Pioneer Woman's Chicken Noodle Casserole

Pioneer Woman's chicken noodle casserole tastes like chicken noodle soup but in casserole form. Comprising chicken, vegetables, mushrooms, and egg noodles, this is a hearty meal perfect for a cold day.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Noodle Casserole

Pioneer Woman's chicken noodle casserole is made with chicken, cooked noodles, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and celery. The vegetables are browned before being cooked with butter and flour to make a thick sauce.

After the vegetables are cooked and the noodles are boiled, you mix them together and transfer them to a baking dish. Then, you bake them until bubbly and browned on top brown, about 45 minutes.

To prepare the chicken, you can use leftover chicken or purchase a rotisserie chicken and shred it yourself. As an alternative, you can simply cook chicken breasts in a skillet or poach them, and then shred them into medium-sized pieces.

This recipe uses extra-wide egg noodles, but you may use any noodles you wish. Also, you may diversify the recipe and add other vegetables you like such as broccoli, butternut squash, and more.

Chicken Noodle Casserole Ingredients

• 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided, and 2 tablespoon more for greasing
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 12 ounces extra-wide egg noodles
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, diced
• Freshly black ground pepper, to taste
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 1 medium carrot, sliced thinly
• 1 large stalk celery, sliced thinly
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• ½ cup vinegar
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 cup shredded Gouda

How to Make Pioneer Woman's Chicken Noodle Casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. 

2. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish with some butter. 

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

4. Boil the egg noodles until al dente, about 5 to 6 minutes.

5. While the noodles are boiling, heat 2 tablespoon of the unsalted butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat.

6. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 3 minutes. 

7. Season the mushrooms with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

8. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a small bowl and set them aside.

9. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoon butter in the same skillet set over medium heat.

10. Add the flour and whisk until it forms a paste.

11. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste; stir in the onions, carrots, celery, and thyme.

12. Cook the vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes; add the vinegar and simmer it to reduce.

13. Add the heavy cream and chicken broth; bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

14. Remove the thyme sprigs; add the noodles, mushrooms, chicken, and parsley to the skillet.

15. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

16. Place the noodle mixture into the buttered casserole and top with the Gouda cheese.

17. Bake the chicken noodle casserole at 375 F until the casserole is golden and bubbly, about 40 to 45 minutes.

18. Allow the casserole to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.

19. Serve with your favorite sides.

How to Store Chicken Noodle Casserole

• In the Fridge: Chicken noodle casserole can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days when properly stored. You can simply wrap the casserole with plastic wrap and transfer it to the fridge or divide it into portions in airtight containers. You should also let your casserole cool to room temperature before you store it.
• In the Freezer: You can freeze this chicken noodle casserole for 3 to 4 months with no problem. It freezes best if you divide it into portions after allowing the casserole to cool to room temperature. To freeze the casserole, place each portion in a freezer bag and try to remove as much air as possible from the bag. Freezing the whole casserole is possible, but the portion-based method makes reheating and thawing easier.

How to Thaw Frozen Chicken Noodle Casserole

The best way to defrost a frozen chicken noodle casserole is to place it in the fridge so that it completely thaws after 24 hours.

The other method is to thaw portions of the casserole in a warm water bath. To do this, heat some water in a pot and make sure it doesn't boil. Then, place the frozen chicken noodle casserole potions in the warm water and allow them to thaw for 2 to 3 hours.

How to Reheat Chicken Noodle Casserole

• In the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the leftover chicken noodle casserole (cold, thawed) in the oven and heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 F before serving. You can reheat the whole casserole or portions, and of course, reheating the portions will take less time.
• In the Microwave: Divide the leftover chicken noodle casserole into servings and place each serving on a microwave-safe plate. Reheat the portions for 2 to 3 minutes on medium power.
• In the Air Fryer: Set the air fryer to 350 F. Cover the chicken noodle casserole with aluminum foil and place it in the air fryer basket. Heat it for 5 minutes, and then for 3 minutes uncovered.

What to Serve With Chicken Noodle Casserole

Chicken noodle casserole can be served with dumplings, roasted vegetables, chicken wings, biscuits with gravy, fries, and pretzel rolls. You can also serve the chicken noodle casserole with a fresh salad such as a cucumber salad or a Julianne salad or roast some vegetables like carrots, asparagus, and/or broccoli.

Here are some side dishes to serve with Pioneer Women's chicken noodle casserole:

• Ina Garten's Cauliflower Soup
• Pioneer Woman's Cheeseburger Pie
• Pioneer Woman's Cheeseburger Casserole
• Butternut Squash Salad
• Quinoa Salad
• Greek Salad

Continue to Content

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Noodle Casserole

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Pioneer Woman's chicken noodle casserole tastes like chicken noodle soup but in casserole form. Comprising chicken, vegetables, mushrooms, and egg noodles, this is a hearty meal perfect for a cold day.

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Ingredients

• 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided, and 2 tablespoon more for greasing
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 12 ounces extra-wide egg noodles
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, diced
• Freshly black ground pepper, to taste
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 1 medium carrot, sliced thinly
• 1 large stalk celery, sliced thinly
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• ½ cup vinegar
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 cup shredded Gouda

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. 
2. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish with some butter. 
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
4. Boil the egg noodles until al dente, about 5 to 6 minutes.
5. While the noodles are boiling, heat 2 tablespoon of the unsalted butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat.
6. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 3 minutes. 
7. Season the mushrooms with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
8. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a small bowl and set them aside.
9. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoon butter in the same skillet set over medium heat.
10. Add the flour and whisk until it forms a paste.
11. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste; stir in the onions, carrots, celery, and thyme.
12. Cook the vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes; add the vinegar and simmer it to reduce.
13. Add the heavy cream and chicken broth; bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
14. Remove the thyme sprigs; add the noodles, mushrooms, chicken, and parsley to the skillet.
15. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
16.  Place the noodle mixture into the buttered casserole and top with the Gouda cheese.
17. Bake the chicken noodle casserole at 375 F until the casserole is golden and bubbly, about 40 to 45 minutes.
18. Allow the casserole to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.
19. Serve with your favorite sides.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 412Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 855mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 24g