Homemade Chicken Noodle Casserole. Swapping the canned goods once used in this recipe, and making my family’s favorite chicken noodle casserole just a little healthier, plus so much tastier! Think of this casserole as a creamy baked version of chicken noodle soup, with shredded chicken, vegetables, noodles and topped with salty, crunchy Kettle Brand Potato Chips. Comfort food at its best, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite.

overhead photo of Homemade Chicken Noodle Casserole with spoon in baking dish

There are a few foods I ate a lot of while growing up, chicken and rice, pasta with butter, pot roast, tacos, and chicken noodle casserole. Typical kid friendly foods, typical midwest foods, Gerard classics. You’ve probably noticed, but I don’t really share that kind of food here on HBH. Yes, plenty of chicken and rice, ok, pasta and tacos too, but the casseroles are not something I dive into all that much. That said, I still make these foods every so often, especially when a brother comes into town…because they are family favorites.

With the official start of fall coming next week, and my older brother’s recent visit, I thought it was the perfect time to take one of his favorite recipes and make it 100% from scratch. If you’ve ever made chicken noodle casserole, then you know it’s typically filled with a lot of canned soup and processed ingredients. I’m really not a fan of using canned soup (and definitely don’t like using processed ingredients). So I ditched the cans and made a completely homemade version of our longtime family favorite, chicken noodle casserole. This recipe is simple to make, healthier, and so comforting.

photo of Kettle Brand potato chips

My goal when I set out to make this casserole was to make it as close to the original as possible, but without using any weird ingredients, and also to bump up the vegetable content.

Here’s all the nitty-gritty details.

Basically we’re making chicken noodle soup, so the recipe starts with the usual onion, garlic, and carrot combo. You’ll season everything with fresh herbs and sprinkle in a little bit of flour to help thicken the soup base. To make things creamy, but not too rich, I stirred in whole milk instead of heavy cream.

The key to making this dish delicious is the noodles, chicken, and bread ratios. You’ll want lots of egg noodles, some chicken, and good bread to make the flavors and textures spot on, and just like the classic casserole I grew up eating. Also, if you wanted to add in more veggies, I would recommend stirring in frozen peas or chopped broccoli florets.

photo of chicken noodle casserole broth before adding noodles and topping

So that’s the base of the dish, chicken noodle soup, thickened up and made creamy. Delicious.

But, no casserole is complete without a crunchy topping. Enter in the Kettle Brand potato chips. Oh my gosh. If you’ve never used potato chips as a crunchy topping for baked casseroles like mac and cheese, potatoes, and of course chicken noodle casserole, you are totally missing out.

Side Note: you can really see my midwest roots shining through in today’s recipe. I kind of love it.

I’ve been crunching up potato chips and using them in place of breadcrumbs for years. They just make baked casseroles that much better and give them a whole new, deliciously salty finish. SO GOOD. I use Kettle Brand chips because they’re perfectly salted (this is very important). They’re also sturdy enough to hold up to oven baking.

overhead photo of Homemade Chicken Noodle Casserole before baking side angle photo of Homemade Chicken Noodle Casserole

I’ve made this several times since first testing the recipe. It is now safe to say that all of my family (and friends) love this homemade chicken noodle casserole soo much. Therefore, I’ve decided that going back to my mom and dad’s outdated “retro” recipe is just not an option.

As I always like to say, homemade is best.

Excited to have this recipe in my back pocket for cozy fall and winter dinners to come. Best part? I can make it ahead of time and then just bake before dinner, AND, this recipe works perfectly to freeze and bake later as well!

You see, perfection.

overhead photo of Homemade Chicken Noodle Casserole with potato chips in photo

Watch the How To Video:

Homemade Chicken Noodle Casserole from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo.

If you make these homemade chicken noodle casserole, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

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4.18 from 218 votes
The Recipe

Homemade Chicken Noodle Casserole

Swapping the canned goods once used in this recipe, and making my family's favorite chicken noodle casserole just a little healthier...plus so much tastier! Think of this casserole as a creamy baked version of chicken noodle soup, with shredded chicken, vegetables, noodles and topped with salty, crunchy Kettle Brand potato chips. 

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 0 6-8
Calories 394 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 cups cubed whole grain bread
  • 2 cups uncooked egg noodles
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked shredded or cubed chicken
  • 1 cup crushed Kettle Brand potato chips

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9x13 inch baking dish or large round baker.

    2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook until softened and slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes, season with salt + pepper. Add the butter, carrots and garlic and continue to cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and cayenne. 

    3. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook, stirring to incorporate, for another minute. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and milk, season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a low boil and then reduce the heat to medium, simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley. Let cool until no longer hot to touch, then stir in the eggs.

    4. Add the cubed bread, noodles, and chicken, tossing to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top evenly with Kettle Chips. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the the top is golden. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. 

horizontal photo of Homemade Chicken Noodle Casserole

{This post is sponsored by Kettle Brand. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!!}