Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole



Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

It’s May 1^st and we have snow AGAIN here in the Denver area!  Ugh!  Will Spring ever come to stay?  If I hear one more person say, “We need the moisture”, I’m gonna be ill.  

So, instead of grilling ……….today is a casserole day.  It just feels right.  LOL.  I was looking for a way to use the stuff I have on hand, and needed a recipe that required little prep time and was inspired by a recipe at Mommy’s Kitchen (http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2008/06/chicken-noodle-bake.html).

I made a few adjustments to the original recipe and added garlic powder to give it some extra flavor.  I basically cut the original recipe in half because it’s just me and the hubby here at our house.  I did keep the original amount of shredded cheese because you can never have too much cheese! 

This casserole is a creamy, cheesy batch of comfort in a dish!  I love the crispness of the green peas mixed in with the garlicky cream sauce and noodles.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1-2 cups cooked chicken, cut up into bite size pieces
(boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins)
1 cans cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz can)
2/3  cup milk
1 (6-oz) pkg frozen green peas
1 (6 oz) - package wide egg noodles, cooked al dente
2 - cups shredded Cheddar Cheese or Mexican Cheese blend
1- tablespoon melted butter
1 tsp garlic powder
Ground black pepper to taste

Cook the noodles just until al dente because they will spend more time baking in the casserole and we don’t want the noodles to get overcooked and mushy.   Pour warm water over the peas in a colander to thaw slightly.  Do not soak the peas in water.

Mix the cream of chicken soup, milk, garlic powder, butter and 1 cup of the shredded cheese in a bowl until well blended.  Gently stir into the mixture the cooked noodles, chicken and peas.  Stir in black pepper to your taste. 

Spread the mixture into an ungreased 8x8 baking dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese.  It is up to you how much cheese you put on top…..I like a lot on top of mine!  J
Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Please leave a comment if you like what you see!