This Chicken Ramen Noodle Casserole is quick and easy to make. I don’t know about you, but I love Ramen noodle soup, so when I came across this recipe, I had to try it. I’ve made changes, and I’ll explain as I go. First, there is a link to a Food Network site where I found this dish. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/comfort-foods/easy-one-pot-meals/our-best-one-pot-meals

This dish asks you to use a rotisserie chicken, which is great, but I didn’t have one on hand. I had two boneless, skinless chicken breasts in my fridge, so I used them. All I did was go ahead and poach two chicken breasts in chicken broth with a few sprigs of thyme, Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. On low heat, this took about 12 to 15 minutes to do, no problem, right? The chicken is fully cooked when the juices run clear. You can test this using a paring knife. Listen, the chicken is going to be cooking again in the casserole.

Next, I shredded them with two forks. In the meantime, you can get all your other ingredients together because everything goes into one large casserole dish.

Prep Time: 15 minutes (time includes poaching the chicken)
Cook Time: 30 to 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yields: 8 servings
Equipment: 13 x 9-inch baking dish, chef’s knife, paring knife, meat-safe cutting board, 1 (3-quart) saucepot, tongs, large mixing bowl, whisk

Ingredients For The Chicken Ramen Casserole:
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (substitute rotisserie chicken)
3 cups of chicken broth (low-sodium)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon  of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

2 cups of cooked shredded chicken (substitute already cooked rotisserie chicken, skin removed and deboned)
1 (8-ounce) bar of cream cheese, softened
4 cups of whole milk
5 (3-ounce) packages of instant roasted chicken-flavored ramen noodles (1 flavor packet reserved; the remaining discarded)
1 (14-ounce) package of frozen broccoli florets, thawed and patted dry
5 scallions, use the white and light green parts sliced thin, and reserve the tops for garnish
1/3 cup of Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 (8-ounce) package of shredded Colby Jack cheese (substitute your favorite shredded cheddar)
1/4 cup of good Feta cheese, crumbled, optional

Instructions For Poaching The Chicken:
Start by poaching the chicken breast in chicken broth, fresh thyme, Kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper on low heat. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a meat-safe cutting board. Using two forks, begin to shred the chicken.

Instructions For Assembling The Casserole:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the ramen squares in a single layer covering the bottom of the 13 x 9 baking dish. If you need to cut one of the ramen squares to fit into the dish, that’s fine. I used a total of five squares, as seen in the picture above.

Whisk together the softened cream cheese, scallions, milk, and the reserved 1 flavor packet in a large mixing bowl. Add the reserved 1 flavor packet from the ramen. Pour the mixture over the ramen. Scatter the chicken over the sauce and noodles, and then spread the broccoli florets evenly on top of the chicken.

Next, evenly sprinkle breadcrumbs to cover the entire top. Add the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. In addition, I topped the casserole with Feta.

Bake until the noodles are cooked through, the cream sauce is bubbly, and the cheese has melted, 30 to 35 minutes.
Garnish with thinly sliced scallion tops. Allow the casserole to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

There you have it, my Chicken Ramen Noodle Casserole.

Notes:
1) If using a rotisserie chicken, debone and remove the skin. Disregard the first five ingredients on the list above and the steps for poaching chicken.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/