Chicken Noodle Casserole Crumble (Printable)
A creamy casserole with shredded chicken, egg noodles, vegetables, and a golden buttery cracker crumble.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Poultry
01 - 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
→ Pasta
02 - 12 oz wide egg noodles
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/2 cup diced celery
→ Sauce
07 - 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
08 - 1 cup sour cream
09 - 1/2 cup milk
10 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1/2 tsp salt
13 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Topping
14 - 1.5 cups buttery round crackers, crushed (about 1 sleeve)
15 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil egg noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and sauté onion, celery, and garlic for approximately 4 minutes until softened.
04 - In a large bowl, mix cooked chicken, egg noodles, sautéed vegetables, peas and carrots, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, cheddar cheese, thyme, salt, and black pepper until thoroughly combined.
05 - Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish.
06 - Combine crushed crackers with melted butter in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the casserole surface.
07 - Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling.
08 - Allow the dish to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in under an hour, making weeknight dinners feel less like a scramble and more like a victory.
- The creamy filling and crunchy topping create a textural contrast that keeps you coming back for seconds.
- You can prep it in the morning and bake it when you walk through the door, transforming dinner stress into a simple slide into the oven.
02 -
- Don't skip cooking the noodles al dente because they'll soften further in the oven, and nobody wants a casserole that tastes like mush.
- Crushing the crackers by hand rather than making them into fine dust means you get those satisfying crunchy pieces instead of a uniform sandy topping.
- Toss the noodles with the sauce gently so the chicken stays in tender pieces rather than shredding into invisible threads.
03 -
- Mix the cracker crumbs with butter right before topping so they stay crunchy and don't absorb moisture and turn soggy.
- Taste the filling mixture before it goes in the oven so you can adjust seasoning while you still can, because it's harder to fix in the oven.