Creamy Ranch Chicken Noodle Casserole

I was in the mood for a true comfort food meal tonight. After the months of oppressive heat and humidity of North Alabama, we finally had a cool(er) rainy day. I altered this recipe from the original version by adding green peas (one of Sweet Harold's favorites!).  It was the consensus of the dinner table that the addition of mushrooms next time would be a fine idea indeed.

12 oz. wide egg noodles

4 T. unsalted butter

1 cup diced onions

1 cup each sliced carrots and celery

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 pkg. powdered ranch dressing seasoning  (1 oz.)

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup half-and-half

4 oz. cream cheese, cubed and softened

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Topping:

2 cups oyster crackers, crushed

1 cup shredded or grated Parmesan

3 T. unsalted butter, melted

2 T. minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

For the casserole, blanch noodles in a pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute; drain.  rinse with cold water, and drain again.

Melt butter in same pot over medium.  Add onions, carrots, and celery; sweat, covered, until vegetables soften, 5 minutes.

Add flour and ranch seasoning, cook 2 minutes.  Stir in broth, half-and-half, and cream cheese; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thick, 2 - 3 minutes. 

Stir in noodles, chicken, cheddar, peas, and parsley. Transfer noodle mixture to prepared dish.

For the topping combine, crackers, Parmesan, butter, and parsley; season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle topping over the casserole and bake until bubbly, 25 - 30 minutes.  Let casserole rest 5 - 10 minutes before serving. 

Adapted from Cuisine at Home Issue 137 September/October 2019