OLD FASHIONED CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE

Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Casserole image

An old-fashioned casserole, probably patterned as a way to use Sunday's leftover roast chicken, is combined with a creamy sauce, mushrooms and egg noodles, for one of my favorite comfort foods.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken
2 cups dry egg noodles
1 tablespoon butter
1 stalk celery
1/2 onion
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Couple dashes white pepper
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray a 2 quart casserole dish; set aside. Cook the noodles al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions, drain and set aside. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the celery and onion and cook until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook down, or if using canned, drain and add, warming through.
Whisk together the milk and cornstarch until well blended. Stir into the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer several minutes, until thickened. Stir in the salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and thyme. Add the chicken and noodles and mix; stir in reserved broth as needed to moisten. Turn out into the buttered casserole dish.
Combine bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle on the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly and heated through.
Cook's Notes: Use dark meat or mixed chicken if possible. A deli rotisserie chicken makes for an easy job of this, but if you cook your own chicken reserve the broth to use here. One whole chicken will yield between 3 and 4 cups of cooked chicken.
May substitute one can of condensed cream of mushroom soup and one can of condensed cream of chicken (okay to use reduced sodium or healthy versions), plus 1/2 cup of sour cream, for the homemade sauce. Omit the cornstarch and chicken broth, and reduce the milk to about 1/2 cup or enough to moisten the casserole. Great with add-ins such as 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and/or 1 to 2 cups of vegetables, including broccoli, peas, carrots, mixed veggies, or any combination. Sliced almonds or chopped pecans are a nice add-in and give a little crunch. Top with fried onion (like French's) instead of bread or cracker crumbs.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com