Chicken and Egg Noodle Casserole

Comfort food at it's best!  Warm and inviting and perfect for feeding a crowd.  Veggies, egg noodles and cheese - what's not to love?  

Packed with flavor from chicken broth, white wine, carrots, onions and celery, then combined with half & half makes this dish so creamy and delicious.  You can make it easier on yourself by purchasing a rotisserie chicken, rather than cooking and shredding the meat yourself.  I used a very simple pan steam method to cook my chicken - about an inch of water in a deep skillet, bring to a boil, add 2 chicken breasts and cover for about 20 minutes (depending on how thick the chicken is).  Shred and add to recipe.   

As if the noodle, veggie and white wine mixture wasn't enough, the casserole then gets topped with shredded mozzarella.  Baked until bubbly and the edges get a crispy cheesy crust - remember what I was saying about comfort food?!  This is sure to be a hit with your whole family.

Serves 8

Chicken and Egg Noodle Casserole

4 tablespoons butter
12 ounces egg noodles
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup diced onion
1 medium carrot, diced
1 large stalk of celery, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup half & half
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 3-quart casserole dish (or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan) with non-stick cooking spray.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles until al dente, about 4 minutes.  Strain.

While the noodles are cooking, heat the butter in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour to form a paste.  Stir in the onions, carrots and celery and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cook 5 minutes to soften, then add the wine.  Whisk for 30 seconds, then add the chicken broth and heavy cream.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Fold in the noodles and chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to the greased casserole dish and top with the shredded mozzarella.  Bake until bubbly and brown on top, 40-45 minutes.

(Source:  Adapted from Food Network)