Chicken and Noodles

Quick and easy Chicken and Noodles is made in one pot and a kid favorite dinner recipe. A creamy mixture of chicken, noodles and peas that’s ready in less than 30 minutes.

Creamy chicken and noodles is a family favorite recipe of ours that I’m so excited to share with you! This one pot meal is kid-friendly and so simple to make. I can repurpose leftover chicken into a new meal and my kids eat up every single bite. A mom win, am I right? We can use those wins as parents sometimes, so use this tried and true dinner recipe to give yourself a little bit of breathing room.

This dish stores well too and would be so great to pack in a thermos in school lunches. If you want change up your kid’s lunch, then this is a great option! You can also check out my school lunch box ideas. Pair this yummy meal with some fresh dinner rolls or breadsticks for the ultimate cozy comfort food dinner.

Why You’ll Love Chicken and Noodles

• The basic ingredients in this dish makes it picky eater approved. This is not a spicy dish or overly salty. Instead, it’s creamy and flavorful and perfect to get those picky eaters to eat some protein and veggies!
• When you make one pot dishes, clean-up is incredibly easy. You can spend more time with your kids after family dinner than washing a sink full of dishes.
• This chicken and noodles recipe is ready in just 30 minutes! Quick, easy and nourishing — a great meal for families that have busy schedules.

Ingredients for this Chicken and Noodles Recipe

• Frozen peas – I recommend using frozen peas instead of canned peas. Frozen peas tend to hold up better than the canned ones and won’t become super mushy.
• Diced onion – Yellow onion and white onion will both work. I do not recommend using red onion since the flavor is super strong.
• Butter – You can use either salted and unsalted butter. Both will work in this recipe!
• Salt and pepper – Simply season this chicken and noodles recipe with just some salt and pepper. It’s the perfect addition to bring out the flavors of every ingredient.
• Cream of chicken soup – The secret ingredient to making this creamy dinner recipe, cream of chicken soup. If you prefer, you can swap it out with cream of mushroom soup!
• Shredded chicken – You can use leftover chicken, or use my recipe for Instant Pot chicken or crockpot chicken to easily make shredded chicken.
• Chicken broth – Feel free to use low sodium chicken broth if you’d like to reduce the salt content a bit.
• Minced garlic – Add more depth of flavor to this chicken and noodles meal with some delicious minced garlic.
• Heavy whipping cream – Heavy whipping cream makes the best creamy sauce. You can also use half and half if that is what you have on hand.
• Extra wide egg noodles – You can use your favorite kind of pasta, or grab whatever you have on hand too. This recipe will work with most any pasta.

Helpful Tools

• Dutch oven or large pot
• Spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons

How to Make this Chicken and Noodles Recipe

Add butter to a large dutch oven or large pot to melt it. Then sauté the diced onion for 4-5 minutes over medium high heat. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Then add the chicken broth, heavy cream and the cream of chicken soup to the onion and garlic. Stir together until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and then bump the heat to high.

Bring the sauce mixture to a boil and then add the egg noodle pasta. Stir to combine and turn the heat down to medium. Bring the pot to a rapid simmer, not a boil.

Cook the dish for 10 minutes to soften the noodles. Cook uncovered and stir often so that it doesn’t stick.

When there are two minutes of cook time left, add the frozen peas, shredded chicken, salt and pepper and stir well.

Warm the added ingredients thoroughly and then serve!

How to Store Leftover Chicken and Noodles

Leftover creamy chicken and noodles can be stored in an airtight storage container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure the dish cools completely before transferring it to the fridge.

However, keep in mind that the longer you store chicken and noodles, the more liquid the noodles will soak. When you reheat it, there may not be much sauce left. I do not recommend this dish since it has a cream based sauce.

How to Reheat this Chicken and Noodles Recipe

Dump the leftovers into a pot and reheat on the stovetop. If the noodles look a little dry, then add a splash or two of heavy cream to help reconstitute the sauce. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave as well, it just may not keep the same texture.

What to Serve with Chicken and Noodles

Easy chicken and noodles can be served all on its own, but you can also pair it with kid-friendly sides like air fryer garlic bread or cheesy garlic bread. Get those kiddos to eat extra veggies with delicious roasted vegetables too. Or, serve up some green beans with bacon or glazed carrots that are also too yummy to be called “gross vegetables.”

How do you upgrade chicken and noodles?

There’s many different things that you can add to this recipe. It’s perfect to adapt and change since the ingredients go well with many different flavors!

Add lots of extra vegetables like carrots, celery, and broccoli. You can also change up the flavor with seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper and parsley flakes.

Can I use cream of mushroom in chicken and noodles?

While I love the flavor of cream of chicken soup in this recipe, you can totally use cream of mushroom if you prefer. Change it up however you know your kids will eat it. I won’t judge!

Pro Tips for the Best Chicken and Noodles Recipe

• If you don’t have leftover chicken, save some time by purchasing a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and quickly shredding that. It’s perfect for this recipe.
• Keep in mind that adding more ingredients, like extra veggies, may make the dish a bit dry. To make the sauce go further, just add an extra splash of two of heavy cream.
• Remember to keep the liquid at a simmer instead of a boil so that the noodles cook perfectly. Boiling the dish may cause it to overcook and become a mushy mess.

Kid-friendly dinners don’t have to be limited to pizza and chicken nuggets. This one pot chicken and noodles is a great option!

More Kid Friendly Recipes

• English Muffin Pizzas are so easy, the kids could make them on their own! A wonderful lunch idea.
• Make some Ham and Cheese Rollups when you want a quick and tasty snack or meal.
• Homemade Uncrustables are another favorite recipe for those picky eaters.
• When the kids want pizza, but you want to make dinner, make these Pizza Crescent Rolls as a compromise!