Ingredients
- 10 ounces (about 6 cups) wide egg noodles
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved and trimmed
- 4 ounces deli American cheese, chopped
- 5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1.25 cups)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 15 Ritz crackers, crushed
Tips Before Cooking
Make sure to boil the egg noodles just until they are al dente. Rinse them under cold water immediately to stop any further cooking.
Cook the Noodles
In a Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add the noodles and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Cook while stirring occasionally until the noodles are just al dente, roughly 3 minutes.
Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water for about 2 minutes until cooled. Drain once more and set them aside.
Sauté the Vegetables
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the now-empty pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped bell pepper and red onion.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside.
Make the Sauce and Cook the Chicken
In the same pot, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the flour, whisking constantly, and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in the half-and-half and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Add the chicken breasts and poach them until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Preheat the Oven and Shred the Chicken
Move the oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat to 425°F. Take the pot off the heat, transfer the chicken to a plate, and shred it into bite-sized pieces once cool enough to handle.
Combine the Casserole
Whisk the American cheese and cheddar cheese into the sauce until smooth.
Fold in the shredded chicken, noodles, bell pepper mixture, peas, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
Bake and Serve
Transfer the combined mixture into a 13×9-inch baking dish. Evenly top with the crushed Ritz crackers.
Bake in the oven until golden and bubbling, approximately 15 minutes. Allow the casserole to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 10 ounces about 6 cups wide egg noodles
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved and trimmed
- 4 ounces deli American cheese chopped
- 5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded (about 1.25 cups)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 15 Ritz crackers crushed
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add 1 tbsp salt and noodles. Cook until al dente, about 3 mins.
- Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again, and set aside.
- Melt 1 tbsp butter in the empty pot over medium-high heat. Sauté bell pepper and onion until softened, about 5 mins. Transfer to a bowl.
- Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter in pot. Add flour and whisk for 1 min. Gradually whisk in half-and-half and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 mins.
- Add chicken, cook until internal temperature reaches 160°F, about 8-10 mins.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove chicken, shred when cool.
- Whisk American and cheddar cheese into sauce. Stir in chicken, noodles, vegetables, peas, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper.
- Transfer to a 13×9-inch baking dish. Top with crushed crackers.
- Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 15 mins.
- Cool on wire rack for 10 mins before serving.