Chicken Cafeteria Noodles
If you love the Chicken Cafeteria Noodles you find at buffets and actual cafeterias, then this is the recipe for you. It’s a delicious, hearty, homemade version of one of the best cafeteria foods ever made!
Do you remember the delicious chicken and noodle dish that used to be served in cafeterias? We do. You don’t see it much anymore, unfortunately. We both loved that tasty chicken and noodle dish, so we decided to recreate it at home! The results? Pure deliciousness.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a tastier version of everyone’s favorite cafeteria classic.
- It’s full of tender rotisserie chicken and vegetables.
- It’s super easy to make and only uses a few simple ingredients.
🛒Ingredients
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This delicious recipe only uses a few simple ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store. The stars of the show are listed below, but you’ll find the complete ingredient list along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chopped celery
- Diced onions
- Peeled and chopped carrots
- Chicken broth
- Better Than Bouillon chicken paste
- Garlic powder
- Shredded rotisserie chicken
- Cream of chicken soup
- Extra wide egg noodles
🔪 How to Make Chicken Cafeteria Noodles
Making this chicken noodle dish is just as easy as the ingredient list. It’s ridiculously simple, and you’ll be in and out of the kitchen in no time!
Step 1: Saute the Vegetables
In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften and look translucent.
Step 2: Add the Chicken Broth and Chicken Paste
Add the chicken broth, chicken paste, and seasonings. Then, bring to a boil.
Step 3: Finish the Dish
Ad the shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, and egg noodles. Stir and let it boil for 5 minutes. Then, add the butter, remove the pot from the heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes with the lid on. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Rotisserie Chicken – You can use a large chicken breast in place of a rotisserie chicken.
- Creamier – Add an extra can of cream of chicken soup.
- Saucier – Use 8 cups of broth.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup – Cream of mushroom soup adds a wonderful flavor to the dish.
If you think this recipe looks good, then we think you’ll love this creamy chicken tortellini soup.
🥄 Equipment
You’ll only need some basic kitchenware to make this super easy recipe.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Pot
🥫 Storage
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze this soup in an air-tight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
💭 Tips
- While you can refrigerate this dish, it’s at its best when fresh from the pot.
- It’s important to only boil the noodles for 5 minutes then let them rest for 5 minutes. This makes pefectly cooked noodles that won’t break apart.
- Chop your celery and carrots to roughly the same size for the best texture and even cooking.
- Add 1/4 cup of broth and a little butter when reheating the dish. Heat it over low heat until warm.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
They’re a simple recipe of chicken, noodles, and stock. The recipe has been around forever, but it gained new traction after it went viral on TikTok.
Egg noodles cook very quickly, and if you don’t watch the time like a hawk, they can easily cook too long and turn to mush.
Boiling the soup a second time cooks the noodles further rather than just warming them. That’s when your noodles can potentially turn to mush.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy chicken noodle soup? Then try these delicious recipes:
📌 PIN IT!!
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Chicken Cafeteria Noodles
Equipment
- large pot
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 6-8 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon chicken paste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 shredded Rotisserie chicken skin removed or large chicken breast
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 16 ounces extra wide egg noodles
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- Parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the pot is hot, saute the onions, carrots, and celery for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften and look translucent.
- Pour in the chicken broth and add the tablespoon of Better than Bouillon chicken paste and seasonings. Stir to combine then bring the pot to a boil.
- Add the shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, and egg noodles to the pot. Stir it and let it boil for about 5 minutes. Add the butter and then remove the pot from the heat. Let it sit in the pot covered for 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with bread.
Notes
- If you want saucier noodles, use 8 cups of chicken broth.
- If you want even creamier noodles, add an extra can of cream of chicken soup.
- Alternatively, you can try making these noodles with cream of mushroom soup for a different flavor.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
