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Our easy Chicken Noodle Casserole recipe is the ultimate kid-friendly comfort food! It is made from scratch with a simple white sauce combined with chicken and egg noodles and baked with cheese on top.
Classic Chicken Noodle Casserole, done right.
Classic Chicken Noodle Casserole, done right.I love to reinvent the classics and everyhting about this easy Chicken Noodle Casserole is better than Grandmas! The homemade sauce is key–no canned soups, or other processed ingredients–just wholesome, real ingredients that everyone usually has on hand.
It's definitely a picky eater approved recipe that my entire family loves. It has all of the flavors we love from Chicken Noodle Soup but even more of a “comfort food” vibe, with the pasta and and cheese. It's a great one for feeding a crowd, or perfect for a meal train for a friend. I also like to to meal prep this recipe with roasted vegetables.
For more comfort-food classics try our Cheese Enchiladas, Chicken Casserole, Meatloaf, Instant Pot Pasta and Meatballs, Hamburger Gravy, Fettuccine Alfredo, or American Goulash!
How to make Chicken Noodle Casserole:
Combine: Cook egg noodles according to package instructions. Make the sauce by melting butter in an extra large saucepan. Add flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried basil, then stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth slowly, stirring until thickened. In a separate mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, ½ cup parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella.
Bake: add chicken, noodles, and cheese mixture, stirring to combine. Transfer to a large casserole dish and bake. Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve With:
- Broccoli Salad
- Roasted Vegetables
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Balsamic Roasted Carrots
- Wedge Salad
- French Green Beans
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Prep the entire chicken noodle bake up to 24 hours in advance, just slightly undercook the egg noodles. Assemble then cover tightly with foil and keep in the refrigerator. Let sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking as instructed.
To Freeze: Undercook the noodles and only boil them for 4 minutes then follow the recipe to assemble and bake. Allow it to cool completely then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen for 1 ½ hours (still covered with foil). Take the foil off and bake for an additional 20-40 minutes until hot and bubbly.
More Must-Make Chicken Recipes:
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Easy Roast Chicken
- Garlic Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- Chicken Gyros
- Boursin Pasta
- Chow Mein
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces egg noodles, , cooked al dente
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 24 ounces cottage cheese, , small curd
- 1 large egg, , beaten
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, , divided
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, , divided
- 4 cups cooked chicken, , chopped
- fresh chopped parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cook egg noodles in a large pot of boiling water, just until al dente, or even 1-2 minutes less. (The noodles will continue to cook later, when baked). Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sauce: Melt butter in an extra large saucepan over medium to medium high heat. Add flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried basil. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken broth, about a cup at a time, until mixture is thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Cheese layer: In a large mixing bowl stir together cottage cheese, egg, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and ½ cup parmesan cheese.
- Combine: Add chicken, noodles and cheese mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt, pepper or dried basil, if needed.
- Bake: Pour mixture into a 9×13’’ baking dish (or you can bake it right in an oven-safe saucepan it is in). Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until golden on top and bubbly. Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe December 2017. Updated March 2020, November 2023 and January 2025.
Original recipe inspired from Betty Crocker.
This is sooooo good. Be sure to let the sauce thicken up a lot cuz my creation was a bit soupy as I did not.
Absolutely delicious! Whole family loved it. The recipe makes a lot so we’re looking forward to eating leftovers tomorrow!
Made this for the 2nd time and we just wolfed it down tonight. It is sooo good, loved by all. I am thankful my family of 6 still had enough for leftovers tomorrow.
All your Recipes sound delish! Can’t wait to try some.
So I made this and it was AMAZING! A few things, it makes a lot!!! I have enough for another meal and I gave the other half to my parents and it will feed them two nights. I had to change pans twice because my dishes were not big enough. I wondered about the cottage cheese but I never even knew it was there. I measured and prepared all the ingredients in the morning and put it together an hour before dinner and I’m glad I did because it did take some time to prepare. I stuck to the recipe exactly as written. All that being said though, it was PERFECT, no need to change a thing. I would however consider bread crumbs for the top like some of the reviewers down the road to mix it up. This one is a keeper!!!!
What a gem of a dish! Tried this last night, and it was an absolute winner with my family too. The combination of flavors in this Chicken Noodle Casserole is like a warm hug on a chilly evening. Plus, the leftovers are a lifesaver for lunch the next day or a quick freezer meal for later
This sounds delicious with Ritz crackers crunched on top! 😋
Love this recipe! Perfectly seasoned and doesn’t dry out after being baked. This will be my go-to noodle casserole from now on.
Just made this for the first time to take down to my daughter and her family today along with an apple crisp from your recipe (it’s delicious by the way!). Can’t wait for the verdict on the casserole especially by my 2 yr old grandson but judging by the look and smell of it coming out of the oven, he will love it!
Made this for this first time and heading down to my daughter’s and her family today. Also made you apple crisp so we have dinner and dessert. The apple.cris is delicious – I’ve made it several times and can’t wait to sample the casserole! Will let you know my 2 yr old grandson’s take on it!