Easy Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

I just love me a good casserole. Especially this one and I’ll tell you why. It’s loaded with sharp cheddar cheese, which is my VICE, which literally means that it’s an “immoral or evil habit or practice”. Listen. If cheese is wrong, I don’t want to be right. I’ll put that cheese to my face so fast you’d never even see it. And I don’t feel a bit bad about it.

I threw in broccoli to be a good family woman and give my toddler a vegetable. (She loves this casserole too. Good girl.) -But the best part is that you can throw in whatever veggies you want. Carrots, corn, peas, what have you. OR, if you’re not morally obligated to add a vegetable, screw it. Don’t. No one needs to know.

As simple as this recipe is, I actually went digging into my basement for my old 3-ring recipe binder that I made like, ten years ago, so that I could get the specifics that my mother in law gave to me in college for this recipe. (She gives me the best recipes.) 😉

Moral of the story? It’s quick, it’s easy, you can sneak in a veggie or two, and it tastes DANG good. There you have it.

Print Recipe

Easy Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 50 min

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 min

A savory egg noodle casserole made with a creamy mushroom sauce, chicken, cheese, and broccoli. All topped with crispy fried onions a baked to perfection.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. egg noodles (About ¾ of a 1 lb. bag)
• 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 (10.8 oz.) bag frozen broccoli florets
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I use a block of Cabot extra sharp)
• Nonstick cooking spray
• ½ cup French’s crispy fried onions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with desired amounts of salt/pepper.

Place the chicken in the casserole dish and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and drain any excess water.

Place the frozen broccoli in a strainer and rinse with warm water. Cut into smaller pieces if desired.

Boil the egg noodles for one minute less than instructed on package, drain and return to the pot you boiled it in.

In a small bowl, combine the cream of mushroom soup with the milk and pour it on top of the egg noodles. Add the diced chicken and broccoli and stir gently with a rubber spatula.

Lightly coat your casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and pour in the egg noodle mixture. Top with the grated cheese and bake, covered, for 20 minutes.

Add the crispy fried onions and bake, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, until the top is a light golden brown.

All images and text ©Stephanie Melchione for The Cozy Cook