There are casseroles that try to combine rice and broccoli and light sauces to approximate a healthy dinner in a baking dish. This is not that. This is a casserole that’s all about crunchiness and creaminess and comfort. And it’s not shy about it. With a crunchy fried onion topping and a creamy noodle base, it’s everything you want a casserole to be. And the preparation is little more than stirring a few things together!

This is one of those casseroles that’s perfect to make when you have leftover chicken to use up because the rest of the ingredients are ones that are easy to keep on hand. It’s basically a few pantry ingredients that you gussy up with a couple of things from the fridge and bake. Easy, right?

Assuming you already have some cooked chicken to work with, the only thing you’re really cooking is the egg noodles. Those two ingredients get mixed with a can of cream of chicken soup, some sour cream, a dash of garlic powder, and some cheddar cheese. It’s just a handful of ingredients but it makes for a seriously savory and creamy mixture.

So where’s the crunch? Well that’s the generous helping of French fried onions that gets sprinkled over the top. They top every square inch of the dish and they get delightfully crispy and golden brown in the oven, which is honestly the ideal contrast to the tender and creamy casserole below. It’s easy, it’s simple, it’s guilty pleasure comfort food… and there’s nothing wrong with that once in a while!