The Cozy Cookbook is here! 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
-
- Pizza Pasta
-
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
-
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
-
- Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
-
- Chicken and Gravy
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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.
Cheese and seasonings make this dish. But overall in love with it.
Yayyyy, I’m so happy it was such a hit Jessica, thanks so much for the great review!💗
I made this for the first time for dinner tonight and it is delicious! I had precooked and diced chicken in the freezer already, so I just used that and followed the recipe from where the chicken is cooked. We also had tri color rigatoni which didn’t affect the flavor whatsoever. My 8yo had a “meh” response to this meal. My toddler doesn’t eat anything I make for dinner, and my husband tried a few bites and said he loves it, but he has strep and can’t swallow easily. So I guess I should make this again when people feel better. He suggested I add some bacon to the top with the fried onions. I think that would bring this dish to the next level.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and comments💗! My husband is sick too right now and I’m sticking to meals like this as well as soups!
Delicious will make this all the time, the fam inhaled it. Next time I’ll double the recipe!
I’m so happy the family liked it so much, thanks so much for the great review!😃
Have you tried substituting rice for the noodles?
Hi Kristine! I haven’t done that for this recipe but I do have a Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole that I think you’d like, instead of trying to sub the rice for pasta in this one! 🙂
Could I just make this and put in an aluminum foil pan for my daughter in law and freeze? Then when she comes home from having the baby she can bake it? Do you know what the temperature would be to bake it and the amount of time from frozen?
Hi Heidi!! The general rule of thumb is to add 1 hour of covered baking time if cooking from frozen, but ovens vary and there is a risk that the middle wouldn’t be warmed all the way through, though it should work! She can also let it thaw completely in the fridge overnight and add 10-15 minutes of covered baking time. What a nice gesture to prepare this for her! 🙂
Hi Stephanie, Ienjoy your recipes. Can a different kind of cheese be used other than cheddar?
Hi Janice! Colby cheese would be great! Monterey Jack would work as well 🙂