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Chicken Noodle Casserole is creamy, cheesy, bacon-studded comfort food that comes together in one bowl and bakes up bubbly and golden. I make this on hectic weeknights when I need a crowd-pleaser the whole family will devour, and the buttery cracker topping disappears first every time. If you love our Monterey chicken, this loaded ranch-and-bacon casserole is your next cozy dinner.
Loaded with rotisserie chicken, ranch, cheddar, and crispy bacon, it is the ultimate use for leftover chicken.
Chicken Noodle Casserole Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 11 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 1 minute
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 495kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Creamy, cheesy, and savory with ranch, bacon, and a buttery crunch
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a cozy weeknight bake like our marry me chicken
Quick Answer
In a large bowl, mix together crumbled bacon, shredded chicken, cooked noodles, ranch dressing mix, cheddar cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and chicken stock. Spread it into a greased 9×13 baking dish and top with more cheddar and a buttery crushed cracker topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, until bubbly and golden, then garnish with scallions and serve.
Jump to:
- Chicken Noodle Casserole Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Chicken Noodle Casserole FAQs
- Other Recommended Chicken and Casserole Recipes
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- It is the ultimate use for leftover chicken. Shredded rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken makes this casserole come together in just minutes.
- Ranch and bacon do the flavoring. A packet of ranch mix plus crispy bacon gives this casserole its signature crack-chicken flavor.
- Sour cream and mayo keep it creamy. Together they create a rich, creamy sauce that coats every noodle without any canned soup.
- The cracker topping adds crunch. Buttery crushed crackers bake up golden and crisp, the perfect contrast to the creamy filling.
- It is a one-bowl wonder. Everything mixes in a single bowl before baking, so cleanup is quick and easy.
- It feeds a crowd. One 9×13 pan makes twelve servings, perfect for potlucks, family dinners, and meal prep.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Creamy, cheesy, bacon-loaded comfort food the whole family devours.
- A one-bowl casserole that is perfect for using up leftover chicken.
- That irresistible buttery cracker topping on every single bite.
Key Ingredients
This casserole is loaded with comforting, crave-worthy ingredients. Here is what each one does:
- Rotisserie or cooked chicken: the hearty, protein-packed base. Rotisserie chicken makes it extra easy.
- Ranch dressing mix: the secret to that crave-worthy crack chicken flavor in every bite.
- Bacon: crispy, crumbled bacon adds smoky, salty richness throughout.
- Sour cream, mayo, and cheddar: they create the creamy, cheesy sauce that binds it all together.
- Butter crackers: crushed and buttered, they bake into a golden, crunchy topping.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this chicken noodle casserole your own with a few easy swaps:
- Switch the noodles: cellentani, macaroni, egg noodles, or penne all work beautifully.
- Add veggies: stir in peas, broccoli, or spinach for a little extra color and nutrition.
- Change the cheese: try a Colby jack or Monterey jack blend in place of the cheddar.
- Make it spicy: add a diced jalapeno or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the filling.
- No crackers: top with crushed cornflakes, panko, or French fried onions instead.
- Buffalo style: stir in a few tablespoons of buffalo sauce and swap some of the cheddar for blue cheese crumbles.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Prep: preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish. Cook the noodles, crisp and crumble the bacon, and shred the chicken.
- Mix the filling: in a large bowl, combine the bacon, chicken, cooked noodles, ranch mix, 1 cup of the cheddar, sour cream, mayonnaise, and chicken stock until fully combined.
- Assemble: spread the mixture into the baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Add the topping: stir the crushed crackers with the melted butter and sprinkle them evenly over the casserole.
- Bake and serve: bake for 40 to 50 minutes until bubbly and golden, let cool slightly, then garnish with scallions and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use rotisserie chicken to make this casserole come together in a flash.
- Cook the noodles just to al dente; they will soften more in the oven, so slightly firm is best.
- Crisp the bacon well so it stays crunchy and adds the best smoky flavor.
- Do not skip the cracker topping; the buttery crunch is what makes this casserole irresistible.
- Let it rest a few minutes after baking so it sets up and scoops cleanly.
- Shred your chicken finely so every bite has a little bit of everything.
- Make it ahead; assemble the casserole, refrigerate, and bake when ready, adding a few extra minutes.
- Grease the dish well so the cheesy edges lift out cleanly and do not stick to the pan.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This chicken noodle casserole is a complete meal on its own, but it loves a fresh side. Serve it with a crisp green salad, steamed broccoli, or roasted veggies to balance all that creamy richness.
Round out the table with a simple side like a scoop of classic potato salad or warm dinner rolls. It is the kind of cozy meal that makes everyone go back for seconds.
This casserole is perfect for busy weeknights, potlucks, and feeding a hungry crowd. It reheats beautifully, so it is also a great make-ahead meal for lunches all week long.
Leftover chicken noodle casserole makes a fantastic lunch the next day; just reheat a scoop and you have a cozy, complete meal. It is also a wonderful dish to bring to a new neighbor, a potluck, or a friend who could use a homemade meal.
Chicken Noodle Casserole FAQs
No, but they add the best buttery crunch. You can swap in crushed Ritz, panko breadcrumbs, crushed cornflakes, or French fried onions for the topping on your chicken noodle casserole.
Short, sturdy pasta like cellentani, macaroni, penne, or egg noodles works best. They hold up well in the bake and grab onto the creamy sauce.
Yes. Assemble the casserole, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day. Add the cracker topping just before baking, and add a few extra minutes to the bake time since it starts cold.
Absolutely. Leftover roasted, grilled, or rotisserie chicken all work great. You will need about 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or warm the whole dish, covered, in a 350-degree oven until heated through.
Yes. Freeze the baked, cooled casserole, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven, adding the cracker topping fresh if you can for the best crunch.
Craving more cozy chicken dinners? Try our marry me chicken next.
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick cut bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken
- 2 cups dried cellentani noodles or macaroni noodles, cooked per directions on box and drained
- 1 package dry ranch dressing mix
- 1 & 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1 & 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1 & 1/2 cup low sodium butter crackers crushed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 scallion thinly sliced, garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the bacon, chicken, cooked noodles, ranch, 1 cup of the cheddar, sour cream, mayonnaise, and chicken stock, mix to combine fully. Pour into the baking dish. Top with the remaining cheddar. In a small bowl mix together the crushed crackers with the butter and top the casserole with this mixture.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until bubbly. Let cool slightly, garnish with optional scallions and serve.
Notes
- We like to use cheddar cheese for this recipe, but you can experiment on your favorite cheeses.
- Freshly shredded cheese works best as it melts easier.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- Butter crackers can be substituted with panko or regular breadcrumbs or even more cheese if you’d like.
- Use your favorite smaller pasta.
Nutrition
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