Chicken Noodle Casserole
By Carolynn Purpura MacKayPublished on February 21, 2013
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
12 ounces (7 ¾ cups) wide egg noodles Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine1 onion, chopped fine3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 ½ cups half-and-half 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and trimmed4 ounces deli American cheese, chopped coarse4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)1 ½ cups frozen peas 25 Ritz crackers, crushed coarse
Before You Begin
Cooking the egg noodles until just al dente and then shocking them in cold water prevents them from overcooking.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until just al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water until cool, about 2 minutes. Drain again and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now empty pot over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl; set aside. In now-empty pot, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in half-and-half and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook until temperature registers 160 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove pot from heat, transfer chicken to plate, and shred into bite-size pieces once cool enough to handle. Whisk American and cheddar cheeses into sauce until smooth. Stir shredded chicken, noodles, bell pepper mixture, peas, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/4 teaspoons pepper into cheese sauce.
- Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and top with crackers. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let casserole cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve.
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
12 ounces (7 ¾ cups) wide egg noodles
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups half-and-half
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and trimmed
4 ounces deli American cheese, chopped coarse
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 ½ cups frozen peas
25 Ritz crackers, crushed coarse
Ingredients
12 ounces (7 ¾ cups) wide egg noodles
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups half-and-half
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and trimmed
4 ounces deli American cheese, chopped coarse
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 ½ cups frozen peas
25 Ritz crackers, crushed coarse
Ingredients
12 ounces (7 ¾ cups) wide egg noodles
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups half-and-half
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and trimmed
4 ounces deli American cheese, chopped coarse
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 ½ cups frozen peas
25 Ritz crackers, crushed coarse
Why This Recipe Works
To update this retro dish, we started by ditching the canned ingredients and condensed soup. A flour-thickened sauce made up of chicken broth and half-and-half creates a rich, savory base, and a combination of cheeses—cheddar for flavor, American for smooth melting—is key. Precooked chicken turned rubbery after being baked into the casserole, so we simmer boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the sauce until they’re nearly cooked through before shredding them and tossing them in with the noodles—also cooked to just al dente. Buttery Ritz Crackers become a quick, crunchy topping for the casserole.
Before You Begin
Cooking the egg noodles until just al dente and then shocking them in cold water prevents them from overcooking.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until just al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water until cool, about 2 minutes. Drain again and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now empty pot over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl; set aside. In now-empty pot, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in half-and-half and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook until temperature registers 160 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove pot from heat, transfer chicken to plate, and shred into bite-size pieces once cool enough to handle. Whisk American and cheddar cheeses into sauce until smooth. Stir shredded chicken, noodles, bell pepper mixture, peas, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/4 teaspoons pepper into cheese sauce.
- Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and top with crackers. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let casserole cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve.
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