There is something both very old-fashioned and Midwestern about the word “casserole.” But since I’m from the Midwest and consider myself to be a bit old-fashioned at times, I’m not bothered at all by casseroles, especially when they’re as delicious as this creamy chicken noodle casserole. There are a few steps that make this as tasty as possible. Casseroles can be a bit heavy and the flavors can blend together, so we are making sure that we use fresh herbs and a little bit of lemon juice to brighten the flavors here. Let’s make this easy casserole! 
Start by melting some butter in a large pot and browning your chicken thighs on both sides. In a pinch, you can skip this step and use pre-cooked shredded chicken and add it at the end, but this step browning the chicken as well as using only chicken thighs will add a lot of flavor and moisture. Once the chicken thighs are cooked on both sides, take them out and let them rest on a cutting board. Next, drain the liquid from the pot and melt a little more butter. Let the butter brown for extra flavor and then add your carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Between the browned butter and the caramelized veggies, you’re building flavor here. Now we are adding lots of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage. Whisk in some flour before adding your salt and pepper, chicken broth, and heavy cream.
Once it comes to a simmer, add in your egg noodles. Cut or shred the chicken and also add it in here. If you’re using cooked shredded chicken, you would also add it in here. When the noodles are al dente (which won’t take long because egg noodles cook quickly!), add in your lemon juice and transfer the whole mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish. For your topping, melt butter in a small saucepan and then add the crumbled Ritz crackers. Toss with some grated parmesan cheese and you’re topping for the casserole is ready to go! All you need to do is bake it until bubbling and you’re dinner is hot and ready to go! Sometimes I like to have this with a simple green salad for brightness and contrast.
This creamy chicken noodle casserole will definitely be on repeat in our house. After I photographed it, I couldn’t stop taking bites of it. It’s that good!
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 6 tbsp. butter, divided
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- ½ large onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 4 tbsp. fresh herbs (I like rosemary, thyme, and sage)
- 2 tsp. salt + more to taste
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
- ¼ cup flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy creamy
- 10-12 oz. egg noodles
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 3 tbsp. butter, melted
- 1½ sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat 2 tbsp. of butter in a large pot. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper and cook them in the butter in batches. You want them to get nice and browned on both sides before removing and transferring to a plate or cutting board to rest.
- Drain the liquid from the pot and melt the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until tender and the vegetables begin to caramelize. Add your fresh herbs, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables.
- Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream and stir to combine, ensuring there's no flour stuck to the bottom of the pan. Once the mixture is simmering, chop or shred the chicken add it to the pot. Add the egg noodles and simmer until the noodles are al dente, stirring frequently to make sure nothing sticks on the bottom. Once the noodles are cooked, add the lemon juice and remove from heat. Transfer the entire mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Prepare your cracker topping. Melt the butter before adding your crushed crackers. Stir to coat and then add in the parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Sprinkle the cracker topping on the casserole. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbling.
- Enjoy!
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