Yes, this is the ultimate chicken casserole! With shredded chicken, egg noodles, corn, bacon, and a creamy, cheesy sauce, this is a casserole made for big appetites!
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Pin RecipeCalling this recipe the ultimate chicken casserole means it has a lot to live up to. It better be satisfying! And cheesy! With plenty of flavor and texture, but also easy to make.
Well, friends, I think this recipe delivers. This ultimate chicken casserole has it all and then some—tender egg noodles, juicy chicken, corn, and bacon, all in a cream of mushroom and cheese sauce. The whole shebang is finished with a layer panko for a crispy-crunchy topping that no one can resist.
(Love a filling casserole recipe? Be sure to try my Pierogi Casserole and King Ranch Chicken Casserole, too!)
Ultimate Chicken Casserole Recipe
This is an easy-to-make meal that everyone in the family will love. To put it simply, this ultimate chicken casserole is comfort food at its best.
It’s also a one-dish-dinner, which means you don’t have to worry about coordinating side dishes or a mile-long shopping list when you head to the grocery store. You’ve got your carbs, your veggies, your protein, and your cheesy cream sauce (hey, dairy is a food group too!), so all your bases are covered.
This shredded chicken casserole is also perfect for meal prep since you can make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two. Make it as an easy weeknight dinner or for your next potluck—either way, it’s sure to be a hit!
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Ingredients for Ultimate Chicken Casserole
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Shredded cooked chicken – About 1 rotisserie chicken, or use my Instant Pot whole chicken recipe.
- Wide egg noodles – Cook these al dente so they don’t get mushy in the casserole.
- Frozen corn – Canned is fine, too.
- Cooked bacon – Crumble this up so there’s bacon in every bite!
- Cheddar cheese – Sharp or mild both work, so use whichever one your family prefers.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup
- Half-and-half
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Panko bread crumbs – Panko adds a much more crispy-crunchy texture than standard store-bought breadcrumbs. If you don’t have panko, I recommend making your own breadcrumbs as an alternative.
- Nonstick cooking spray
Variations
- Try different vegetables like a frozen veggie blend or broccoli florets.
- Swap bacon bits for the cooked bacon, and save yourself some prep time.
- Add French fried onions to the top instead of panko.
- Try cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom.
- Add some hot sauce or cayenne to give it a kick and make a spicy chicken casserole!
How to Make Ultimate Chicken Casserole
- Prepare: Preheat an oven to 350ºF, and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Mix the main ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the chicken, cooked pasta, corn, bacon, cheese, onion, and garlic.
- Make the sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the soup, half-and-half, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Assemble: Pour the sauce into the bowl with the chicken mixture, and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish, and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.
- Bake: Place the baking pan in the preheated oven, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling begins to bubble around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, and serve.
Quick Tip
Make sure you stir the ingredients together well so each portion has a little bit of everything in it!
How to Store Leftover Ultimate Chicken Casserole
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the casserole in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through. Or, pop it in the microwave if you want to heat it faster.
You can also freeze this simple chicken casserole recipe for up to three months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat it in the oven until hot. It will be just as delicious as the day it was made!
Serving Suggestions
This is a meal on its own, so there’s no need to serve it with anything on the side! That said, if you want to stretch it out further, serve it with side dishes like steamed broccoli or homemade dinner rolls.
FAQs
It depends on the recipe, but generally speaking, a chicken casserole should either be left uncovered the entire time while baking. Or, it should be covered for part of the time and then left uncovered to brown on top.
One way to give bland chicken a makeover is to add it to a casserole! In addition to this Ultimate Chicken Casserole, try my Easy Chicken Tetrazzini or Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole.
The best way to cook chicken for a casserole is to bake it, cook it in an Instant Pot, or even air fry it. But even better than those methods is to buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, which means all you have to do is shred it!
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Ultimate Chicken Casserole
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
- Mixing bowls
- Meauring Cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cups wide egg noodles cooked
- 2 cups frozen corn
- ¾ cup cooked bacon crumbled
- ¾ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup 10.5 oz
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.Nonstick cooking spray
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the chicken, noodles, corn, bacon, cheese, onion and garlic.3 cups shredded, 2 cups wide egg noodles, 2 cups frozen corn, ¾ cup cooked bacon, ¾ cup cheddar cheese, ½ onion, 2 cloves garlic
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the soup, half and half, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Pour over the chicken and noodle mixture and mix together thoroughly. Add mixture to the baking dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup half-and-half, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the filling begins to bubble around the edges of the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Super comfort food on a wet and cold Seattle day! I added a bag of broccoli and made gravy from the drippings from the whole roaster chicken. Delicious!
Hi, you didnt mention IF we are suppose to cook the noodles before adding into other ingredients OR put them in uncooked and they will soften while baking?
The recipe states al dente, which literally means to the tooth, which means yes, you cook the noodles before putting them in the mixing bowl.