The Ultimate Chicken Casserole Recipe has a super creamy cheesy sauce, and is loaded with tender noodles, chicken, bacon, and corn topped off with some crispy fried onions.
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Hearty, savory chicken casserole is a foolproof easy dinner recipe and one the whole family will love even if you have a picky eater. It can be the perfect way to warm up on a chilly evening or to serve a crowd at a potluck or dinner party with some of my Parmesan Roasted Broccoli or Oven Roasted Asparagus.
Why this recipe works
It's a satisfying hearty casserole that uses simple ingredients, is very versatile and easy to throw together, and will be your new family favorite. This comforting chicken noodle casserole is an easy weeknight meal like my Cheesy Tuna Casserole or my Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole and is perfect for leftovers.
Ingredients needed for the ultimate chicken casserole recipe
Ingredients Notes
- Pasta: Egg noodles cooked to al dente so they arent mushy in the casserole.
- Chicken: You can use rotisserie shredded chicken or leftover chicken like from my Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Bacon: I like to use good smoky bacon.
- Cream of chicken soup: low sodium campbell cream of chicken soup
- Onion: Yellow onion or sweet onion.
- Corn: White or yellow frozen corn works great, but canned (drained) will also work.
- Cheese: I used cheddar cheese any kind of cheese will work just make sure to shred it yourself and not use prepackaged shredded cheese.
How to make Ultimate Chicken Casserole
- Step 1: Cook pasta to al dente and preheat the oven. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and add the bacon cook until crispy, remove to a paper towel, and drain.
- Step 2: Add in the diced onion and garlic and cook just until translucent and soft.
- Step 3: In a large mixing bowl add the cans cream of chicken soup and half n half and mix until combined.
- Step 4: Fold in the cooked pasta, cooked chicken and remaining ingredients into the soup mixture until mixed.
- Step 5: Pour mixture into an oven-safe dish.
- Step 6: Sprinkle the french-fried onions on top and place in the preheated oven, bake until bubbly.
Recipe tips
- Cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup can be substituted for cream of chicken soup.
- Make sure egg noodles are cooked to al dente so they aren't mushy in the casserole.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Chicken Casserole Variations
- Toss in some broccoli, diced carrots, and or peas.
- Top your chicken casserole with crushed ritz crackers or crushed potato chips instead of fried onions.
Recipe Faq's
Half and half is simply a mixture of equal parts of whole milk and cream found in the dairy section of your grocery store. You can also make your own by mixing 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream.
Yes, chicken noodle casserole can be made ahead of time stored in the refrigerator then topped with fried onions, and pop it into the oven making it a convenient meal for busy weeknights or meal prep.
Yes, you can freeze this easy chicken casserole recipe. Just leave the fried onions off and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight top with the fried onions and bake.
Ultimate Chicken Casserole
The ultimate chicken casserole uses simple ingredients is cheesy, with a super creamy sauce, and is loaded with tender noodles, chicken, bacon, and corn topped off with some crispy fried onions.
Ingredients
- 3 cups egg noodles
- 6 slices of bacon, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (10 oz) cans of cream of chicken soup, low sodium
- 1 1/2 cups half n half
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups French fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and add the diced bacon, cook until crispy then remove to paper towels to drain.
- Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease and add in the diced onions and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes until softened, remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the cream of chicken soup and half n half until combined.
- Fold in the remaining ingredients except for the fried onions and gently mix them together.
- Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish, and sprinkle the fried onions on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve
Notes
Cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup can be substituted for cream of chicken soup.
Half and half is simply a mixture of equal parts of whole milk and cream found in the dairy section of your grocery store. You can also make your own by mixing 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream.
A rotisserie chicken works great for this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 468Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 89mgSodium 712mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 22g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on butteryourbiscuit.com should only be used as a general guideline.
You can leave it out or substitute it with frozen peas.
Does anyone have a great substitution for corn in this dish? we're not fans of it but everything else sounds amazing 🤩
Yay happy you loved it Steph!
You can use all milk it just may be a bit thinner.
i can't have any cream or i get sick can i use all milk?
Made this recipe tonight—was amazing!! Added a smidge more noodles and cheese than the recipe calls for and next time will add more noodles. Loved it overall!
You went right past the recipe to write this comment!
what are the quantities of nice ingredients?