Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole

ingredients

▢2 cups dry egg noodles
▢2 cups cooked chicken diced
▢10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup, see notes for homemade version
▢½ cup milk
▢1 cup frozen peas or frozen vegetables
topping
▢1 tablespoon butter melted

▢2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
▢½ cup cheddar cheese optional
instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cook egg noodles al dente (firm) according to package directions. Drain well.
Combine egg noodles, chicken, soup, milk, and vegetables in 2qt casserole dish. Top with cheese if using.
Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the casserole.
Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly. Broil 1 minute to brown topping if needed.
notes
Cook pasta just until it is just al dente.
If you don’t have cooked chicken, chicken can be simmered in a bit of water or broth. Save the chicken water for cooking the pasta too!
If substituting fresh veggies, add them to the pasta water during the last few minutes until tender. This saves the step of cooking them.
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese can be added to the sauce if desired.

To Make Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
¾ cup milk
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup light cream
4 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
¼ teaspoon each onion powder and garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
Combine all ingredients except butter in a cold saucepan and whisk well.
Place over medium heat and continue whisking until thickened. Stir in butter and season with salt & pepper to taste and use in place of canned cream of chicken soup.