An easy, filling family dinner, these Hearty Chicken and Noodles are made with simple ingredients and are 100% comforting!.
Anyone who loves comfort food will love chicken and noodles. It’s easy to make and everyone loves it. This dish has soft chicken and pillowy egg noodles in a rich and flavorful broth. You can make a hearty and comforting meal in less than an hour with just a few simple food items.
Overview of Chicken and Noodles
This American classic comes from European food and has boneless chicken, egg noodles, and a flavorful broth. It’s similar to chicken noodle soup, but the broth in chicken and noodles is thicker and more like gravy. You can cook the dish on the stove or in a slow cooker. It’s often served as a main dish, but it’s also great as leftovers.
This satisfying one-pot meal comes together with just a few easy steps:
- Simmer chicken in broth to cook and impart flavor
- Cook egg noodles separately to desired doneness
- Add cooked chicken and noodles back to hot broth
- Finish with cream or milk to achieve a creamy consistency
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and other spices
The result is a hearty and soothing chicken and noodle dish that’s perfect for a cold weather weeknight dinner,
Ingredients Needed
Chicken and noodles requires just a few simple ingredients:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Chicken broth or stock
- Wide egg noodles
- Milk, cream, or cream soup (optional)
- Butter or oil
- Onion and garlic (optional)
- Seasonings like salt, pepper, parsley, thyme
You can use store-bought chicken stock and chicken that has already been cooked to save time. The most flavor will come from homemade stock and boneless chicken breasts or thighs.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these easy steps for homemade chicken and noodles:
Prep the Chicken and Broth
- Dice 1 onion and 2 cloves garlic (optional).
- Pound 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts to an even thickness.
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until browned. Transfer to a plate.
- Add onion, garlic, and other aromatics to the pot. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in 4 cups chicken broth and add chicken back to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken and shred with two forks once cool enough to handle.
Cook the Noodles
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 12 oz wide egg noodles and cook according to package directions until al dente.
- Drain noodles and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
Make the Chicken and Noodles
- Whisk 2 cups milk or cream into the hot broth.
- Add cooked noodles and shredded chicken back to the broth.
- Allow to simmer for 5 minutes until heated through.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, etc.
Serve and Enjoy
- Ladle chicken and noodles into bowls. Garnish with parsley if desired.
- Enjoy this hearty and comforting dish on its own or with sides like bread, salad, or roasted vegetables.
Tips and Variations
- For convenience, use canned chicken broth, leftover roast chicken, and pre-cooked egg noodles.
- Give it even more flavor by using homemade chicken stock.
- Play around with cream soups like mushroom or celery instead of milk or cream.
- Add vegetables like diced carrots, peas, or spinach.
- Use homemade egg noodles or other short pasta shapes like farfalle or rotelle.
- Top individual portions with shaved parmesan cheese.
- For a creamy casserole, transfer to a baking dish, top with biscuit dough and bake.
- Cook in a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours for tender chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of noodles are best? Wide or extra-wide egg noodles work perfectly to catch all the rich flavors of the broth. Sturdy noodles like pappardelle or fettuccine can also be used instead.
How long does it last in the fridge? Chicken and noodles that have been left over will last for three to four days. You can reheat each serving separately in the microwave or over medium-low heat on the stove.
Can I use rotisserie chicken? Yes, shredded rotisserie chicken is an easy shortcut. Omit any extra broth when using pre-cooked chicken.
Should the noodles be completely submerged? It’s ok if some noodles poke out to start. They will soften and absorb more broth as they cook. Add a splash more liquid if needed.
Can I prepare chicken and noodles in a slow cooker? Yes, combine everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Quick-cooking egg noodles can be added near the end.
Conclusion
Chicken and noodles makes for the ultimate hearty comfort food. With its simple ingredient list and easy one-pot preparation, this satisfying dish can be enjoyed any night of the week. Experiment with add-ins and toppings to make it your own. Enjoy big bowls of homemade chicken and noodles on chilly nights or anytime you need a little comfort.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- shredded or diced chicken—a rotisserie chicken will work best for this, but you can also roast or boil some chicken breasts. Also, you can dice up the chicken or shred it. Either way works and depends on the texture you prefer.
- Low-sodium or no-sodium chicken broth is a good choice if you are sensitive to salt or need to keep it low. You can even use your own Homemade Chicken Broth. If you want, you can always add more salt to taste.
- carrots; if you’d rather, you could use frozen diced carrots Some stores sell celery, onion, and carrots that have already been diced (this is also known as mirepoix). ) You can use that to save some time.
- bay leaf—Some people think that adding a bay leaf doesn’t make a big difference in the taste, but it does. It adds a great background note that isn’t strong but gives the taste more depth. Still, don’t worry if you don’t have any on hand; you can still make this.
- thyme—I use fresh thyme here because it gives it a light thyme taste. You can use dried thyme, but you won’t need as much because it’s stronger than fresh. I put the amount in the recipe card below.
- salt and pepper: The recipe card gives you exact amounts of salt and pepper, but salt and pepper taste very different, so I always tell you to start with a little and add more if you like. Just taste it and see if you want more.
- celery
- onion
- garlic—I like fresh garlic best, but both fresh and jarred garlic worked well in this recipe. This is where you should trust your taste buds. I find that I need a little more jarred garlic to get that stronger garlic flavor. You measure garlic with your heart – ha!.
- Dry wide noodles—I talk about this a bit more in the section above called “Frequently Asked Questions.” See my list of ingredients below to see what kind I use.
- milk
- all-purpose flour – we use this as a thickening agent. It’s not thick enough if you don’t want it to be.
- Peas that have been frozen; you could also use frozen peas and carrots. If you don’t like peas, leave them out.
HOW TO MAKE HEARTY CHICKEN AND NOODLES:
In a large pot over medium high heat, cook carrots with 1 ½ cups broth, 1 bay leaf, salt, pepper, and thyme until carrots are tender. Add into the pot the remaining chicken broth, celery, onion and garlic and let come to a boil.
Next add the dry wide noodles to the pot and cook for 5 minutes uncovered. Then after 5 minutes stir in 1 cup of milk and the frozen peas.
In a separate pan mix the remaining milk with the all purpose flour over medium heat and slowly whisk the milk and flour together to remove the lumps. Do this for about 3-4 minutes. This is going to be used to thicken the chicken and noodles. Add this milk and flour mixture to the pot with the noodles, vegetables and broth. Finally add the cooked shredded chicken.
Let the soup simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and serve hot topped with fresh chopped parsley (optional). Serve and enjoy!.
