comfort

Creamy Chicken & Egg Noodle Skillet

Name: Creamy Chicken & Egg Noodle Skillet
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 unit medium yellow onion; 3 unit garlic cloves; 3 unit celery stalks; 2 unit medium carrots; 1 tsp dried thyme; 0.5 tsp onion powder; 3 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 6 oz wide egg noodles; 0.75 cup heavy cream; 2 oz cream cheese; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp fresh parsley

Tastes like someone's mom made it. You made it in 35 minutes.

Total: 35 min
Prep: 8 min
Cook: 27 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy

When you're tired and your brain is done, this is the dinner that puts itself together. It's built on the bones of a classic chicken noodle casserole — creamy, savory, deeply comforting — but it skips the oven and the canned soup. Everything cooks in one skillet, including the noodles, which absorb the broth and turn silky as they finish. Expect a thick, saucy pan of food that tastes like effort without requiring any. It reheats beautifully, so if you make a full batch on a rough Tuesday, Wednesday lunch is already handled.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs — cut into 1-inch pieces; thighs stay juicier than breasts here
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 unit medium yellow onion — diced
3 unit garlic cloves — minced
3 unit celery stalks — sliced thin
2 unit medium carrots — peeled and sliced into coins
1 tsp dried thyme
0.5 tsp onion powder
3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 oz wide egg noodles — dry, uncooked
0.75 cup heavy cream
2 oz cream cheese — softened and cut into small pieces
1 tsp kosher salt — plus more to taste
0.5 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley — chopped, for finishing; optional but brightens the whole dish

Method

1 Pat the chicken pieces dry and season with half the salt and pepper. Heat a large, deep skillet or wide saucepan over medium-high heat.
2 Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in the skillet. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until golden on one side. Flip and cook 2 more minutes. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked through yet. Transfer to a plate.
3 Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter to the same skillet. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until the onion softens and the edges start to turn golden.
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4 Add the garlic, thyme, and onion powder. Stir and cook for 60 seconds until fragrant.
5 Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan — that's flavor. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
6 Add the dry egg noodles and stir to submerge. Return the chicken and any juices from the plate back into the skillet. Reduce heat to a steady simmer.
7 Cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the noodles are just tender and have absorbed most of the broth. The mixture should look a little soupy still — it thickens when you add the cream.
8 Reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and cream cheese pieces. Stir continuously for 2–3 minutes until the cream cheese fully melts and the sauce turns thick and glossy.
9 Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, splash in a bit more broth. If it's too loose, let it sit on low heat for another minute.
10 Scatter parsley over the top and serve directly from the skillet.

Variations

Vegetarian Swap — Skip the chicken and use vegetable broth. Add 2 cups of sliced mushrooms with the onion and celery for meatiness. A can of drained white beans stirred in at the end adds protein and keeps it hearty.
Faster Version (25 min) — Use a rotisserie chicken — shred about 2 cups of meat and skip steps 1–2 entirely. Start with the vegetables, then add broth, noodles, and the pre-cooked chicken. Shaves off nearly 10 minutes.
No Heavy Cream — Substitute whole milk mixed with 1 tbsp of flour whisked in before adding. The sauce will be slightly thinner but still creamy. Avoid low-fat milk — it tends to break under heat.

Notes

Wide egg noodles are key — they hold up to the broth without going mushy. If your skillet isn't large enough, use a Dutch oven or deep sauté pan so the noodles cook evenly. Leftovers thicken considerably in the fridge; add a splash of broth when reheating and stir over medium-low heat.

Equipment that helps

Large deep skillet or wide sauté pan (12-inch, at least 2.5 inches deep) — The noodles need enough surface area and depth to cook in the broth without overflowing or cooking unevenly.