I used southwestern style chicken for a little added spice.
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup green pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper chopped
- 1 can cream of chicken soup undiluted
- 1/2 cup miracle whip, light or mayonnaise
- 2 cups chicken cooked & cubed
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded, divided
- 1 cup cheddar cheese sharp, shredded, divided
- 12 ounce medium egg noodles cooked and drained
- Carbohydrate 49.8446458340352 g
- Cholesterol 148.635 mg
- Fat 32.9449791666667 g
- Fiber 2.34424997685626 g
- Protein 32.7313208333642 g
- Saturated Fat 12.8785504166667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (274g)
- Sodium 853.391250000081 mg
- Sugar 47.500395857179 g
- Trans Fat 5.92202250000001 g
- Calories 631 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large saucepan bring water to a boil. When water is boiling add the noodles and cook for 8-9 minutes; drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, soup and lemon juice. Add the onions, peppers, chicken, 1/2 cup of Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 cup of Cheddar Cheese; mix well. Add the noodles and toss to coat.
- Transfer mixture to a greased 2-quart casserole baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake an additional 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and cheeses are evenly melted.
Cream of chicken soup dictates the moisture balance of the entire dish, acting as the primary binder that fuses the starches of the pasta with the proteins of the poultry. Because commercial canned soups contain high levels of sodium and thickeners, whisking them thoroughly with the fat-based emulsion of mayonnaise or Miracle Whip prevents the sauce from breaking or separating into oily pools under direct oven heat. When combining these base components in a large mixing bowl, ensure the bowl has a wide enough diameter to let your silicone spatula sweep across the bottom without splashing the aromatics.
Achieving the right structural integrity relies entirely on undercooking the egg noodles by roughly two minutes during their initial boiling phase in salted water. Pasta continues to absorb residual moisture from the surrounding cream sauce while baking inside the 350 degree Fahrenheit oven, meaning fully softened noodles will turn mushy. Drain the pasta thoroughly through a metal colander, shaking it vigorously to remove trapped water droplets that would otherwise dilute the viscosity of the soup mixture.
Dividing the grated Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar cheeses into two distinct portions protects the dairy from scorching during the extended thermal exposure. By reserving half of the cheese until the final ten minutes of the baking window, you create a barrier that prevents the surface noodles from drying out while ensuring a stretchy, golden melt on top. Keep the casserole uncovered for the entire forty-minute duration so excess steam can escape effectively.
Allow the finished dish to rest at room temperature for at least ten minutes before portioning with a wide spatula. This brief cooling period lets the internal starches set and drop below boiling point, making it infinitely easier to lift clean squares from the baking dish without structural collapse.
