Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole
If you’re looking for an easy chicken casserole recipe that the whole family will actually eat, this Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole needs to go on your dinner list immediately. This creamy chicken casserole is loaded with tender chicken breast, wide egg noodles, mixed vegetables, and plenty of gooey melted cheese for the ultimate comfort food dinner.
This is one of those easy weeknight casserole recipes that comes together with simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Everything bakes together in one casserole dish, which means less cleanup and an easy dinner everyone will love. The creamy sauce cooks right into the noodles while the cheese on top gets perfectly melted and golden brown.
One of my favorite things about this cheesy chicken casserole is that you don’t even have to boil the noodles first. The uncooked egg noodles bake right in the creamy sauce, making this recipe extra simple for busy nights.
Ingredients Needed for Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole
You’ll find simple pantry staples in this creamy chicken noodle casserole recipe.
- Chicken breast
- Wide egg noodles
- Frozen mixed vegetables
- Cream of chicken soup
- Milk
- Reduced-sodium chicken broth
- Garlic powder
- Chicken bouillon
- Black pepper
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
I used a cup of sharp cheddar cheese for that rich cheesy flavor and a cup of mozzarella for that gooey melted cheese texture that makes this casserole so good.
When prepping the chicken, I like using my Never Dull knives and a sturdy Cutting board because it makes cutting the chicken breast into bite-size pieces quick and easy.
For measuring ingredients, I used my Pyrex set of 3 measuring cups along with my Magnetic measuring spoons. The soup mixture comes together easily with a Mini Flisk to help get everything smooth and combined before pouring it over the casserole.
How to Make Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole
*printable recipe card is available at the bottom of this page
Step One: Preheat Your Oven
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and buttering the bottom of a casserole dish.
Step Two: Cut the Chicken
Cut the chicken breast into bite-size pieces and add it directly to the casserole dish. Season the chicken with garlic powder, chicken bouillon, and black pepper.
Step Three: Start Assembling the Casserole
Add the uncooked wide egg noodles and frozen mixed vegetables right into the dish with the chicken.
Step Four: Mix the Sauce
In the large Pyrex measuring cup, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, milk, chicken broth, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth. I like using my Mini Flisk for this step because it mixes the sauce quickly without any lumps.
Step Five: Add the Sauce
Pour the creamy sauce evenly over the casserole. Use a Spoon/Spatula to gently press the noodles down into the liquid. This is important because you want every noodle coated with some of the sauce so they cook properly while baking. If the noodles are completely dry, those pieces can end up crunchy after baking.
Step Six: Cover with Foil
Cover the casserole tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.
Step Seven: Shred the Cheese
While the casserole is baking, shred the cheese. I love using my Rotary grater to freshly shred the cheese because it melts so much better than pre-shredded cheese and gives this cheesy chicken noodle casserole the best texture.
Step Eight: Add the Cheese
Once the casserole is done baking, remove the foil and use a Spoon/Spatula to stir everything together. Switch the oven to broil and top the casserole with shredded sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
Step Nine: Broil the Casserole
Broil the casserole for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to turn golden brown. Keep a close eye on it because broilers can go from perfect to burned very quickly.
Tips for the Best Chicken Casserole
Use the Soup Can to Measure Liquids
Use the empty soup can to measure the liquids for easy cleanup. One full can of milk and half a can of broth is the perfect amount.
Make Sure the Noodles Are Covered
One of the most important parts of this recipe is making sure all of the egg noodles are coated in the sauce before baking. This helps the noodles cook evenly and keeps them from becoming crunchy.
Freshly Shredded Cheese Works Best
Freshly shredded cheese melts smoother and gives this creamy chicken casserole a much better texture compared to bagged shredded cheese.
Use Wide Egg Noodles
Wide egg noodles hold up really well in casseroles and give this dish that classic comfort food texture.
Great for Busy Weeknights
This easy chicken casserole recipe is perfect for busy nights because everything bakes together in one dish with very little prep work.
Final Thoughts
This Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole is one of those easy dinner recipes that’s comforting, filling, and perfect for feeding a hungry family. Between the creamy sauce, tender chicken, vegetables, noodles, and gooey melted cheese, this recipe checks all the boxes for a cozy comfort food dinner.
If you love creamy chicken casserole recipes, cheesy chicken noodle casserole, or easy weeknight dinners, this recipe is definitely one to save.
More Easy Comfort-Food Casseroles
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles uncooked
- 12 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 can cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces
- 1¼ cups milk 1 soup can full
- ¾ cup reduced sodium chicken broth ½ a soup can full
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder for sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper for sauce
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Cut the chicken breast into bite-size pieces.
- Add the chicken breast pieces to the casserole dish. Season with 2 teaspoons garlic powder, chicken bouillon, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Add the uncooked egg noodles and frozen mixed vegetables to the dish.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, milk, chicken broth, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon pepper until smooth.
- Pour the soup mixture evenly over the casserole. Use a spoon to gently press the noodles down so all of the pasta has some of the liquid mixture on top. *make sure every noodle has some liquid on it, otherwise it will come out crunchy.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove the foil and stir the casserole. Change the oven setting to broil.
- Sprinkle the sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Broil until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so the cheese does not burn.
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