Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with comforting flavors, this chicken noodle casserole is a great hearty meal your family will love!
Shredded chicken, veggies, bacon, plenty of cheese, a rich creamy sauce, and a crunchy onion topping… hungry yet? This chicken noodle casserole is so hearty and perfect for a family meal!
This post was brought to you by the makers of French’s®. I received compensation to write this post through the #RealFlavorsHaveCrunch program. All opinions expressed are my own.
After the holidays I’m all about the easy dinners. No long involved meals, no long prep times, no 5 pans to wash, etc. That’s why I wanted to share with you all my favorite family-pleasing (and easy) Loaded Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole!
Even my picky kiddos eat this casserole, which makes this a major winner in my house. Not only because we all love the casserole, but because we all absolutely LOVE the topping.
I make this casserole with plenty of French’s Crispy Fried Onions, which are a staple in our household. I keep a can or two of them in my pantry at all times, because when my kids are being picky, I can sprinkle some of the onions on top… and voila! They magically love the meal!
French’s Crispy Fried Onions are made with real onions for great flavor and crunch, and make a fabulous topping for casseroles, mashed potatoes, burgers or salads!
I’ve seen a couple other chicken noodle casserole recipes, and they tend to stay pretty close to the traditional chicken noodle soup flavors.
Nothing against those recipes, but I wanted some big, bold flavors here! So I added things like plenty of crispy bacon, garlic, sautéed mushrooms, and plenty of cheese!
This chicken noodle casserole is made with cooked, shredded chicken, so you have a few options here.
- Leftover chicken – if you have 2 chicken breasts left over from another meal, you can shred it up.
- Rotisserie chicken – the option I usually choose, just shred the meat and it’s good to go.
- Raw chicken – if you don’t have either of those two options, after you cook the bacon, go ahead and cook 2 chicken breasts in the bacon drippings. Let it cool slightly and shred.
- Use turkey – if you have some leftover turkey from a holiday dinner, it makes a great substitute!
The next time you want an incredibly easy weeknight dinner, give this loaded cheesy chicken noodle casserole a try!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 oz cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
- 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/4 cups half and half
- pinch kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 10 slices bacon, diced (divided)
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken is great for this)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 12 oz extra wide egg noodles, cooked 1 minute shy of al dente and drained
- 1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese , (divided)
- 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese , (divided)
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese , (divided)
- 4 oz French's Crispy Fried Onions , (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a skillet, cook diced bacon over MED heat until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate, reserving the drippings. Add diced onion and chopped mushrooms to bacon drippings and cook over MED HIGH heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to a large mixing bowl.
- To large mixing bowl, add cream of chicken soup, sour cream, half and half, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Whisk or stir until smooth. Add shredded chicken, 2/3 of the cooked bacon, frozen peas, 2 oz of the French's crispy fried onions, most of the shredded cheeses (reserving a few Tablespoons of each type), and cooked egg noodles.
- Gently stir to combine well, then transfer to prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses and remaining bacon. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Remove foil, add remaining 2 oz French's crispy fried onions in an even layer, and bake an additional 5-7 minutes, until onions are lightly golden brown.
- Sprinkle casserole with minced parsley if desired and serve hot.
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Chef Tips
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Becky says
Yes, I actually made this and it’s terrific! Perfect for a super chilly Sunday supper. I added chopped leeks and tricolor sweet peppers to the veggie mixture and added smoked paprika. I used smoked guyere and gouda cheese and topped with extra sharp cheddar. I also used herb baked chicken from my store’s deli. I can buy that cheaper than raw chicken. Added even more flavor. This would be great as a turkey leftover casserole, Thanksgiving will be here before you know it! Make this, you can’t go wrong!
Sarah says
Made this last night and it was a huge hit. Definitely good comfort food during the fall and winter months. I looked at other recipes similar to this one but I liked the added flavor you put into it. The house smelled wonderful while it was in the oven, Thank you!
DLB says
Thoughts on no onions or mushrooms? Would it be worth it? Those are both things myself or my family won’t eat. I won’t even have onions in my home, they’re that nasty.
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never tested this recipe other than as written, but I think it should be fine without them.
Tracy says
Made this tonight. Did not change one thing I like to make new dishes as recipe states. This will be a keeper in our dinner rotation. Very good flavor and easy to make
Nancee Werts says
I was craving a comfort food casserole. This really hit the mark! My family loved it too! It will be shared and made many times in the future!
Maggie says
Made this recipe for dinner tonight and it turned out great! I added about 3/4 cup of milk because I was short on heavy cream, which I used instead of half and half. I also used a can of cheddar cheese soup instead of cream of chicken to add more cheese flavor. It was fantastic and I can definitely use it in my meal rotation! Even my picky soon-to-be 3 year old loved it! Thanks so much!
Joan says
Excellent and enjoyed by everyone, although I only added sharp chedder cheese, as that is all I had!
A 5 of 5 star!
Rhonda says
Can this be frozen?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never tried to freeze it… we usually either eat it right away or refrigerate it overnight as directed in the recipe notes section.
CAROL JOHNSEN says
Yes you can freeze this recipe. I made this exactly as written and everyone loved it. I wanted my son and daughter-in-law and their family and my daughter and son-in law and their family to try it. so I divided it into 2 8″ pans. One was eaten the next day, but I FROZE the other one (I just left off the cheese and fried onions) as I wasn’t going to see my daughter for about a week. They defrosted it at room temp. added the cheese and onions and then baked according to the recipe and it came out perfect. My son-in-law can’t wait to have it again.
Karla says
Made this the other night
Delish!
I added more Bacon Milk and Cheese
Will go in my rotation for dinners!
Karyn Jantz says
Has anyone used different noodles?
Lisa says
I wish people would comment after they make a recipe instead of saying “Oh this looks good”. I want to read comments on a tried recipe please.
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Lisa 🙂 Unfortunately a lot of people don’t think to come back and leave comments :/
Jen says
I agree! Make the recipe first, then comment ?
RB says
I so agree with you! When I am reviewing a recipe I want to hear from people who have actually made the recipe. This is how you learn the pros and cons about the recipe or what changes others have made that may help you if your pantry is short on ingredients.
Jennifer Johnson says
Or they come on after they have changed 10 things about the recipe and say how good it is!
Krista says
You say cheesy and I am always in!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
I would call this comfort food to the max! That onion topping really takes this to a new level!
carrie @ frugal foodie mama says
This looks absolutely delicious! My family would go crazy for this. 🙂
eat good 4 life says
My family would devour this in just about 5 minutes. Such a great dinner idea!
Karly says
I’m drooling already. This looks SO good- definitely gonna be a new family favorite!
Jen says
Everything about this casserole is right on money! I’m making this ASAP!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
I gotta make this!
Jessica | The Novice Chef says
This is the epitome of comfort food! Such a great idea!
sepatu cewek says
Thanks for sharing the recipe, I really like and would love to try it. 5 stars for this recipe because I like it <3