Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole (Freezer Meal)

This is a lovely chicken casserole freezer meal. It's creamy with a nice crunchy top. It actually tastes a bit like chicken pot pie. It makes 2, 9x13 pans so you can either freeze them both or cook one the night you make them and freeze the second for another day. It's definitely a family pleasing meal and I'm so glad to have another good chicken freezer meal recipe. This can also be made with leftover cubed turkey.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole (Freezer Meal)

8 oz package wide egg noodles
4 cups cooked and cubed chicken (or turkey)
16 oz package frozen peas and carrots
2 cups milk
2 cans cream of celery soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (freeze separately with meal)
2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed, divided (freeze separately with meal)
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter, divided (freeze separately with meal)

Assembly Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile in a very large bowl, combine chicken, frozen peas and carrots, milk, soups, chopped onion, melted butter, salt, and pepper. Add cooked and drained noodles and stir until combines. Transfer mixture into 2, 9x13 baking pans (disposable foil pans work great). Cover with plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze each meal with: a bag with 1 cup shredded cheddar, a bag with 1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers, and a bag with 1/4 cup or half a stick of butter - these will all be used at time of cooking.

Thawing and Heating Directions:
Thaw casserole for about 2 days in refrigerator. Remove foil and plastic wrap from casserole. Cover top of casserole with 1 cup shredded cheddar. In a small bowl microwave 1/4 cup butter, add crushed Ritz crackers and mix. Spread cracker crumbs mixture over the shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.