Description
A delicious creamy chicken noodle casserole loaded with vegetables and topped with a buttery cracker crust.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 12 ounces dried wide egg noodles
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion (finely diced)
- 3 ribs celery (finely diced, about 1 cup)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup reduced-fat milk (I used 1%)
- 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
- 4 cups cooked (shredded chicken)
- 1 sleeve buttery crackers (such as Ritz, about 32 crackers)
- Chopped fresh parsley or chives (optional for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Measure out the Greek yogurt and let it sit at room temperature while you proceed with the recipe.
- Cook the noodles 1 minute short of al dente according to package instructions (for my package this was 4 minutes). They should still be slightly too chewy to eat, as they will continue to cook in the oven. Drain, toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a Dutch oven or similar large, deep pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Stir and cook until softened and the onion is turning translucent, about 6 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour, garlic powder, salt, thyme, sage, and pepper over the top. Cook, stirring so that no dry bits of flour remain, for 1 full minute.
- Working a few splashes at a time, whisk in the broth and milk, stirring until smooth. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high then let cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 to 15 minutes once simmering has begun. Remove from the heat.
- Off the heat, stir in the peas and carrots (this will help cool the sauce so the yogurt doesn’t curdle), then the Greek yogurt and cheese until smoothly combined.
- Fold in the chicken and noodles, then transfer to the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top.
- With your fingers, crush the crackers over the casserole to create a crunchy topping.
- Bake until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the crackers are golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Let cool a few minutes, then serve.
Notes
- This recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator before baking.
- Feel free to substitute the chicken with shredded turkey or a meat alternative for a different flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 890mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 75mg