Vintage Chicken Noodle Casserole

Classic chicken noodle soup has been used for years to feed unwell kids, but this vintage chicken noodle casserole takes the original idea and makes for a noodle-filled main meal dish that will fill the whole family.

The idea for the chicken casserole also owes something to a traditional tuna pasta casserole but I’ll be honest, I was never a tuna fan. This recipe uses canned chicken but you can easily use store-bought rotisserie chicken or shredded leftover chicken in its place. You could even roast and dice up chicken breasts if you have them in the freezer.

Can you make a chicken noodle casserole ahead of time?

This dish is ideal for a make-ahead menu option. You can make assemble it ahead of time and then cover and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 days before baking.

Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge and can be reheated in the oven at 350°F until heated through. If necessary, use a smaller pan to reheat individual portions of the casserole. Don’t reheat more than once! 

Ingredients

• Extra wide egg noodles
• Canned chicken 12.5 ounces
• Frozen peas
• Condensed cream of chicken soup
• Condensed cream of mushroom soup
• Milk
• Ground black pepper
• Potato chips

Noodles: I like the extra-wide noodles best and find the 12-ounce bag is enough. If you get a 16-ounce bag, add a little more milk than the recipe calls for so it stays moist.

Chicken: You can use 4 cups of shredded chicken in place of the canned chicken if you have leftovers to use up.

Potato chips: Add more potato chips if you want a crunchier top or you could swap them for something like bread crumbs or buttered crackers.

Soup: If you have other flavors of cream soup available, you can also use them.

How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9 X 13 casserole dish or other baking tray with a non-stick cooking spray.
2. Follow the packet instructions to cook the noodles but stop before they are too soft. While they are cooking, put the frozen peas in the sink in a colander to defrost.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained canned chicken, soup, milk, and black pepper.
4. When the noodles are tender, strain them into a colander with the frozen peas. Then pour the noodles and peas into the soup mixture.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with crushed potato chips.
6. Put the baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Remove from the oven and serve.

If you prefer, you can leave off the potato chip topping and serve it as a regular pasta dish. But we enjoy the extra crunchiness that the chips bring.

You can skip the entire baking process for a quicker meal! Just heat up everything except the noodles, then add the cooked noodles at the very end. 

What can you serve with this chicken noodle casserole recipe?

Casseroles are fantastic since they can be eaten alone or as part of a larger meal. Making a simple meal with this chicken egg noodle casserole recipe is easy, simply add salad and breadsticks. 

Can you freeze it?

Yes, baked casseroles may be frozen for up to 6 months. Let the dish cool before wrapping it in foil and putting it in a freezer container.

Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven at 350F until heated through. Cover your chicken noodle casserole with foil when reheating to prevent the top from burning. 

MORE CHICKEN RECIPES

Chicken Dumplings

Smoky Mountain Chicken

Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Noodles

Chicken Noodle Soup

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