Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet
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Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet appeals to kids and adults, the creamy noodles and tender chicken reminiscent of a hearty country style dinner.
All images and text ©Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average, LLC
Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet
A quick weeknight skillet chicken dinner like this Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet is fewer than ten ingredients, and is ultra satisfying. It’s also KID APPROVED! And the ‘big kid’ in you will love it for it’s ease of preparation, abundant flavor, and for the fact that it’s one skillet from start to finish. Shallots and Dijon mustard skyrocket this flavorful dish high on the yummy meter!
The question “what’s for dinner tonight?” just got answered, and you’ll be thanking me for this one because it tops the charts!
This forty five minute chicken dish utilizes a single large skillet, and relies on old school slow simmering. It’s appealing to kids and adults alike, the comforting bites of creamy noodles and melt in your mouth chicken reminiscent of country style dinners so many of us grew up on.
The two key ingredients in this skillet chicken noodle casserole are shallots and Dijon mustard. If you do not have shallots, a small white onion will do. You’ll need about a cup.
The Dijon is a bit more tricky to replace, as that pungent bite that Dijon is known for isn’t necessarily available in other varieties of mustard. If you must replace the Dijon, do so with what you have on hand that is sharp. Yellow mustard is not an option however.
Do You Have What’s Needed To Make Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet? Check The List!
boneless skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
fresh button or cremini or baby portabella mushrooms
shallots
Dijon mustard
low sodium chicken broth
egg noodles
Mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
How This Recipe Came About…
I absolutely think the one pot creamy pasta recipes that have become so popular on the internet are genius. Toss your dry pasta into a Dutch oven along with your liquids like stock and milk, aromatics such as garlic and ground spices, and of course substance building veggies and fresh herbs.
What emerges from the pot after about twenty minutes is nothing short of fabulous. The idea of doing the same thing with chicken intrigued me.
That wonderful fond that is created at the bottom of the pan while the chicken cooks to a golden brown would drive so much flavor to the pan liquid.
Tossing in the pasta to absorb all that flavor versus boiling it in plain old salted water…heck yeah! I’ve added sliced fresh mushrooms to this skillet dish, but I could also see fresh baby spinach leaves, diced tomatoes, or even briny green olives being used in their place.
How To Make A One Pot Creamy Chicken With Noodles Skillet?
This recipe is a literal one, two, THREE…brown the chicken, add the noodles and the broth, and EAT! Yeah, there are a few additional steps in between but this recipe couldn’t be easier.
I always begin by liberally salting and adding pepper to the chicken. Remember, salt and season EARLY in a recipe, not at the end. You will use less salt trying to make the dish taste good if you liberally salt in the beginning versus trying to ‘catch the flavor up’ at the end.
After seasoning both sides well, I drop the chicken into a hot skillet. I avoid moving the chicken around and really give it a chance to get nice and golden brown for about two minutes on each side. Then I remove the chicken to a plate, and add the mushrooms and eventually the shallots.
Once the shallots are translucent, I whisk in the Dijon mustard, chicken broth, and the dry egg noodles and everything comes to a boil. I quickly cover the pan and reduce the heat and the first slow simmer begins.
While the noodles are still quite firm, I add the Mascarpone cheese and stir to melt it into the sauce. If you do not have Mascarpone, you may substitute cream cheese, but Mascarpone is my preference for this dish.
When the noodles are almost al dente, I add the chicken and any juices that have accumulated on the plate back into the skillet. And now, the second and final slow simmer begins.
The whole thing goes for about 8 to 10 minutes, all the while making my house smell delicious. It’s soon spooned into shallow bowls for digging in!
What Can I Substitute For The Mushrooms In This Recipe?
I referenced baby spinach, chopped tomatoes, and even halved green olives earlier in the post. Really though, your imagination is your only limit.
Broccoli florets, peas and carrots, or some lovely chopped kale could put YOUR VERSION of this dish on the map!
How Long Does This Chicken Noodle Skillet Recipe Take?
Allow 45 minutes for this main dish. True easy recipes still require a little time over medium heat to simmer and get all of the ingredients happy with one another.
What To Serve With This Recipe For Chicken With Noodles?
This homey one pot dinner has just about everything already in it. If you wanted to add sides, consider my Butternut Squash Gratin With Parmesan And Rosemary, or these colorful Brown Butter French Green Beans With Toasted Pecans.
If you were wanting additional starches, my Sweet Southern Buttermilk Cornbread would balance the sweet and savory angle REALLY WELL! The Best Cheesy Garlic Biscuits For Every Meal cannot be left off this list either, as they just make every meal they’re served at that much yummier!
Can Noodle Recipes With Chicken Like This Be Made Ahead?
The answer is probably, but the question is ‘would it still taste great?’ The answer for me is no, it wouldn’t taste truly, truly spectacular if made ahead. Chicken is tough and oftentimes chewy when an attempt to reheat it is made. Why bother?
It’s one thing if we are talking a spoonful or two of leftover Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet, but not the entire meal. At Not Entirely Average, my goal is to offer you practical recipes for busy weeknights. But if I am not honest with you about ‘bad idea shortcuts,’ I am doing you and every other reader a disservice.
Make this dish FRESH for the absolute BEST CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SKILLET you’ve ever tasted.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet
Equipment
- large cast iron skillet
- meat mallet
Ingredients
- 4 small (1 1/4 pounds total) chicken breast halves boneless, skinless; pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
- Kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 ounces mushrooms fresh button, cremini, or portabella; trimmed and sliced
- 2 large (1 cup) shallots sliced; may substitute white onion
- 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth low sodium
- 2 ½ cups egg noodles dry
- 3 ounces Mascarpone cheese may substitute cream cheese
Instructions
- Season chicken liberally with Kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes a side; transfer to a plate. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Add mushrooms to the skillet, season with Kosher salt and pepper to taste. Cook until they are beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add shallots and remaining 1 tablespoon oil; cook until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Whisk in mustard and low sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add the dry noodles all at once. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes.
- Uncover and add the Mascarpone cheese. Swirl the cheese around so that it melts into the noodles and sauce. Cook, stirring, until noodles are tender and sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Return the chicken and any accumulated juices from the plate back to the skillet. Simmer over medium low heat until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Spoon into shallow bowls and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
If You Like This Recipe…
…you might also like:
Chicken In A Brandy Pecan Cream Sauce
Chicken Française, An Italian-American Signature Dish
