This Chicken Noodle Casserole is easy to make with canned soup or with my homemade cream of mushroom! It’s got a delicious cheese sauce with sour cream, broccoli, and juicy chicken. This makes a great make-ahead meal and freezer food!
Try my Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole next!
Chicken Noodle Casserole
If you’re familiar with The Cozy Cook, you probably know that casserole recipes are pretty common around here.
This chicken noodle casserole is a classic comfort food. No fancy ingredients, and very easy to customize.
You can use peas and carrots instead of broccoli, use leftover rotisserie chicken, and play around with different cheese options.
BONUS: This is a great make-ahead recipe and freezer food.
Ingredients
See recipe card at the end of this post for ingredient quantities and full written instructions
- Rotini- One of the best pastas for casseroles. They hold their shape and grip the sauce well.
- Chicken- I cook fresh chicken in this recipe but 2 cups of rotisserie or leftover chicken works well too!
- Seasonings: Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt, and Pepper.
- Olive Oil- Vegetable or canola work as well
- Cream of Mushroom Soup– Use canned soup or make my homemade version! You can also use canned or homemade cream of chicken soup.
- Sour Cream
- Milk- Any kind
- Broccoli Florets- See below about subbing frozen broccoli
- Cheese: Sharp White Cheddar for the sauce and Regular Cheddar for the top
- French’s Crispy Fried Onions
How to Make It
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Toss, and add the broccoli. Continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Add sour cream, milk, cream of mushroom soup, and sharp white cheddar to the pot and toss to combine.
Cook pasta for 1 minute less than al dente (refer to box for cooking time). Drain, and add to the pot with the sauce. Use a silicone spatula to gently toss to combine.
If the pot isn’t oven safe, transfer it to the lightly greased 9 x 13 casserole dish and top with regular cheddar cheese. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove cover and top with crispy fried onions. Bake for 8 more minutes. Serve with Garlic Bread with Cheese.
Using Frozen Broccoli
- 2 cups of frozen broccoli (and/or cauliflower) can also be used. Just be sure you thaw and pat it dry!
- Frozen broccoli is already blanched so you don’t need to cook it prior to mixing the casserole together unless you like your broccoli on the softer side.
- Frozen peas, green beans, or carrots make a great addition too. Thaw them out prior to baking or increase covered baking time by 5-7 minutes.
Make Ahead Method
- Follow assembly instructions and let the casserole completely cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add 15 minutes to covered baking time.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 14-inch oven-safe nonstick pan. Perfect for preparing this recipe without having to transfer it to a casserole dish.
- 9 x 13 inch casserole dish– an Alternative baking vessel that’s the perfect size for most casseroles.
- Silicone Spatula– Makes it easy to gently incorporate the pasta into the sauce without breaking the noodles.
Try These Next
-
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
-
- Chicken Tetrazzini
-
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
-
- Chicken Caesar Pasta
-
- Crock Pot Roast with Gravy
-
- Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
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Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups diced chicken, about 2 small chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 3 cups dry Rotini
- 10.5 oz. condensed cream of mushroom soup, (cream of chicken works well too)
- 8 oz. sour cream, equal to one cup
- 1/2 cup milk, any kind
- 2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup regular cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup French’s crispy fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Season the chicken with 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 3/4 tsp. garlic salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes.
- Toss the chicken and add the broccoli. Cook for 3-4 additional minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat.
- Cook the rotini for 1 minute less than al dente, refer to package for cooking time.
- Meanwhile, add the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, milk, and 2 cups sharp white cheddar to the pot with the chicken & broccoli. Stir to combine.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the pot. Use a silicone spatula to gently mix until combined.
- If the pot isn't oven safe, transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
- Top with 1 cup regular cheddar. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove cover and add crispy fried onions. Bake uncovered for 8 minutes. Serve with Garlic Bread with Cheese.
Notes
- 2 cups of frozen broccoli can also be used. Just be sure you thaw and pat it dry!
- Frozen broccoli is already blanched so there's no need to cook it in the pot with the chicken unless you prefer very soft broccoli.
- Frozen peas, green beans, or carrots make a great addition too. Thaw them out prior to baking or increase covered baking time by 5-7 minutes.
Make Ahead Method
- Follow assembly instructions and let the casserole completely cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add 15 minutes to covered baking time.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
I’ve made this dish several times, and it’s a total hit. I always sneak in more broccoli, and if I’m in a time crunch, I’ll use a rotisserie chicken. Always gobbled up!
I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying this casserole Casey! It’s so funny, I’m just like you, I sneak in extra vegetables in my casseroles and my family always gobbles it up. I feel like I’m living a lie sometimes 🤣
Hahaha same! Is it terrible I don’t feel bad about it at all? 😅😂
This was super easy to make. It lacked flavor though, it was bland. I’m going to add a bit more seasoning next time.
Hi Christy! I feel like the white cheddar really adds such a robust flavor along with the other ingredients that a lot of seasonings aren’t as necessary in this one, especially for picky eaters, but of course it’s easy enough to adjust the seasonings to your taste! 🙂
Thank you, Stephanie, for all your fabulous recipes! I made this last night and both the hubster and I loved it. I am going to keep in mind the tip about cooking the pasta one minute less than al dente. It was nice and firm–not mushy as can happen with cooked pasta in a casserole. This will definitely be part of my regular rotation.
You’re very welcome Sandy! I’m so happy you and the hubster love it!😃 It’s so true, cooking the pasta less than al dente is the key to success with casseroles! Thanks much for the great comments and review!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! It’s so easy to throw together for weeknights and my kiddos love it. I definitely see this being my next go-to potluck dish!
I’m so happy to hear such great comments Amanda! This is perfect for a potluck! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!😃
Can I use bread crumbs or something else in place of the crispy onions? I don’t have any on hand and have never made a casserole before lol. Also, is the soup condensed?
Hi Danielle! Yes, the soup is condensed and yes, you can combine breadcrumbs with some melted butter instead, or crushed Ritz crackers work well!
This is delicious! I used thawed frozen broccoli florets and skipped cooking them with the chicken. The next time I make this, I will cut the pasta amount to 2 c. And add more chicken and broccoli. Very flavorful and can make this ahead of time and refrigerate, just bake longer till hot before adding crispy onions, about 45 minutes instead of 25.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Brenda. Thanks so much for the great review!😍
This is a very delicious meal ( green salad with red wine vinegar, olive oil ,salt and pepper)
Instead of store purchased onion bits I caramelized onions for the top.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it Vicki! Caramelized onions for the top sound yummy😋. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Sorry, this may be a stupid question. :/. I have never froze any meals before but really wanting to before baby comes. I’ve made this many time, SO GOOD! Would you wait to put the fried onions on until you’re ready to bake after freezing? Also, you would need to thaw completely before backing, correct? Again, sorry for the silly questions!
Not silly questions at all! You are right on both counts! Wait on adding the crunchy topping until you are ready to bake, (after freezing), and yes! Let it thaw completely before baking, it could take up to 24 hours in the fridge!
This casserole was really good. It will definitely be going on the rotation. Instead of dicing the chicken before cooking, I cooked the breast whole but just to sear in the flavors and get nearly done then diced before combining with other ingredients. I knew it would continue to cook in the oven and I didn’t want dry chicken. I also highly recommend freshly grated cheese. It always makes a difference. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy you liked the casserole Tiffany!❤️ I totally agree with the freshly grated cheese😋 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
This Chicken noodle casserole is yummy. I was looking for something with chicken to make, something different than what I make and always trying a recipe. I love cooking and trying recipes. Thank you! This is a recipe to keep.
You’re very welcome Mary! I’m so happy you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
So good, thank you! My picky eater son had three helpings! I used a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket and it was delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that! Using rotisserie chicken is a great time saver and it’s also super yummy! Thanks so much for the great review!😍