One Pot Chicken Noodle Casserole is so simple to make from scratch in just 30 minutes! We love this comforting casserole that tastes just like chicken noodles!
This one pot meal is going straight to the top of cozy fall and winter food! It truly has that classic taste of homemade chicken noodle soup all balled up into a hearty casserole with a buttery breadcrumb topping! This dish starts with pre-cooked shredded chicken making it even easier to make. You can do a rotisserie chicken if you're short on time. We like to use this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or this easy Crockpot Shredded Chicken.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole:
- The first step is to heat a large pot with butter over medium-low heat. You'll want a large (10-12 inch) deep skillet or dutch oven. We're heating over med-low because we're going to add our celery, carrots, onions and sweat them for about 6 minutes in the butter. Don't skip this part, it adds a lot of great flavor!
- Once you've sweated the veggies and they're soft you'll add in your garlic and stir around for 30 seconds. Turn the stove heat up to medium and sprinkle over your flour and seasonings. Stir constantly for just 1-2 minutes to let the flour taste cook down.
- Pour in all of the broth. Use your spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan as they'll add more flavor. Keep stirring until no lumps of flour remain.
- Now, add in your shredded chicken and your noodles. Note that the noodles may not be completely covered by the broth at first and that's ok. You'll simmer over medium heat, and stir the noodles around occasionally until they are all soft and cooked down.
Topping for Chicken Noodle Casserole:
The topping for this dish is completely optional. It consists of butter, Panko breadcrumbs, parsley, and a good pinch of salt. I love it because it adds just a nice salty crunch to the top of the dish. Casseroles to me often have some kind of topping just like the potato chips on our Tuna Casserole. But, it won't make or break the dish if you decide to skip it! I broil this on high at around 550 after adding the topping. Just a note to keep an eye on it because it becomes golden in just a couple of minutes.
Recipe Notes:
- You will need an oven proof pan or dutch oven for this dish. If you don't have one, you can still use a 9x13 inch baking dish before adding the topping and broiling.
- The carrots, celery, and onion should be diced small. This casserole cooks quickly, and you want to make sure the veggies have time to become soft. I used baby carrots, but you can use about 2 medium/large whole carrots diced as well. For the celery, it was about 2-3 stalks depending on size.
- You can add cheese to this casserole if you want! Once the noodles are cooked, you can stir in 1 cup of your favorite cheese (I like cheddar or parmesan) before adding the topping.
- You can add extra veggies too! If you'd like, you can add about 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables of your choice when adding the noodles and chicken.
- Make sure to TASTE and adjust seasonings! Everyones preference for seasoning is different. Season as directed in the recipe, then, before it goes in to broil taste and add any additional seasonings you'd like.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
One Pot Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
FOR THE CASSEROLE:
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Small Yellow Onion Chopped
- 3 Stalks Celery Diced
- ½ Cup Diced Carrots
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Ground Mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ¼ Cup All Purpose Flour
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
- 12 Ounces Egg Noodles
- 3 Cups Cooked Shredded Chicken
Instructions
FOR THE CASSEROLE:
- Melt the butter in a large and deep oven safe pan or dutch oven over medium-low heat.
- Add in the diced carrots, celery, and onion and stir to coat with butter. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the vegetables to cook, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add the garlic to the pot, stir constantly for about 30 seconds.
- Add the thyme, ground mustard, cumin, cayenne, flour, and salt and pepper to taste to the pot.
- Cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes to cook the flour.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly until smooth.
- Add the noodles and shredded chicken to the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally to submerge the noodles under the broth until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Serve immediately as is, or follow directions to make the topping.
FOR THE TOPPING:
- Preheat the oven to broil/high.
- Combine the melted butter in a medium bowl with the panko, parsley, and salt.
- Top the casserole evenly with the breadcrumb mixture and broil for 2-3 minutes just until golden brown.
Notes
This recipe was made using a 12 inch, deep, oven safe skillet. You can also use a dutch oven. If you don't have either, you can pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish before adding the topping, then bake. NOTE ON SUBSTITUTIONS/ADDITIONS:
Vegetable broth will work in place of chicken broth.
You can add 1 cup of your favorite shredded cheese to this casserole if desired. Stir in after the noodles are cooked, before adding the topping.
If you don't have Panko, you can use regular plain or Italian breadcrumbs for the topping.
This is delish, however, it takes about 60 minutes, for me anyway. I could see 30 minutes if you don't count any of the prep time to cook the chicken or cut the veggies.
30 minutes and 1 pot?? Omg you are speaking my love language!! I am definitely trying this out one of these weekdays 🙂
Comfort food at it's best! This casserole looks incredibly, especially when topped with the panko crumbs! Can't wait to make this for my family.
I absolutely love one pot meals! Now that the weather has turned cool here in Pittsburgh this morning recipe is perfect!
I love anything one pot, but this is especially good now the weather is cooler!
Love the idea of taking chicken noodle soup and making it into a yummy casserole. So much easier to eat and no noodles slapping you in the face as you try to eat the soup. A great weeknight dinner.
I am surprised you can make this casserole in 30 minutes. It certainly looks yum and sophisticated. Great tip on adding cheese - that must be so yum!
I love hearty one-pot meals because they make weeknight cooking so much easier. This chicken noodle casserole looks and sounds delish! I love the cumin, thyme, mustard, and cayenne seasoning mix you used for it.
This One Pot Chicken Noodle casserole sounds so warm and comforting. I love the buttery panko topping, the perfect touch . Anything made in one pot is perfect for me and my busy lifestyle. Thanks for all the tips and step by step pics.
Anything in one pot is something I know I need to try, but this chicken noodle casserole is another level! It's like a heartier chicken noodle soup... sure to keep my comfort food craving satisfied.