Chicken and Noodles

Quick and easy Chicken and Noodles is a kid friendly dinner recipe made in one pot. 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 that I know you’re going to love! This one pot meal is kid-friendly and so simple to make. This is one of the simplest recipes with chicken leftovers, too. I can repurpose leftover chicken into a new meal and my kids eat up every single bite. Plus I can make our budget stretch by using inexpensive pantry staples with leftovers. Two mom wins, am I right? We can really use those wins as parents sometimes, so use this tried and true dinner recipe to give yourself a little bit of breathing room.

Why You’ll Love Chicken and Noodles

• The basic ingredients in this easy chicken noodle recipe 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 Chicken and Noodles

• 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. 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. A great trick is to buy a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store.
• Chicken broth – Feel free to use low sodium chicken broth if you’d like to reduce the salt content a bit.
• Minced garlic – Add 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, just keep in mind egg noodles cook much quicker.

How To Upgrade Chicken And Noodles

There are 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 diced carrots, celery, green onion, diced bell peppers and broccoli. You can also change up the flavor with seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper and parsley flakes. Chopped fresh herbs like basil and parsley always add a great taste, too.

How to Make Chicken and Noodles

Heat butter in a large dutch oven and sauté diced onion for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Add chicken broth, heavy cream and the cream of chicken soup. Stir with onion and garlic until thoroughly combined.

Bring the sauce mixture to a boil and add the egg noodles. Stir to combine. 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!

Pro Tips

• 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! And if you need a set and forget recipe, this Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles will do the trick.

Storage And Reheating

Fridge: Leftover creamy chicken and noodles can be stored in an airtight storage container 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.

Freezer: I do not recommend this dish because it has a cream based sauce.

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.

How to Serve 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 elevated 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.”

Don’t forget dessert with some easy Buttermilk Brownies!

This dish 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.

More Kid Friendly Recipes

• English Muffin Pizzas are so easy, the kids could make them on their own! A wonderful lunch idea to give a little independence.
• Make some Ham and Cheese Rollups when you want a quick and tasty snack or meal. They are great to keep on hand for a quick snack on the go.
• Homemade Uncrustables are another favorite recipe for those picky eaters. Simple to make and more affordable than the store bought version, you’ll want to keep these on hand all the time.
• When the kids want pizza, but you want to cook dinner, make these Pizza Crescent Rolls as a tasty compromise. Soft crescent rolls are stuffed with gooey cheese and savory pepperoni, what’s not to love?