These creamy cafeteria noodles are a classic side dish using egg noodles cooked in broth, cream of chicken soup, and butter.

Creamy Cafeteria Noodles

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

These creamy cafeteria noodles are a classic and absolutely delicious side dish.

If you’ve never had these before, they’re the next-level version of buttered noodles but way better.

This dish looks so simple, but trust me when I tell you that it’s loaded with lots of incredible flavor.

My mother used to make this for my siblings and me all the time growing up.

I never knew it had a name until one day, I was scrolling through social media and saw a video of someone calling them Cafeteria Noodles.

I'm assuming it got its name from where it was first made, and that makes so much sense.

They’re so easy to put together, and everyone absolutely loves them.

It’s a fantastic side dish for any meal, and it takes less than 20 minutes to put together.

Now, my family loves it when I make this for them, too.

I hope you give this recipe a try. I know that if you do, it will become an instant favorite of yours too.

Fast. Simple. Delicious.

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Creamy cafeteria noodle variations

Here are some great ways to adjust this recipe.

Cream of Chicken Soup: Swap out the chicken flavored soup for any other “Cream Of” variety.
Broth: Low sodium vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken.
Add-In’s: Add a cooked protein, like shredded chicken, and any vegetable to make it a complete meal.

What can I serve with these creamy cafeteria noodles?

These noodles go great with just about anything you can think of, so choose whatever you’re in the mood for.

If you add some shredded chicken and vegetables to the noodles, they can even be eaten as a full meal by themselves.

If you serving these as a side dish, I love them with any protein like steak or chicken and a vegetable like these Frozen Roasted Green Beans on the side.

Creamy cafeteria noodle ingredients

Egg noodles
Cream of chicken soup
Low sodium chicken broth
Better Than Bullion or Knorr Chicken Bullion
Black pepper
Butter
Parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

First, in a large pot with a lid, add the chicken broth and heat it over medium-high heat.

Now, stir in the Better Than Bullion and pepper.

Then add the cream of chicken soup and butter, and stir everything together until the butter is melted and the ingredients are evenly combined.

Next, add the egg noodles and spread them around until they’re evenly submerged in the liquid.

Now, let the noodles boil for two minutes.

After that, place the lid on top of the pot and turn off the heat. (Keep the pot on the same burner)

Now, leave the lid closed for 10 minutes to let the noodles cook fully.

Finally, remove the lid and give the noodles one last stir before serving.

Then, garnish with parsley (optional), let them cool slightly to thicken up a bit, and enjoy.