Crockpot Chicken and Noodles Casserole
Crockpot Chicken and Noodles Casserole
This Crockpot Chicken and Noodles Casserole is creamy, buttery, comforting, and packed with tender shredded chicken, soft egg noodles, carrots, and plenty of savory onion and garlic flavor. Everything comes together in the slow cooker for an easy family dinner that’s especially good on a chilly night.
For this recipe, I like using the small straight egg noodles rather than the wide curly egg noodles. They cook right in the flavorful chicken broth and soak up all that buttery chicken and onion flavor as they become tender.
A packet of onion soup mix gives the casserole a rich, savory base without requiring a complicated sauce. Add shredded chicken, carrots, butter, chicken broth, and a handful of pantry seasonings, and you’ve got an old-fashioned chicken-and-noodles dinner with very little work.
Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
This is exactly the kind of recipe slow cookers are made for. It’s warm, hearty, inexpensive, and family-friendly.
The noodles cook in the seasoned broth rather than plain water, so they absorb flavor as they cook. Butter adds richness, while the shredded chicken makes the casserole filling enough to serve as a complete dinner.
It’s also a great recipe when you already have cooked chicken in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 12 ounces small straight egg noodles
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional
What Kind of Noodles Should I Use?
For this chicken and noodles casserole, use small, straight egg noodles.
These are different from the wide, curly egg noodles commonly used for beef stroganoff. The smaller noodles give the finished dish more of a casserole-like texture and mix easily with the shredded chicken and carrots.
Because pasta brands and slow cookers vary, keep an eye on the noodles once they’re added. They can go from perfectly tender to too soft fairly quickly.
How to Make Crockpot Chicken and Noodles Casserole
Start With the Chicken
Add the cooked shredded chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker.
Rotisserie chicken works especially well when you want to make this dinner quickly, but any cooked and shredded chicken will work.
Add the Carrots
Peel the carrots and slice them fairly thinly.
Add them to the Crockpot with the chicken.
Keeping the carrot slices relatively thin helps them become tender during the slow cooking time.
Season Everything
Sprinkle the onion soup mix over the chicken and carrots.
Add the dried minced onion, onion powder, garlic powder, garlic salt, and black pepper.
There are several layers of onion flavor in this casserole, and that’s intentional. The onion soup mix provides a savory base while minced onion and onion powder help round out the flavor.
Add the Chicken Broth and Butter
Pour in the chicken broth.
Cut the butter into several pieces and arrange them over the top.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 3–4 hours, or until the carrots are tender and everything is hot.
Because the chicken is already cooked, you aren’t waiting for meat to cook through. This first stage is primarily about developing the flavor and tenderizing the carrots.
Add the Egg Noodles
Once the carrots are tender, stir in the small egg noodles.
Make sure the noodles are mostly submerged in the hot broth.
If there isn’t enough liquid to cover them, add a little additional chicken broth.
Cover and switch the Crockpot to HIGH.
Cook for approximately 20–35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the noodles are just tender.
Watch them carefully toward the end.
Make It Creamy
Once the noodles are tender, stir in the heavy cream and sour cream.
If you’re adding cheese, stir in the shredded cheddar at this point.
Cover for another 5–10 minutes, just until everything is hot, creamy, and combined.
Turn off the slow cooker.
The casserole will continue to thicken as it sits.
Let It Rest Before Serving
Allow the chicken and noodles to rest for approximately 10 minutes before serving.
The noodles will continue absorbing some of the broth, transforming the mixture from a soupy consistency into a thick, creamy chicken-and-noodles casserole.
If it becomes thicker than you’d like, simply stir in a splash of warm chicken broth.
The Secret to Flavorful Chicken and Noodles
One of the reasons this recipe has so much flavor is that we’re not relying on a single seasoning.
You’ve got onion soup mix, minced onion, onion powder, garlic powder, garlic salt, pepper, butter, and chicken broth working together.
The noodles then cook directly in that seasoned broth.
Instead of boiling the noodles separately in water and draining away all that liquid, the pasta gets to absorb the flavor right in the Crockpot.
Onion Soup Mix Adds So Much Flavor
A packet of onion soup mix is an easy shortcut for adding a slow-cooked savory flavor without making a separate sauce.
It pairs particularly well with chicken, noodles, potatoes, and casseroles.
Since both the soup mix and chicken broth contain salt, wait until the casserole is finished before adding any extra salt.
Taste first.
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?
Absolutely.
Rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest ways to make this recipe.
Remove the skin and bones and shred or chop the meat before adding it to the slow cooker.
You can use a combination of white and dark meat or all white meat if that’s what your family prefers.
Can I Use Leftover Chicken?
Yes. This is a great way to turn leftover chicken into an entirely different dinner.
You’ll need approximately 3 cups of cooked shredded chicken.
Leftover roasted, baked, or Crockpot chicken can all work.
Can I Cook the Noodles All Day?
No, and this is important.
Don’t add the egg noodles at the beginning and let them cook for several hours.
They’ll become far too soft.
Add them toward the end of the cooking time when the broth is already hot, then check them frequently.
How to Keep Crockpot Noodles From Getting Mushy
Pasta is one of the few slow cooker ingredients that needs a little attention.
Add the noodles near the end, cook them only until tender, and then turn off the heat.
Remember that the noodles will continue absorbing liquid even after the slow cooker is turned off.
It’s better for them to be just tender when you stop cooking than overly soft.
Make It Extra Creamy
If you want a richer chicken and noodles casserole, you can add a little more sour cream or heavy cream after the noodles are cooked.
For an extra creamy variation, you could also stir in a few ounces of softened cream cheese.
Add enough chicken broth afterward to get the consistency you prefer.
Make It Cheesy
Cheese is optional because this casserole is delicious without it.
But if you want a Cheesy Crockpot Chicken and Noodles Casserole, stir in about a cup of shredded cheddar after the noodles have cooked.
Colby Jack would also be delicious.
Add More Vegetables
Carrots keep the recipe simple, but you can easily add more vegetables.
Frozen peas are particularly easy. Stir them in during the last few minutes so they stay bright and don’t become mushy.
You could also use celery, mushrooms, corn, or a combination of carrots and peas.
Is This Chicken and Noodles or Chicken Noodle Soup?
This is definitely chicken and noodles, not chicken noodle soup.
Although we start with plenty of broth so the noodles can cook properly, they absorb much of that liquid.
The finished dish should be thick, creamy, and scoopable rather than brothy like soup.
Think of it as a cozy cross between creamy chicken and noodles and a chicken noodle casserole.
What to Serve With Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
This is already a filling dinner, so simple sides work best.
Try serving it with green beans, peas, broccoli, roasted vegetables, a green salad, dinner rolls, biscuits, or garlic bread.
A warm biscuit is particularly good for soaking up any creamy sauce left in the bowl.
How to Store Leftovers
Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days.
The noodles will continue absorbing liquid as the casserole sits, so leftovers will probably be thicker the next day.
Add a splash of chicken broth or milk when reheating to loosen the sauce.
Can I Freeze Chicken and Noodles?
You can, although cooked noodles tend to become softer after freezing and thawing.
For the best texture, this casserole is better served fresh or refrigerated for leftovers.
If you do freeze it, place cooled portions in airtight freezer-safe containers and thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put uncooked egg noodles directly in the Crockpot?
Yes. Add the uncooked noodles near the end of the cooking time so they can cook directly in the seasoned chicken broth without becoming mushy.
What noodles are best for Crockpot chicken and noodles?
This recipe uses small, straight egg noodles rather than wide curly egg noodles.
Why do you add the noodles at the end?
Egg noodles cook quickly. Adding them at the beginning would cause them to become overly soft during several hours of slow cooking.
Can I make this without sour cream?
Yes. You can leave it out and adjust the amount of broth or cream to get the consistency you prefer.
Can I leave out the cheese?
Absolutely. Cheese is optional. The chicken, butter, broth, onion soup mix, and seasonings already provide plenty of flavor.
What if my chicken and noodles are too thick?
Stir in additional warm chicken broth a little at a time.
What if they’re too thin?
Let the casserole sit uncovered for several minutes. The egg noodles will continue absorbing some of the liquid as it rests.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 1/2–4 1/2 hours
Total Time: About 4 hours
Servings: 6–8
Slow Cooker: 6 quart
