Kristin Maxwell
Last updated on
One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles
This One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles is a childhood favorite. Full of tender noodles, chicken and veggies in a creamy sauce and cooked in one pan for easy clean-up, this great recipe is a weeknight dream.
One Pot Meals have become a staple in our home and we especially enjoy One Pot Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta and One Pot Chicken Alfredo. I love them for the ease of cooking and clean up and my kids love them because they taste really good! Cooking the pasta IN the sauce creates a delicious, rich flavor that you just can’t get when cooking in water.
Homestyle One Pan Chicken and Noodles
When I was a young girl I used to visit my aunt and grandmother often. My aunt used to make the best chicken and noodles! So rich and creamy and delicious that you couldn’t help but ask for seconds. I was wanting to recreate her recipe, but in a one pot version, so I got to work creating this dish.
My cousins were talking about this the other day, chatting back and forth on facebook, remembering how much they loved this recipe from the grandma as kids. I had to chime in because I loved it too! It’s a great, classic recipe made modern with a few tweaks for simplicity. I hope that your family will enjoy this recipe as much as my family did!
HOW TO MAKE MY ONE PAN CHICKEN AND NOODLES RECIPE
This is the kind of comfort food dreams are made of. Seriously, so many yummy flavors melting together to create a rich, savory meal that the whole family will love. There are a few ways you could customize this recipe, like swapping out the fettucine noodles for a smaller pasta like rotini or farfalle. You could cut the cooking time by about 10 minutes if you do that. You could also swap out the sharp cheddar for something a little more mild like jack cheese or mozzarella. Adding some parmesan cheese would be fantastic! Or you could even leave out the cheese altogether.
Here are the ingredients you need:
- Chicken breast – I prefer chicken breast in this recipe but if you like you can use chicken thighs instead. If you’re in a hurry, you could use pre cooked chicken, like from a rotisserie.
- Onions, Carrots, Celery – the base veggies for any good casserole or soup recipe.
- Cream of Chicken Soup
- Milk
- Fettuccine Noodles
- Cheddar Cheese
- Herbs & Spices (thyme, parsley, garlic)
Chicken and Noodles is easy to make too, in just a few steps:
- Heat a large skillet or large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the chicken is mostly cooked through. A little pink is ok; it will continue cooking later.
- Add the liquids, dry pasta and seasonings.
- Bring it all to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes until pasta is tender.
- Optional – Sprinkle with cheese and cover for 5 minutes to melt. Garnish with fresh parsley.
See? Four super easy and simple steps!
Can I freeze Chicken and Noodles?
Unfortunately pasta just doesn’t hold up well to freezing and simply turns to mush when reheated. The sauce will separate and become grainy.
If you have leftovers, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoying within 3-4 days. To reheat, add a little bit of milk or cream and heat on the stove or in the microwave on 50% power.
What tools do you need to make One Pot Chicken and Noodles?
A lot of people ask what pan I use. I use my Simply Calphalon Nonstick 5-qt. Sauté Pan. It’s a great non-stick pan, it’s held up fabulously for years, and clean up is a snap! I recently purchased a Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 12″ Everyday Pan
and that one is just as fabulous. Both are perfect for my one pot meals. If you don’t have a shallow saute pan, a regular soup pot will do just fine.
For more one pot meals, check out these popular recipes:
- One Pot Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- One Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- One Pot Chicken Cacciatore
- One Pot Beef Stroganoff
You’ll love these other pasta recipes:Â
If you’ve made this recipe, please come back and leave us a star rating or a comment below. Or, tag us on social media @yellowblissroad or #yellowblissroad for a chance to be featured.
One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles
Classic chicken and noodles with vegetables in a creamy, cheesy sauce, all cooked in one pot for easy clean up.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow or white onion diced
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 10 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 1 1/4 cup nonfat milk (fill the chicken soup can)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 ounces dry fettuccine pasta about ½ of a regular box
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 5 quart pot or deep saute pan. Add chopped vegetables and minced garlic. Saute over medium-high heat for about five minutes, or until vegetables are just becoming tender.
- Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Continue to saute over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink on the outside. It does not have to be cooked through since it will continue to cook in the sauce.
- Stir in cream of chicken soup, milk (fill the chicken soup can), chicken broth, pasta and dry seasonings.
- Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring every five minutes to keep pasta from sticking together.
- Once pasta is cooked to al dente, remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese until melted. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover pot and let rest for 5-10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley for garnish.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.Â
Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating.Â
Reheating: Heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.Â
Nutrition
Calories: 686kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 59gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 195mgSodium: 924mgPotassium: 1228mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 6835IUVitamin C: 7.4mgCalcium: 387mgIron: 2.9mg
Just came across this recipe and will make it today, do I just add pasta without boiling it first? Duh I read that it is made in one skillet…..thanks for clearing this up for me??
Hi Janice, yes that it correct. The pasta will cook as the liquid boils, and the starchy, cheesy liquid will become the sauce.
I have been making this recipe for a few years now. We love it! I would love to know if anyone has tried this in the instant pot and what the cook times would be?
Yes can pressure cook, high 4 min.. can add all ingred..
SO GOOD! I added a little bit of chicken stock as I was cooking my veggies and chicken so I could use less salt. Also used chicken thighs instead of breast because they are extra juicy! It is so easy to make and I love the one pot so there isn’t a ton of dishes after. Seriously. Try this!!! After giving some to my boyfriend he asked if that was going to be a go to dish! (Of course it is) Thanks so much for sharing this!
You are so welcome Blake! Thanks for the awesome feedback.
Love this easy recipe!!!! Mahalo!
Hello Wendy, thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your honest feedback.
Do to food allergies, we can not use cream of ___ soup. Instead, I used 2 pounds chicken cut into about 1 inch square chunks, 2 TBS olive oil, 1 cup mire poix, 1 TBS fresh parsley, 2 TBS mire poix puree, 8 ounces cream cheese 1 cup chicken broth, 3 cups water, s&p. After it cooked on high for about 4 hours on high, I gave it a stir, added 8 ounces of spaghetti noodles broken in half, and cooked another hour or so. Creamy yummy sauciness
Glad you were able to make it work for your family, Lisa!
This was quick, easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Beth!
Do I leave the chicken breasts whole? Or do I diced them up?
Cut them into chunks – I can see the recipe needs updating!
How..I repeat HOW does this recipe not get 5 stars?! I’m sorry I never left a comment, but This recipe has been in my arsenal for a good 3 years now and I’ve made it countless times. It’s amazing on its own, but sometimes I like to jazz it up with some marscapone cheese, sour cream, or even cream cheese with or without the cheddar! I also add a bit of dill in the end and BOY..it’s so tasty I can’t even. My hats off to you Kristin! Can’t wait to try your other one pot recipes! -Tia:)
Thank you so much for the rating and the kind words!!
Cannot wait to make this for my family.
Simply good comfort food. I used egg noodles as they were all I had. LIke a chicken noodle casserole. Very quick and easy. I found the thyme to be too much at 1 tsp. Very overwhelming to me. I would cut back next time to 1/2 tsp. Mushrooms would add a nice flavor if you like them.
I’m making this right now, it smells fabulous!
I made this exactly as written and it was a hit! Our guests had car trouble so dinner was postponed 20 minutes; I just added 2 cups of water and let it keep cooking on low and no damage was done. Everyone had seconds. This will definitely become a regular addition to our dinner menu.
This is fun to make and a delicious, reliable cold weather meal that my family loves. Thank you! I made it tonight for the second time, accompanied by sweet potato biscuits and steamed broccoli. I’m glad we have just a little bit left to enjoy for lunch tomorrow 🙂
My son loves the leftovers from this meal So glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Even my picky eater said it was a “make again” meal. I will definitely be making it again. 🙂
I made this today I didnt add the cheese but this is a great recipe! Thank you for sharing. Will make again and again!
This was definitely yummy!!! It cooked up very nicely and I followed the recipe to a “t”. Keep in mind it is VERY rich! Next time I may cut back on the cheese and try a homemade version of a condensed soup to make it healthier. I also recommend breaking up the pasta otherwise it kind if clumps together while trying to cook. Next time I might also try a different shape pasta like shells. My whole family loved it– I don’t usually cook this “naughty” so it was a real treat for them. I will make it again for sure — was super quick and fool proof. Thank you!!
For anyone whose curious about WW points… I plugged the ingredients into their recipe calculator, and it came up as 10 points per serving. Not bad for all that cheesy, creamy goodness! P.S. Made this tonight–sooooo amasing. My Pickles even said I knocked it for six. Which in English speak is super good.
Thanks for coming back and sharing! So glad you liked the recipe.
This is DELICIOUS! I threw it together for lunch before I went to my evening shift. Talk about a food hug. So creamy and warm and comforting! It’s joining my regular recipe rotation! 🙂