Easy Chicken Casserole

Name: Easy Chicken Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken (cooked, cubed); 2 cups egg noodles (cooked); 1 cup peas (frozen); 2 cans cream of chicken & mushroom soup; 1 can carrots; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1 medium tomato (diced); 1 medium red onion (diced); 2 tbsp canned green chilis; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp cracked pepper; 1/2 tsp parsley flakes; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 cup chicken stock; 1 cup panko; 1 cup crispy onions; 2 tbsp butter or margarine (melted)

Posted on July 7, 2019

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Busy night? Need a simple one dish meal? Try this easy chicken casserole. This chicken casserole is a complete meal with chicken, noodles, and vegetables, an easy one pot meal for a busy night.

I typical plan out my meals. It is easier on the wallet and less stressful in the evenings. However, sometimes I do have a proteins in my refrigerator with no real meal plan. If you have a busy schedule like me, at times you end up having this food go to waste. I hate to waste food because wasting food also wastes money, and I REALLY hate wasting money!

Cooking Chicken Breasts

Have boneless chicken breasts hanging out in your fridge and don’t have a plan? Instead of letting those chicken breasts die in the fridge, I bake and save. I simply season the breast with salt and pepper then cook the chicken for around 45 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees. After the chicken is cooked, it may then be refrigerated for a longer period of time.

Chicken breasts can be tricky to cook and cook time varies depending on the size of the breast. I started using a digital cooking thermometer for cooking most of my proteins especially chicken breast which can be dangerous if undercooked. I like to use a digital thermometer with a long cord and stainless steel probe. Using a thermometer results in a more accurate cook without having to butcher your meat to check if it is done.

Comark Cooking-Cooling Thermometer with Stainless Probe

Having cooked chicken breasts on hand opens the possibilities for many different recipes, such as casseroles or chicken salads. Having the chicken breast already cooked will also save time on busy weeknights. In addition, canned chicken breast is expensive and just not as tasty.

Chicken Casserole

My schedule is crazy right now with a newborn and two other children. I had chicken breasts that needed to be cooked before they went bad. I created this easy chicken casserole with vegetables and noodles in just this situation. By cooking this chicken breasts to save for later, I prevented food waste and saved time by having cooked chicken ready for a night when the baby was more cooperative. Sometimes I only have a small window of opportunity, I was able to assemble this chicken casserole in 10 minutes by quickly combining all of the ingredients in a bowl, spreading in a 13 x 9 casserole dish, and then covering with the topping for baking. Done! Easy, no fuss dinner. Enjoy!