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Dolly's creamy chicken noodle casserole scooped onto a plate with golden cracker topping
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Dolly's Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

A creamy baked casserole of egg noodles, shredded rotisserie chicken, and a rich sour cream sauce, finished with a golden buttery cracker topping — tested three times to get the sauce ratio exactly right.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 465kcal

Ingredients

For the casserole:

  • 12 oz wide egg noodles
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 3 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the topping:

  • 1 cup crushed buttery round crackers
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set the cream cheese out to soften if you haven't already.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles for 1 minute less than the package instructions state. Drain and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
  • Reduce heat to low. Whisk in the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, softened cream cheese, and chicken broth until smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the shredded chicken, peas and carrots, 1 cup of the cheddar, salt, and pepper. Fold in the cooked noodles gently until evenly coated.
  • Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
  • In a small bowl, toss the crushed crackers with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the casserole along with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar.
  • Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the topping is golden and the sauce is bubbling gently at the edges.
  • Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Undercook the egg noodles by a full minute on the stovetop — they finish softening in the oven, and fully cooked noodles going in will turn mushy by the time the casserole is done baking.
  • Soften the cream cheese fully before mixing. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps in the sauce that don't fully smooth out, even after baking.
  • For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free egg noodles and a gluten-free cream of chicken soup; check the noodle cook time since gluten-free noodles can go soft faster.
  • To freeze unbaked, assemble without the cracker topping, cover tightly, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add the topping, and bake as directed with about 10 extra minutes.
  • Freshly shredded cheddar melts smoother than bagged pre-shredded cheese, which has an anti-caking starch that can make the sauce slightly grainy.
  • If doubling the recipe, increase the broth by about 1.5x rather than doubling it exactly — a larger volume of sauce reduces less during baking.
  • Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
  • A splash of chicken broth stirred in before reheating helps loosen the sauce back to its original creamy texture.