Everyone will be a fan of this creamy, cheesy casserole! This easy to make gluten-free chicken noodle casserole is loaded with veggies and all the comfort food vibes.
I don’t know what it is about this casserole, but I love it. I’m not sure if it’s the creamy, cheesy, deliciousness, the pops of veggie color and crunch, or simply being in noodle heaven. No matter what it is, Gluten-free Chicken Noodle Casserole will not disappoint. It is all cooked from scratch, which means no canned soup! This is especially great since gluten-free canned soup is hard to find and often leaves much to be desired.
Ingredients
This casserole is full of veggies but also cheese! This means the pops of color and cheesy goodness will be a hit with parents and kids!
- Cooked Gluten-free Pasta: I used Barilla rotini because it is a fun shape that holds on to the veggies in the casserole. This shape is similar to the shape of traditional egg noodles, which is what I associate with a traditional noodle casserole. Cook the pasta slightly underdone, by about 1-2 minutes less than the instructions on the package.
- Onion, Carrots, Celery: These veggies add a base of flavor to the casserole mixture.
- Butter, Rice Flour, Chicken Broth, Half & Half: this will create a cream sauce, which is what replaces canned soup in traditional casseroles. Always check labels on broth to make sure it’s gluten-free. I used sweet rice flour but any rice flour should work.
- Shredded Cheddar-Jack Cheese, pre-shredded is fine.
- Frozen Peas: you do not need to thaw the peas.
- Red Bell Pepper: finely diced bell pepper adds a pop of color and crunch!
- Cooked, Diced Chicken: life is easier when this is done ahead of time making this a great use for leftover baked chicken or even turkey!
- Gluten-free Panko Breadcrumbs: I used Aleia’s Italian Panko but I’ve also used Kikkoman Gluten-free Plain Panko and like them as well. Any gluten-free breadcrumb that you like will work. You could also use crushed gluten-free crackers.
Making Gluten-free Chicken Noodle Casserole
Follow along and see how easy it is to make this gluten-free casserole from scratch! It really is a simple process and the results are totally worth it!
Step 1: Melt the butter and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots together.
Step 2: Sprinkle in rice flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Gradually stir in the chicken broth and cook until thickened.
Step 4: Then stir in the Half & Half and add in the chicken.
Step 5: Stir in the remaining veggies, cheese, and pasta.
Step 6: Pour into a greased casserole dish, sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs. Bake now or refrigerate for later!
Tips
- Save a dish! Make the casserole in an oven-safe pan that can hold the entire mixture, like the bright blue enameled cast-iron pan seen above. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top after mixing and then bake right in that same pan!
- This casserole can be made ahead! Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Remove the casserole from the fridge while you preheat the oven.
- Don’t over-brown the casserole. If the noodles along the edges get too brown they tend to become too crunchy to eat.
- Don’t forget to plan ahead! This recipe calls for cooked chicken. I usually bake about 1 pound of chicken breasts ahead of time and store in the fridge for this recipe. Be wary of rotisserie chickens, they may not be gluten-free.
- I used sweet white rice flour but brown or white rice flour should also work.
Gluten-free Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 oz dried gluten-free pasta, like barilla rotini
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 tablespoons sweet rice flour
- 14 oz chicken broth, 1 can or 1 3/4 cups
- 2 cups half & half
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken
- 2 cups cheddar jack cheese
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, finely dice the onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper to about the size of peas.
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large saute pan over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, and celery until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Sprinkle rice flour over vegetables and stir. Cook 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth. Stir and cook until thick, five minutes.
- Gradually stir in half & half.
- Stir in chicken, cheese, peas, bell pepper, and cooked pasta.
- Pour mixture into greased 9×13 casserole dish.
- Combine panko breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle over the casserole.
- Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes, or until center is hot and edges are bubbly.
Notes
- Casserole can be made ahead and refridgerated until baking. Remove pan from refridgerator while preheating the oven. Please note, baking times may be a little longer than stated above if the casserole is still cold.
- Don’t over brown the casserole. If the noodles along the edges get too brown they tend to become too crunchy to eat.
- Don’t forget to plan ahead! This recipe calls for cooked chicken. I usually bake about 1 pound of chicken breasts ahead of time and store in the fridge for this recipe. Be wary of rotisserie chickens, they may not be gluten-free.
- I used sweet white rice flour but brown or white rice flour should also work.
If you enjoyed this recipe, try my other comfort food dinner recipes like gluten-free chicken noodle soup or gluten-free broccoli cheddar soup. You may even love my gluten-free lasagna with no-boil noodles!
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Happy Cooking!
Looks great. And I like the option of not using canned soup. Thanks for the recipe.
I will try to make this dish for my daughter, who can’t have milk (or soy) either.
So I’m wondering, what is half & half, and what substitute can I use?
I don’t think we have this here in Norway..
Inger