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This Chicken Chow Mein Hotdish is a classic Upper Midwest recipe that is filling, hearty, and creamy.
Chicken Chow Mein Hotdish is an easy, family-friendly dinner that gives you a glimpse into what Midwesterners once thought Chinese food might look like, but suburban Minnesota style. It really is tasty, and you should give it a try if you are into kitschy Midwest recipes.
🍜 What makes this recipe special?
This is a distinctly Midwestern comfort-food take on chow mein, combining a creamy casserole with chicken, vegetables, and crunchy chow mein noodles.
An optional sprinkle of extra chow mein noodles on top adds a nice crunchy finish.
I’m no stranger to hotdish. Here is the recipe for the first hotdish recipe, my favorite Minnesota Tater Tot Hotdish, or give my Reuben Casserole a try. If you’re looking for a more traditional chow mein, check out my Beef Chow Mein recipe.
🍚 Ingredients
Chicken is the star here, while canned soups keep the hotdish creamy and crispy chow mein noodles add texture.
- Olive oil
- Chicken breast
- Onions
- Celery
- Chicken rice soup
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup
- Water
- Dried chow mein noodles
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍲 Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the chicken.
Cook the chicken until about half done, then add the onions and celery. Continue cooking until the chicken is done.
In a 1½-quart casserole dish, mix the chicken, soups, water, and chow mein noodles. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes.
Serve hot, with extra chow mein noodles on top if you like.
🤷 Substitutions and variations
This hotdish is easy to adapt to what you have on hand.
If you’re out of chicken or have leftover turkey, go ahead and swap it in. Leftover turkey works especially well.
If you don’t have chicken rice soup, cream of chicken soup can work as a substitute.
Not everyone’s a mushroom fan, and I get it. If that’s the case, consider using cream of celery soup. It keeps the casserole creamy without the mushroom flavor.
Veggies like bell peppers or snap peas can also be a great addition if you want to add a bit more to the dish.
Don’t want to use canned cream of mushroom soup? Give this homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup a try.
📦 Storage
Store leftover Chicken Chow Mein Hotdish in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
It’ll be good to go for another 3–4 days. For longer storage, wrap it tightly or use a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to one month.
When you’re ready for leftovers, reheat until hot and enjoy. Saving a little stash for yourself is perfectly fine. 😉
🎓 History tidbit
Here is a great history of hotdish article. This specific recipe, however, is inspired by a 1984 church cookbook. I love old church cookbooks.
I already knew this is a pretty common casserole in some circles, but I did not have an exact recipe. The gist of it is pretty simple… cream o’ stuff soups, chicken, chicken rice soup, and chow mein noodles.
To zero in on the recipe I wanted to feature, I pulled out the ol’ 1984 Our Savior’s Lutheran Church cookbook (75th Anniversary Edition). This cookbook is from Colfax, ND, where my father-in-law was born and raised.
He also lived there with his wife until they moved to Fargo in the ’80s. In fact, the cookbook has a recipe from my mother-in-law printed in it! She is church famous!
❓ FAQ
Lol, no. It is a Midwestern hotdish inspired by chow mein and the American casserole tradition.
Chow mein is a Chinese dish featuring stir-fried noodles. The name literally translates to “stir-fried noodles.” They can be served crispy or soft and often come with vegetables and proteins.
Absolutely. While chicken is a classic choice, you can also use turkey or beef.
The condensed cream of mushroom soup adds creamy richness and makes the cooking process quicker. If you prefer homemade, use my homemade cream of mushroom soup recipe.
No. If you like a little kick, add red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce.
📝 Tips and tricks
- You can make your own Cream of Mushroom soup if you don’t want to use a can.
- Make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- A 1½-quart casserole dish works well. If you use a shallower or deeper dish, keep an eye on the baking time.
🛠 Products used in this recipe
😋 Did you make this recipe?
Thanks so much for giving this Chicken Chow Mein Hotdish a try! If you enjoyed it, please leave a rating and comment below. It helps me know how the recipe turned out and helps other readers, too. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.
Chicken Chow Mein Hotdish Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 Hour
- Total Time: 90 Minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
This Chicken Chow Mein Hotdish is an excellent comfort food that is easy to make and really tasty! Serve this one to your family for an easy and great dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breast, roughly chopped
- ½ cup onions, chopped
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- 1 can chicken rice soup
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ can water
- 2 cups Dried Chow Mein Noodles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit
- Add olive oil to pan and heat to medium
- Add chicken breast
- Cook until chicken is about half done and add onions and celery
- Cook until chicken is done
- In 1 ½ Quart Casserole dish, add all ingredients
- Mix
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove cover and bake for an additional 30 minutes
- Remove from oven and optionally top with more chow mein noodles
- Serve
I feel like I have learned so much about the hotdish! I’ve never been to the Midwest so this is all new to me. So comforting! This makes me want to look through all my family’s old church cookbooks.
I haven’t heard the phrase hotdish in ages! This one looks better than take out for sure!
I’ve never heard of “hotdish” as a category of foods before so I find this all fascinating! This chicken chow mein hotdish looks so delicious and comforting.
Such a comforting dish and perfect for feeding a crowd! I love that you’ve swapped out the beef for chicken breast
I guess I’ve led a sheltered life because I’ve never heard of a hotdish. Well, I’ve heard of similar dishes, just not the name “hotdish”. Live and learn! Looks great though, and I too, love the church cookbook inspiration. I probably have 10 old church cookbooks in my collection. They’re treasures!
I rememeber the ground beef version of this one, it was one of my mom’s go to’s when I was growing up. Pretty sure I’ve got a church cookbook with the recipe 🙂
I love finding recipes that I can eat in instead of eating out! This looks delicious!
I love that an old church cookbook inspired you – this chow mein hotdish looks absolutely delicious
This Hotdish looks amazing an I love that you found some inspiration in an old church cookbook! Just out of curiosity…what’s your mother-in-law’s recipe?
Ha! She actually had two recipes in there. One is a beef stew. Here is a pic of it. https://imgur.com/a/WPEys
She also had a buttermilk pancake recipe in there.