When there’s a chill in the air, we all crave our favorite comfort foods. Hearty, flavorful, loaded with texture. This Chicken Potpie Noodle Bake checks all the boxes.
It has all of the familiar flavors and heartiness, without the added step of making pie crust. Or deciding if you should make individual pies or one big one. Best yet, you can assemble this early in the day then pop it in the oven for a classic crowd-pleasing treat.
The list of ingredients for your Chicken Potpie Noodle Bake…
- Egg noodles – Egg noodles are a type of noodle made from a dough of flour, eggs and sometimes milk, resulting in a rich flavor and softer, more pliable texture than regular pasta.
- Butter – Salted butter is recommended here.
- Carrots – Peeled & small diced. I prefer the texture of fresh carrots in this dish since they hold up well during the cooking process. Frozen carrots certainly could be used, if need be.
- Celery – Diced. Don’t cut the pieces too small so that some of the texture is retained.
- Green beans – Trimmed & cut into bite-size pieces. Fresh green beans are recommended but, if need be, frozen could be used.
- Onion – Diced. Same as the celery, don’t cut the pieces too small so that some of the texture is retained.
- Garlic – Finely minced or grated. To avoid unwanted chunks, use your garlic press or cheese grater. You’ll be using the minced garlic in the noodle bake as well as in the bread topping.
- Kosher salt – The coarse texture of kosher salt makes it easier to pick up and sprinkle, offering better control over seasoning, especially when adding salt by hand. I keep a small open bowl by my stove for an easy “pinch” when needed.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh herbs – Finely chopped. Although optional, when added to the dish they add an awesome depth of favor. Traditional choices would be thyme, sage, parsley and/or chives. Other options would be rosemary, marjoram and tarragon.
- Flour – Unbleached all-purpose flour is used here. I always use flour that is organic, non-GMO and free of glyphosate. My personal favorite is from a domestic company, Sunrise Flour Mill, located in Minnesota.
- Chicken broth – Use your favorite prepared broth or stock here. If you happen to have some homemade chicken stock on standby, by all means use that.
- Heavy cream – Although you can use either heavy cream or whipping cream, heavy cream is recommended for its slightly higher fat content.
- Cooked shredded chicken – For convenience, I use a rotisserie chicken breast from my local market.
- Frozen peas – No need to precook. They’re added as they are and bake up to the perfect texture.
The remaining ingredients are for the final bread topping…
- Extra-virgin olive oil – My first choice is always single source EVOO from Italy. Less processing = healthier more delicious olive oil.
- Fresh bread crumbs – Bread that has been broken down into small pieces, either by tearing, chopping, or processing. Can be created from fresh or slightly dried bread. I typically use some of my homemade peasant bread.
- Grated parmesan – Freshly grated. Whenever possible, I grate my own from a block of aged Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley – Finely chopped. The tender fresh herb is always preferred over the dried variety. Fresh parsley has a clean peppery taste with a touch of earthiness. Adds a brightness to the final dish. It is used as a garnish when sprinkled over the casserole after baking.
- There’s a fair amount of chopping to be done here.
- It’s always advisable to get all of that out of the way before you get started.
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly butter a 9 x 13 ovenproof baking dish.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles until barely al dente.
- Do not overcook the noodles as they will continue to cook in the oven.
- Drain immediately and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the carrots, celery, green beans, onion and garlic.
- Season to your liking with salt and pepper.
- Cook until softened for about 10 minutes.
- At that time, if desired, add the fresh chopped herbs.
- Stir in the flour and cook for about one minute.
- Stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Stir in the cooked noodles, chicken and frozen peas.
- When well combined, transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Bake until heated throughout and bubbling on the edges for a total of about 30 minutes.
- Prepare the breadcrumb topping.
- You will need it for the last 10 minutes of baking.
To create fresh breadcrumbs, break down your bread into into small pieces, either by tearing, chopping, or processing. I use my handy mini-processor to form the desired crumbs which can be created from fresh or slightly dried bread.
If the crust is especially crisp or chewy, you may want to remove that before proceeding. I typically use some of my homemade peasant bread.
- In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.
- When hot, add the minced garlic.
- After about one minute, add the breadcrumbs along with the grated parmesan.
- Stir around for several minutes to be sure the bread is well coated.
- If desired, season with salt and pepper.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
For the final ten minutes of baking…
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the surface of the casserole.
- When done, allow the noodle bake to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
- Highly recommend garnishing with a scattering of chopped fresh parsley.
This Chicken Potpie Noodle Bake is a satisfying meal in one dish.
- It also can be enjoyed as a hearty side.
- My family enjoys this deliciousness on the side with a chicken cutlet and fresh green salad.
If you happen to have some leftover, it reheats well in a 325°F oven. If you feel that it’s a bit dry, stir in a small amount of broth or milk before reheating.
Chicken Potpie Noodle Bake
All of the flavors and heartiness of classic chicken potpie in one make-ahead dish.
Ingredients
For the Noodle Bake
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/4 cups peeled & small-diced carrots (about 13 ounces / 4 medium size carrots)
- 1 1/2 cups diced celery (about 6 ounces / 3 celery stalks)
- 1 cup trimmed green beans, cut into bite-size pieces (about 5 ounces)
- 1 3/4 cups chopped onion (about 8 ounces / 1 large onion)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled & finely minced
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- finely chopped fresh herbs, if desired (thyme, sage, parsley and/or chives)
- 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken (about 13 ounces)
- 1 cup frozen peas (about 5.5 ounces)
For the Bread Topping
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled & finely minced
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 4 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
- chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly butter a 9 x 13 ovenproof baking dish.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles until al dente. Do not overcook the noodles as they will continue to cook in the oven. Drain immediately and set aside.
-
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the carrots, celery, green beans, onion and garlic. Season to your liking with salt and pepper. Cook until softened for about 10 minutes.
At that time, if desired, add the fresh herbs. Stir in the flour and cook for about one minute.
-
Stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened for about 3 to 5 minutes.
-
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the cooked noodles, chicken and frozen peas. When well combined, transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake until heated throughout and bubbling on the edges for a total of about 30 minutes.
-
Prepare the Breadcrumb Topping: In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, add the oil. When hot, add the minced garlic. After about one minute, add the breadcrumbs along with the grated parmesan. Stir around for several minutes to be sure the bread is well coated. If desired, season with salt and pepper.
Remove the skillet from the heat. For the final ten minutes of baking, sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the surface of the casserole.
-
When done, allow the noodle bake to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, finish with a scattering of chopped fresh parsley.
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