A healthy chicken noodle casserole all made in one pot! Loaded with mushrooms, peas, onions, this casserole has less than 500 calories, is high in protein, and is made with no canned soup!
Casseroles get a bad reputation for being loaded with fat and a ton of processed ingredients. Instead of using canned soups or mayonnaise, why not put together a simple mixture of broth, milk, and cornstarch?
The great thing about this casserole being low in calories and high in protein is it's perfect for meal prep!
🥘 Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cooked chicken - this recipe is great for chicken or turkey leftovers. But you can also throw a couple of large chicken breasts in the oven and cut them up. Canned chicken will work too, you'll need 2 cans.
- Butter - I love the way the butter tastes with the mushrooms, but any cooking fat will do here. Olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil are all great.
- Milk - I used 2% milk to keep things light, but any milk or cream will do here.
📋 How to Make it From Scratch
STEP 1: In a large, oven-safe skillet with a lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onion to the skillet and sauté until they begin to brown. This will take about 5 to 7 minutes.
Once the onions and mushrooms have fully cooked, then add ½ teaspoon of salt. Be sure to fully cook them before adding the salt so that you don't leach all of the liquid from the mushrooms too early. Stir in the salt and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
STEP 2: In the same skillet, add the noodles, milk, chicken broth, and a ½ teaspoon of each salt and pepper. and stir to evenly mix. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat as low as your burner will go.
I actually will switch the pan to a smaller burner to avoid boiling over. Let the mixture steam, covered, for 8-10 minutes. Once the noodles are tender, but still have a little bite to them, pull the lid off.
STEP 3: In a small bowl or ramekin, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoon of water until the cornstarch completely dissolves. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the noodle mixture and stir to incorporate.
Increase the heat to medium to simmer until the mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
STEP 4: Add the cooked mushrooms and onions back to the pan, as well as the chicken and frozen peas to the noodles.
The sauce should be thick enough to just coat all the ingredients and have a little bit left in the pan. If there is a lot of sauce left, simmer a little longer to reduce.
STEP 5: Remove the mixture from the heat and mix in the parsley and give it a taste. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Top with an even layer of shredded cheddar cheese.
⏲ Cooking Time and Temperature
Cook the chicken noodle casserole in a 400˚ Fahrenheit oven for 18 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
🥣 Storage
This recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days, making it perfect for meal prep. The best part about casseroles is the leftovers.
Healthy Skillet Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces white mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 yellow or white onion (minced)
- salt
- 3 cups egg noodles
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 4 cups cooked chicken (or (2 8-ounce cans))
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (minced)
- fresh ground pepper
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
Instructions
- PREPARE: Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- COOK MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS: In a large skillet (that has a lid), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onion. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 7 minutes, and sprinkle with ½ a teaspoon of salt. Stir and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
- COOK THE NOODLES: In the same skillet, add the noodles, milk, and broth to the pan and stir to evenly mix. Bring to a simmer on medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and for 8-10 minutes or until the noodles are tender.
- ADD CORNSTARCH: In a small bowl or ramekin, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoon of water until the corn starch completely dissolves. Pour into the noodle mixture and stir to incorporate. Increase the heat to medium to simmer until the mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
- COMBINE REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Add the mushrooms and onions, the chicken and peas to the noodles. The sauce should be thick enough to just coat all the ingredients and have a little bit left in the pan. If there is a lot of sauce left, simmer a little longer to reduce.
- ADD PARSLEY AND CHEESE: Remove from the heat and mix in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheddar cheese and bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- SERVE AND STORE: Allow the casserole to cool for 5 minutes, then serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
RECIPE EQUIPMENT
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