Keep the pieces ready to stir into the sauce so you can mix the filling before adding the noodles.
3. Mix the filling. In a mixing bowl, stir together the chicken, onion, cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, and frozen peas and carrots. Keep stirring until the creamy ingredients are distributed through the chicken and vegetables.
4. Add the noodles. Gently fold in the cooked, drained noodles. Spread the mixture evenly in a casserole dish rather than leaving a mound in the center. I use a light hand here so the noodles stay intact as they become coated.
5. Add the topping. Crush the Ritz crackers in a food processor or blender. Sprinkle the crumbs over the filling, then pour the melted butter over them. Cover the surface with the crumbs so you get some topping with each scoop.
6. Bake and check the center. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the cracker crumbs are golden and crisp. Check the center with a food thermometer before serving; it needs to reach 165°F. If the center has not reached that temperature, keep baking and check it again.
7. Rest. Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes before serving. Then scoop through the crisp topping into the creamy chicken, vegetables, and noodles underneath.
Keep the Noodles Tender, Not Mushy
The noodles should be coated in creamy sauce but still feel like noodles when you take a bite. Cook and drain them before assembly. For a firmer result, stop at al dente: the noodles continue cooking slightly once the casserole goes into the oven, so overcooking them in the pot can leave them mushy.
I’d rather drain the noodles promptly than let them sit in their cooking water while I finish the filling. Once they’re drained, fold them in gently. That gives you a better chance of keeping the noodles distinct beneath the crisp crumbs.
The topping tells you when the crackers have browned, not whether the middle is ready. You can have a golden top while the center still needs more time, so use the center temperature in the baking step as your doneness check.
Tips for Success
Why is my filling unevenly creamy?
You may see pockets of plain chicken or vegetables beside heavier patches of sauce. Stir the soup, mayonnaise, and cheese thoroughly through the chicken and vegetables before the noodles go in. That way, you can coat the noodles without working them more than necessary.
Why are there bare patches on my topping?
If the crumbs land in piles, parts of the filling will bake without that crisp layer. Scatter the crushed crackers across the whole surface before you pour on the butter. A quick look around the edges will show you where more crumbs are needed.
Why does my casserole scoop messily?
Scooping it as soon as it comes out of the oven can make the creamy filling harder to portion. Give it the listed rest before you serve it. The dish will still be warm, and you won’t have to chase noodles around the pan with a spoon.
Variations
- Use sour cream: Swap it for the mayonnaise if you want that option in the creamy filling.
- Change the vegetables: Use frozen mixed vegetables in place of the frozen peas and carrots.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days. You can freeze leftovers, but the mayonnaise-based sauce may separate and look curdled after thawing. Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave, and reheat them to 165°F as measured with a food thermometer.
What to Serve With It
This casserole is a dinner on its own, so you don’t need another main dish beside it. If you’re choosing a chicken dinner for another night, try Ritz cracker chicken casserole for a familiar topping or chicken pot pie noodle skillet for another noodle option. You could also make creamy chicken noodle soup, slow cooker broccoli chicken noodles, million dollar chicken casserole, or chicken and dumpling casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes. Use cooked rotisserie chicken in place of chicken you cooked yourself, and dice it before mixing the filling. Measure out the cooked chicken called for in the ingredient list.
Can I replace the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt?
Yes, plain Greek yogurt is an option in place of the mayonnaise. It changes the creamy ingredient in the filling, while the chicken, noodles, vegetables, and topping stay the same.
Can I put raw chicken in the casserole?
Use cooked chicken for this recipe. Its baking directions are for a casserole assembled with chicken that has already been cooked; raw chicken is not an equal swap for that step.
How much topping will the crackers make?
The 25 crackers make about 1 cup of crumbs. Crush them before sprinkling so you can spread them over the filling instead of leaving large pieces in a few spots.
Final Notes
Set your mixing bowl beside the casserole dish so transferring the filled noodles is easy. If you make it, leave a question or tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Chicken Noodle Casserole
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Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken cooked and diced
- 1/2 yellow onion large; diced
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup cheese shredded
- 2 cups peas and carrots frozen
- 12 ounces egg noodles
- 25 crackers Ritz crackers crushed; about 1 cup of crumbs
- 1/4 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions, stopping at al dente for a firmer finished noodle. Drain them.
- Dice the cooked chicken and the yellow onion.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the chicken, onion, cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, and frozen peas and carrots.
- Gently fold in the cooked, drained egg noodles, then spread the mixture evenly in a casserole dish.
- Crush the Ritz crackers in a food processor or blender. Sprinkle the crumbs over the casserole, then pour the melted butter over them.
- Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the cracker crumbs are golden and crisp. Before serving, check that the center reaches 165°F with a food thermometer; continue baking and check again if needed.
- Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes before serving.
