Low Carb Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

This low carb cheesy chicken noodle casserole is comfort food the whole family will dig into: tender chicken, broccoli and Palmini noodles baked in a creamy homemade cheese sauce. It's about 7g net carbs per serving, and each serving packs around 39g of protein, so it's a dinner that really fills you up.

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If you're worried this recipe is going to be complicated or take ages to make, you'd be wrong! The cheese sauce is homemade, but it takes about five minutes, and everything else comes together very quickly. Think of it as a cheesy chicken bake that tastes like the old-school noodle casseroles you grew up with, minus the pasta and the carb crash afterward.

It's also a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken breasts from earlier in the week, or a Whole Poached Chicken in the Instant Pot all work perfectly.

Key Ingredients

• Palmini noodles. The "noodles" in this casserole are Palmini, a low carb pasta made from hearts of palm. They have a mild flavor and a texture that holds up really well in the oven, and they have just 4g of carbs per serving according to the label. I use the linguine cut. You can buy Palmini linguine in cans or Palmini linguine in pouches; both work the same here. Read more about them in my Low Carb Palmini Noodles post.
• Cooked chicken breast. Diced into bite-size pieces. Chicken thighs work too and stay a little juicier, and they bump up the fat a little if that suits your macros.
• Broccoli. Fresh florets cut small so they cook through in the oven. Frozen broccoli is fine, just thaw it and squeeze out the extra water first.
• Cheese sauce. Cream cheese, heavy cream, a splash of water and sharp cheddar, melted together into a silky sauce. It's my Low Carb Cheese Sauce, and once you've made it you'll use it for so many recipes!
• Egg. One beaten egg helps bind the casserole so it scoops out neatly instead of running all over the plate.
• Seasonings. Onion powder and Italian seasoning, plus salt and pepper. Simple, but they give the sauce plenty of savory flavor.

How to Make This Cheesy Chicken Bake

Start with the cheese sauce. Add the cheddar, cream cheese, heavy cream and water to a saucepan and stir it over low-medium heat until it's smooth. While that's cooking, combine the chicken, broccoli and Palmini in a large bowl, then add the onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and toss everything together.

When the sauce is ready, add it to the bowl together with the beaten egg. Mix well, then transfer it all to a baking dish. Cover and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover, sprinkle some shredded cheese on top, and return it to the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is starting to turn golden brown. Full measurements and steps are in the recipe card below.

Helpful Tips

Dry the noodles well. Palmini comes packed in liquid. Drain it, give it a rinse, and pat it dry with paper towels. Any water left on the noodles ends up in the bottom of the dish and thins out that lovely cheese sauce.

Keep the sauce on low heat. Cheese sauces made with cream cheese can turn grainy if they boil. Stir often and turn the heat down as soon as you see bubbles. It only needs a few minutes to come together.

Cool the sauce before adding the egg. Let the sauce sit off the heat for a minute or two before it goes into the bowl with the egg, so the egg mixes in smoothly instead of scrambling.

Cover it for the first part of baking. Baking it covered for the first 15 minutes heats everything through without drying out the top. Then the cheese goes on for the last 10 minutes so it melts and browns nicely.

Let it rest. Give the casserole about 5 minutes out of the oven before you serve it. The sauce thickens up a little and it's much easier to scoop.

Variations

• Swap the noodles. Shirataki noodles, zucchini noodles or homemade Low Carb Egg Noodles all work. Check my Low Carb Spaghetti Alternatives for more ideas. Zucchini releases water, so salt it and pat it dry first.
• Make it a bacon ranch bake. Stir in some crumbled cooked bacon and a teaspoon of dried ranch seasoning instead of the Italian seasoning.
• Change the veggies. Cauliflower florets, spinach, mushrooms or green beans are all great in place of (or as well as) the broccoli.
• Try a different cheese. Swap the cheddar for Monterey Jack, Gruyere or a Mexican blend, or top it with parmesan for a crispier crust.
• Add some heat. A pinch of red pepper flakes in the sauce or some diced jalapeno in the mix gives it a kick.
• Go Alfredo. Use my Decadent Low Carb Alfredo Sauce instead of the cheese sauce for a chicken Alfredo bake.

Serving Ideas

This is a complete meal on its own, but I love to serve it with a fresh green salad to balance out all that cheese. A Low Carb Chicken Caesar Salad (just skip the extra chicken) or a simple side salad with a vinegar dressing works really well.

If you've got a hungry crowd, add a vegetable side like Bacon Wrapped Green Beans or Keto Garlic Cauliflower Bites. It's the kind of dinner that works for a busy weeknight and for having friends over, and nobody will miss the pasta.

Make-Ahead & Freezing

Make ahead: you can put the whole casserole together (everything except the cheese topping) up to a day in advance. Cover it and keep it in the fridge, then add the cheese and bake when you're ready. Add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the covered baking time, since it's going in cold.

Storing: leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or warm the dish in a 350°F oven, covered with foil, for about 15 to 20 minutes. It makes a great low carb lunch the next day.

Freezing: this cheesy chicken bake freezes well for up to 2 months. I like to freeze it in individual portions so I can grab one for lunch. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat until it's hot all the way through. The sauce can look a little separated after freezing, so give it a stir partway through reheating and it will come back together.

More Low Carb Casseroles

Love casseroles? Here are a few more you might enjoy:

• Keto Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Bake
• Keto Creamy Chicken Spinach Bake
• Low Carb Cheesy Ham Cauliflower Casserole
• Low Carb Hamburger Casserole
• Italian Palmini Rice Bake

📖 Recipe

StepAwayFromTheCarbs.com

Low Carb Cheesy Chicken Noodle Casserole

4.50 from 8 votes

A creamy, cheesy chicken bake made with Palmini hearts of palm noodles, tender broccoli and a quick homemade cheese sauce. About 7g net carbs and 39g of protein per serving, and it's on the table in about 35 minutes.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Makes: 4 servings

Net Carbs: 7

Calories: 493

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

For the casserole

• 12 oz cooked chicken breast diced
• 8 oz Palmini noodles drained, rinsed and patted dry (canned or pouch)
• 4 oz broccoli cut into small florets
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and black pepper
• 1 egg beaten
• ¼ cup shredded cheese cheddar or a Mexican blend, for the topping

For the cheese sauce

• ½ cup cream cheese softened
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup water
• ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Equipment

• Le Creuset Stoneware Oval Dish, 1-Quart, Palm
• Palmini Low Carb Pasta | 4g of Carbs | 12 Oz. Pouch
• Palmini Low Carb Pasta 14 Oz. Can (6 Unit Case)

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Drain the Palmini noodles, rinse them, and pat them dry with paper towels.
2. Make the cheese sauce: add the cheddar, cream cheese, heavy cream and water to a medium saucepan. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. If it starts to bubble, turn the heat down. Remove from the heat.
3. While the sauce cooks, combine the diced chicken, broccoli florets and Palmini noodles in a large bowl. Add the onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and toss well.
4. Let the sauce cool for a minute or two, then pour it into the bowl along with the beaten egg. Mix until everything is evenly coated, then spread it into a 1 to 1.5 quart baking dish.
5. Cover the dish with its lid or foil and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Uncover, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top, and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is starting to turn golden. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 493kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 39gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 208mgSodium: 381mgPotassium: 519mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1404IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 298mgIron: 2mgNet Carbs: 7g

Notes

Cheese sauce: this is the same sauce as my Low Carb Cheese Sauce recipe, which makes about 1 cup. Keep the heat low so it stays smooth.

Noodles: canned or pouch Palmini linguine both work. Drain, rinse and pat them dry so the casserole isn't watery.

Storage: refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 4 days, or freeze individual portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until hot in the center.

Nutrition: one serving is a quarter of the casserole. Palmini was calculated from its label values (about 27 calories and 5g carbs, 3g fiber per 100g).

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Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is my best approximation. Net carbs are calculated as the total grams carbs minus the total grams of fiber.