This chicken noodle casserole recipe is straight from my Grandmas’s recipe box. What differentiates this casserole from others of the same name is the thick, creamy, delicious sauce. The combo of tender pasta, sautéed veggies, chunks of chicken, and the sauce, makes this a family favorite!
It’s pure comfort food that stick-to-your-ribs and is a delicious crowd pleaser. This scrumptious little gem pairs with almost any side dish and not many chicken casserole recipes can bring so much to the table! It’s a hearty, wholesome, and economical option.
How about a few more kid-friendly, mom-approved, chicken casseroles that can save a midweek meal or spruce up a friendly potluck?
Let’s make this casserole!
What I Love About This Recipe
- Kid-friendly
- Simple, quick, versatile
- Delicious comfort food
Chicken Noodle Casserole Ingredients
- Spaghetti
- Butter
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
- Sour Cream
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Black Pepper
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Rotisserie Chicken
How To Make Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe
This easy chicken noodle casserole recipe can be on the table in just over half an hour!
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Saute mushrooms and onion in melted butter.
- Combine soup, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper in a bowl.
- Mix.
- Add cooked mushrooms, onion, chicken and spaghetti.
- Fold until evenly coated.
- Pour the spaghetti into a dish and top with cheese. Bake.
- Serve.
See full instructions below.
Recipe Notes
- Sauté  The Vegetables: When starting this cheesy chicken noodle casserole, it’s important to sauté your veggies first. Don’t skip this step. It brings out their balanced mellow flavors and produces a more cohesive flavor profile in the finished product. Trust me on this one. Here’s an article from Serious Eats on what sautéing does to them.
- Pasta – One important thing, though. Be sure you only cook your pasta just until al dente so it doesn’t turn into a mushy mess in the oven.
- You’ll also want to use a good quality Italian pasta that can withstand the high oven temp without disintegrating. I like Barilla spaghetti.
- All about that crunch. Want to really jazz up this casserole? Sprinkle some crushed crackers over the top after baking, when the cheese is still bubbly and gooey. The extra texture is drool-worthy, while the added flavor of the cracker packs a fun punch. I like to use Ritz
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Casseroles and storage go hand in hand. Simply transfer your chicken noodle casserole recipe to an airtight container and it’ll stay fresh and yummy in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes, but as with all pasta dishes, the pasta texture will get quite a bit softer and a lot of the sauce will be absorbed. If you choose to go ahead with freezing, it will last up to six months if stored properly in an airtight container.
- Make-Ahead Tips: You can break down your rotisserie chicken up a day or two in advance (make sure to store your chicken pieces in a sealed container in the fridge!). You can also prepare the sauce and store it up to four days as well.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link
Serving Recommendations
I like to serve the casserole with a crisp green salad, Bisquick biscuits, brown sugar carrots, or roasted broccoli.
More Chicken Casseroles
- Poppy Seed Chicken
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Dorito Chicken CasseroleÂ
- Chicken Tater Tot CasseroleÂ
- White Chicken EnchiladasÂ
- Chicken Stuffing Casserole
- Chicken and Dumpling Casserole
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 (10.75-ounces)cans condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 fully cooked rotisserie chicken shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Cook pasta (8Â ounces) according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan, melt butter (2Â tablespoons) then saute mushrooms (1 1/2Â cups) and onion (1/2Â cup) until both are nice and soft.
- In a large bowl mix soup (2 cans), sour cream (1Â cup), Worcestershire sauce (1Â teaspoon), and black pepper (1/2Â teaspoon) until blended. And cooked mushrooms, onion, chicken (1 fully cooked), and spaghetti and fold until everything is evenly coated with sauce.
- Pour the spaghetti into a 9x13 dish and top with cheese (1Â cup). Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the casserole is heated through.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Sauté  The Vegetables: When starting this cheesy chicken noodle casserole, it’s important to sauté your veggies first. Don’t skip this step. It brings out their balanced mellow flavors and produces a more cohesive flavor profile in the finished product. Trust me on this one. Here’s an article from Serious Eats on what sautéing does to them.
- Pasta – One important thing, though. Be sure you only cook your pasta just until al dente so it doesn’t turn into a mushy mess in the oven.
- You’ll also want to use good quality Italian pasta that can withstand the high oven temp without disintegrating. I like Barilla spaghetti.
- All about that crunch. Want to really jazz up this casserole? Sprinkle some crushed crackers over the top after baking, when the cheese is still bubbly and gooey. The extra texture is drool-worthy, while the added flavor of the cracker packs a fun punch. I like to use Ritz
Nutrition
Reader Interactions
Comments
Trackbacks
-
[…] Find the recipe at gonnawantseconds.com […]
Nancy says
I’m not one who cooks often (I’m terrible at i!), but when I do, I do everything as listed exactly in the directions! It didn’t mention this but thought I’d ask. Do I cover with tin foil while it’s cooking in the oven?
Kathleen says
Hi Nancy. Thanks for your question. No, I don’t cover it with foil 🙂
Jill says
How many cups of cooked, shredded chicken do you use?
Kathleen says
Hi Jill. I’d use 3-4 cups. 🙂
Brenda says
This was great!!! I added the peas as someone else had suggest. I think it was a nice addition. Thanks for the recipe!!!!
Kathleen says
Hi Brenda, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Love the peas!
Lauren says
Tried this tonight…This is so yummy! Like two of my favs:
Squash casserole: stewed squash, onion, cream of chicken soup and sour cream, and cheese. Topped with bread crumbs and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Spaghetti casserole: layer of spaghetti noodles, meat sauce, cheese (repeat), cream of mushroom soup on top and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Thanks for sharing!
Kathleen says
You’re so welcome Lauren!
Conchita reato says
Made this tonight and my husband loved it. However next time I would use a milder cheese. I thought it was a little salty
Kathleen says
Hi Conchita! Maybe the casserole would work better for you using low sodium soup. Honestly. I don’t find it that salt, but everyone has a different sensitivity to salt, that’s for sure!
Suzanne W. Littleton, Colorado says
Hi, Kathleen.
Made this for dinner tonight and it is wonderful! I did use my own homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup (once made it is equivalent to 2 cans of soup) that is loaded with fresh mushrooms and I used gluten free spaghetti noodles. These are the only two modifications. I barely have any leftover for lunch! What a great dish! I will definitely make this for my family again!
Kathleen says
Hi Suzanne! Wow, sounds like some fabulous customizations!
geri says
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to make it.
Kathleen says
Hope you enjoy Geri!
Margaret DelVecchio says
Im so happy I found your site. Everything looks so Yummy
Kathleen says
Thanks so much Margaret! I’m very happy that your with us!
kathydeimerly says
This is similar to Chicken Tetrazzini. Different name but just as good. If you want to be really different add chicken and ham to this casserole – kind of like a chicken cordon bleu tetrazinni. Good stuff.
Kathleen says
Great idea Kathy! Thanks for sharing it with us 🙂
Lynn D. says
How many people will this feed? There are 5 of us. Three of which are growing boys in college…
Kathleen says
Hey Lynn. I usually plan on this serving 6 people. It’s pretty filling and not anything I’d consider “light” in any way. I’ve fed growing boys, though, so I’d make sure there was at least a side dish just in case! I always served it with a veggie like roasted broccoli or sauted beans. Hope you enjoy 🙂
ann fletcher says
Printed two of your recipes but could not
get the pictures to print to put with the
recipes:
“Blueberry Boy Bait”
“Grandma’s Chicken & Noodle casserole”
Kathleen says
Hi Ann. I think it’s set up that way to save ink.
Lezlie says
This was incredible! I split the recipe into 2 smaller dishes and froze one. Honestly, I got tons of compliments! Am going to try your shrimp skillet pasta next!
Kathleen says
Yay Lezlie! Great idea to split it in 2 smaller dishes! Hope you like the shrimp and pasta!
Jen says
You mentioned you make a similar casserole entirely from scratch. Is that recipe also on your site?
Kathleen says
Hey Jen. Sorry-not yet.
Kathy Kreicker says
I tried this recipe one of our first sub zero nights. We all just loved it. Serving again today but I am substituting turkey for chicken. Kids really seem to enjoy this recipe so I give this a very enthusiastic thumbs up!
Allison says
This is sooo yummy! Wonderful recipe!
cindy says
Can this recipe be frozen after assembling? It sounds delicious!
Kathleen says
Yes it can. The texture of the pasta gets softer but it never seems to bother my fam!
Sandy says
I folded in a cup of frozen peas tp the mixture. When I make this again, I’ll add 1 1/2 cups of peas. This also freezes quick well.
Rebecca Campbell says
Much a great recipe for a busy family with picky kids! Thank you.
lorraine schwartx says
it looks like green onion on top but i don’t see it in the recipe.
Kathleen says
Hey Lorraine. Yes I sprinkled the top with a little green onion for the photo! When I normally serve it I don’t use any :).