Chow Mein Noodle Casserole

I've modified this recipe so much it barely resembles the original! I'm rating it 4 stars regardless, because it gave me a starting point to what is now one of my family's favorite dinners........... A few things I do is double (or more) the rice, add a can of cream of mushroom, a package of pea pods, 1/2 package of mix veggies, sliced water chestnuts, mushrooms, minced garlic, and celery seed instead of fresh. For the almonds I use Almond Accents (original). They're paper thin and pre-salted. These are a necessity in our opinion. We also serve our noodles on the side so they don't get mushy and everyone can add to their own personal taste. I use rice noodles. The ones that look just like chow mein noodles, but a tad thinner. We prefer these and they only cost a few cents more.

I am giving this 5 stars because, even though I didn't follow it exactly, it inspired me to create a recipe that my family LOVED. My husband has always loved hamburger helper's Rice Oriental so I browned the hamburger with onion powder and garlic salt (my 3 year old recoils at anything with chunks of onion) then added the rice, water, almonds and soy sauce. I am not a huge fan of condensed cream soups so I just made a quick gravy/sauce by combining about two tsp of corn starch and water. The flavor was JUST like hamburger helper and the almonds were a wonderful touch. Much, much healthier and cheaper. I will definitely be making this again!!!

I didn't follow this recipe too closely, but it was a easy to prepare meal. I used cream of mushroom rather than cream of chicken soup. Didn't have celery or almonds. I really think the extra crunch would have been nice, it was a little mushy and didn't have much texture without. If I make again I will probably follow the recipe more closely.

My mom use to make this when I was a child. I was craving it yesterday so looked here and found this recipie. It was perfect. I didn't put in the almonst, since my husband hates them, and used cream of mushroom instead of cream of chicken, because it sounded better. Hit the spot. Easy weeknight meal.

My husband really enjoyed this. I added fresh garlic to the hamburger and didn't have almonds so used water chestnuts. It's a good addition to my everyday recipes but wouldn't hesitate to serve to company either. We added our own soy sauce to taste at the table.

This was a good tasty meal in one dish. It reminded me of those canned chow mein dinners we grew up on, only I liked this much better. It just needed some garlic, ginger, and more veggies like bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts to make this top notch. I doubled the rice and cut the onion in half. I added a little garlic to the meat as it cooked. I didn't really measure out the chow mein noodles, just covered the top with them. We will definitely fix this again.

This was very good. I took it to work for lunch and actually had people stop and tell me how good it smelled! I took some of the advice from other reviews and added a can of water chestnuts to this. I also toasted the almonds to bring out more of the flavor. Thanks! Good recipe!

I upped the rice to 2c and like so many others, used cream of mushroom soup instead. Other than that, followed the recipe to the letter. Pretty good stuff, not gourmet by it is a homey, filling dinner. Thanks

I replaced the ground beef with beef stew meat that cooked in the slow cooker all day! Also, I added a can of chop suey vegetables. I would also suggest adding a can of water chestnuts. Yummy!

We loved it! I added just a little more celery and no almonds, because of my husband. We left the table without any leftovers....so I will be doubling it next time. My teenagers loved it too!! Thanks for the recipe!

This is just what I was looking for. Made the recipe as stated, except didn't use any almonds and used a lot more celery. I loved it! I would use about 1/2 cup more rice next time, and maybe try cream of celery. But overall I thought it had a great taste, very comforting.

This is bland, even with the suggested water chestnuts. Some have called it comfort food, but we found it boring.

I made some changes to suit our family's tastes... I used crm of mush, added water chestnuts and substituted cashews for the almonds. I also jazzed up the beef with some spices - an asian blend I have. It was very tasty. Will serve again for sure!

This has been a go to quick and cheap meal in my family for ages. Over the years I have changed the recipe and added a packet of onion soup mix, 2 teaspoons of granulated garlic, 1 bunch chopped green onions and 1 can of sliced water chestnuts

This is a good recipe. I halved the recipe, but left 1 lb of hamburger and the whole can of soup, and about 1 cup of rice, and then cooked in an 8x8 pan. I used celery seed instead of actual celery. Next time I make this, I will use water chesnuts instead of the almonds.

This recipe was fast and easy! The only suggestions I would make are to add more soy sauce and less celery. The celery tended to be a bit overpowering and the soy flavor was a little transparent. Otherwise, it was great! It made much more than I thought it would!

we've made this one a several times now and is still surprisingly delicious! (although, we have dubbed this dish: 'Pile', it tastes better than it looks) This is a very forgiving recipe too- water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, throw it in if its sounds good! I like to eat mine with extra soy sauce...

Bland.

My grandma use to make this recipe so when I found it I was very excited. I love this casserole, it's a great comfort dish.

This was really good for something different at my house. the kids loved it and all had seconds will make it again.

New version of my grandmother's old comfort food recipe. My 3 & 5 year olds both liked = success!

For this recipe, I changed years ago, skipped the almonds, changed two cans BEEFY MUSHROOM SOUP for the cream of chicken, and two cups cooked rice in place of one plus 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper.

Made this for the 1st time Monday and from the time I got home from work until we were eating was 45 minutes. Wife loved it and gave it 4 stars. After she finished her fourth helping she upped it to five stars. I threw in some chopped up chicken leftovers, put in water chestnuts and a little more soy sauce, great thing about casseroles, can add just about anything.

For what it is--an easy to prepare casserole--this one gets five stars from me. The taste isn't sophisticated, but with a really good side dish (I used Asian Coleslaw, available on this website), the casserole really comes alive. I had it twice today. Next time, I'll probably make a double batch. If you are looking for tasty and hearty family fare with a very likeable and familiar flavor--this might be it! I love the crunch that the noodles provide. If you reheat it, the noodles will soften, so for leftovers, you may wish to add fresh noodles to retain the crunchy consistency. I will probably add water chestnuts and maybe some Chinese veggies next time. Great stuff!

This was a quick and delicious weekday meal...true comfort food that warmed and filled our bellies! I added some salt and pepper and garlic powder to the ground beedf while browning. I also threw in some beansprouts fro extra crunch. I used about a cup of noodles which I stirred right into the casserole and saved a handful to sprinkle on top. I was very satisfied with the finished casserole and it tasted even better the next day as leftovers for lunch! Will definitely make this again!

My mom used to make this when I was younger - it was my favorite. Since then I have made it for my husband and whoever else was over at the time and people always rant and rave and say they never knew I was such a good cook =) I use a can of cream of chix as well, but also add can of cream of celery and then milk to thin out. I also add mushrooms and more rice - not sure how much more - enough so it isn't soupy. I most definitely is comfort food!

I know this is a staple in households every where, so I thought I would give it a try. My kids were very willing to try it, but just didn't like it. I ate it, to avoid having it go to waste - I would say it was OK, but not good. If you need something quick to fill a space, this is it. However, it's nothing to write home to Mom about.

This is comfort food for me... my aunt, who is now 90 years old, used to make her version of it for me and my brother when we were children. So I do it her way. Cream of mushroom soup. And my way... add a bag of stir-fry veggies, some red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic powder... nix the almonds. Sometimes, I add a bit of stir-fry sauce to jazz it up, but whatever, I love it!

I made this because I had all the ingredients on hand, plus a ton of chow mein noodles that I needed to use up. It was surprisingly really good! I did modify it just a bit to suit our tastes... cream of mushroom instead of chicken, water chesnuts in place of the almonds, and added a can of sliced mushrooms. Don't omit the celery! The flavor really works with this dish. I was afraid the soy sauce would be overpowering, but it was just right. This is very filling! Thanks :)

This recipe has a lot of crunch with the almonds and chow mein noodles, which I really like in casseroles. It's a great variation on the traditional hamburger casserole (usually topped with tater tots). I didn't want to cook rice separately so I used 90 second microwave Teriyaki rice that I had and that worked fine. I also used mushroom soup instead of the chicken as chicken and beef seemed an odd combination. It was quick and easy to make as well. I added Asian Medley microwave steamer veggies as a side. An easy, hearty meal with good flavor and crunch.

boyfriend loved this. I added cream of mushroom, and water chestnuts along with minced garlic and a can of mushroom pieces and stems, like my mom made it. She called it Mock Chow Mein.

My 10yr old made this for dinner (with supervision since this was her first attempt at making dinner), and we loved it! A very quick, simple, delicious recipe - thank you for sharing.

Such yummy comfort food. I used the chicken soup and added a can of water chestnuts, and also briwn rice instead of white. A bit healthier and still very tasty.

I lost this recipe years ago. I am so glad I got it again. Family loves this.

This was just how I remembered it from growing up. Great simple recipe to get dinner on the table. I also add water chestnuts to it to give it a little more flavor and some garlic.

A really good, basic recipe. I loved it and devoured the leftovers too.

I'm so glad I found this recipe! I first found this recipe in an old, old Betty Crocker cookbook - then I lost the cookbook! When I make it, when I have it, I add ground pork w/the hamburger - it really ups the flavor. Then, I add to the meat, and the sauce, minced fresh garlic and ginger and (extra) soy sauce. That takes it really over the top and adds that Chinese flavor most people look for! I prefer cashews to almonds but that's just me! Oh, and since I was out of the Chicken Rice canned soup, I just subbed the equivalent amount of a chicken broth that I made from a good quality chicken base I keep on hand; since the soup is condensed I added extra a little extra chicken base. Thanks Cindy, for bringing this dish back to me!

I didn't have any Cream of Chicken, so I substituted Broccoli Cheese soup and the meal tasted wonderful. This was very easy to make and my toddler loved it.

My kids loved this dish. Next time I think I will put my own twist on it!

I have been using a different website that had this recipe, and made this for dinner a lot. I got a new lap top, and lost the website. I then found it on all recipes, and I have to say, that the other recipe was much better. For one, they added both cream of chicken and cream of celery. They also added 5 tablesspoons of soy sauce. Their recipe is much better, and creamier. This recipe is somewhat drier, like crumbled ground beef, and didn't have that "aisian flare", somehat bland. So you may want to add another can of cream soup, and definitely more soy sauce.

I have a simlar recipe but instead of the cream of chicken I used cream of mushroom, cream of celery and chicken and rice and then just add a 1/2 cup of minute rice...I do bump up the soy sauce a tad too. I bake it covered for 30 minutes and then remove the cover and add the noodles and bake for additional 10 minutes.

My husband says I should definitely make this one again. I agree. I didn't have almonds on hand, so I toasted some sesame seeds. We really liked that flavor. Other than that, I made no changes. I did cook it about 1/2 hour longer, because we like the noodles on top browned and crispy.

I upped the rice to 2c and like so many others, used cream of mushroom soup instead. Other than that, followed the recipe to the letter. Pretty good stuff, not gourmet by it is a homey, filling dinner. Thanks

This dish turned out wonderful. I added extra seasonings, celery seed, pepper, garlic powder, and a small dash of red pepper. Very robust, filling and aroma makes you hungry. The recipe is easy, you don't have to be exact on the amounts, it is very forgiving for the beginners is the kitchen.

I've made this recipe 4-5 times now and my young daughters all enjoy it! I also used 2 cups rice and omit the almonds. I did try with cream of mushroom soup once when I didn't have cream of chicken on-hand -- the cream of chicken soup definitely tastes better.

I follwed the suggestion of another review and used water chestnuts instead of almonds. I also used a little more soy and a lot of black pepper. This was very easy and actually quite tasty.

My family has been making this dish for years, but we've never classified it as an 'Asian' dish. After reading some of the review, several people called the dish bland. I like to season the beef with ground pepper and a little bit of cumin, as well as adding garlic and a few dashes of cayenne pepper. Also, make sure you use actual chow mein noodles as opposed to rice noodles- you loose the 'crunch' factor with the tiny rice noodles.

After reading all the reviews, I made the following changes: I used 2 cups of rice, I added a large can of water chesnuts and I used cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken. I also added fresh mushrooms when I was sauteeing the onions. I was very happy with the result. It was great tasting, easy meal.

My mom used to make something like this when I was a kid. She called it "hamburger casserole." I've never had it with the soy sauce, it was very good.

Was very good , but I jassed it up a bit, bye adding these ingredients: 1tsp. fresh minced garlic,8 medium size fresh mushrooms sliced, 1-8 ounce can sliced waterchestnuts,1 tablespoon Sherry, pepper to taste.

Had to use up flour taco shells so I sliced and put them on the bottom of the greased baking dish. My children love the oowey goowey shells on bottoms of all caseroles. Thanks Cindy B for a nice recipe.

EXCELLENT! Though the noodles aren't crunchy when you eat it for left-overs, it still tastes great. Add a little water to it when reheating. Delicious!

I too took the advice of fellow reviewers, and made the following changes: -double the rice -add a can of cream of mushroom -add water chesnuts -add garlic Turned out delicious, and will make again and again!

I don't add the noodles before baking, I toast them slightly in my toaster oven (watch, don't burn!) and everyone sprinkles them on at the table according to taste. We also pass the soy sauce, and black pepper in case someone wants more. The cream soup can be celery, mushroom or chicken and you can add stuff or leave stuff out and adjust to taste or what you have on hand within reason... It's so versatile! This is so good with a side of fresh fruit salad.

I thought this was excellent. I would make a double batch next time and possibly add water chestnuts. Inexpensive to make and delicious!

This recipe is OK for the kids but isn't anything special. I made a few changes, cut the onions to a cup, added water chestnuts, added another cup of rice, added a tbsp of brown sugar, added some fresh diced garlic, and of course some salt and pepper. I liked my recipe better but my wife said it was still missing something.

Great and easy to make. I also add extra rice and some ginger as most reviewers have noted. If you don't have celery try a can of water chestnuts or some Asian-style pea pods for extra crunch and color.

I tried this tonight with leftover turkey instead of hamburger. Instead of regular rice, I made a package of Uncle Ben's wild rice (mushroom flavor) according to the package directions and added it. I also added water chestnuts. It was great!

This was really good.

I am so surprised this wasn't that good! My biggest issue is it was TOO DRY...I followed other readers suggestions and used 2 cups of rice, which I think was necessary, but I think it needed 2 cans of soup to work with the extra rice, and I only used one as the original recipe suggested! So, while I like the ingredients, I wouldn't make it again...if I do, I will try it with the extra can of soup just to see if that helps.

Pretty average. I would have could the chinese noodles within the hotdish.

This was very good. My husband & I both enjoyed this a lot. Couldn't find a thing wrong with it.

Delicious, and very quick & easy to make. Since we like a lot of veggies, I added about 1/2 bag of stir fry vegetables along with some frozen green & red peppers. (It would be fine without them,too.)CindyH

Yummy! I made this for dinner tonight; skipped the almonds (don't like them). Simple and tasty! I would definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe!!

Fast weekday meal. We make ours a little different...maybe even easier. Brown 1 lb hamburger or ground Turkey with 1 small onion chopped. ADD: 1 can cream of Mushroom OR 1 can cream of Chix soup. Plus, 1 can of Chix Noodle Soup, 1 cup instant rice, 1 cup water and sliced water chestnuts (optional). Stir in pan and pour into 9x13 pan - bake at 350 till edges start to bubble. Top with chow mein noodles and back till crisp. It's a kid family favorite.

This is a five star recipe with the following changes and additions: Use one can cream of mushroom, one can cream of celery. Add one can of sliced water chestnuts. Add either one can of mushrooms or fresh. Up rice to one and a half cups, you can just pour in uncooked white rice. I have never used beef, I always use ground turkey and it tastes delicious! Bake at 375 for 45-50 min until bubbly, do not put on chow mein noodles until the last 10 minutes in oven. Divide noodles so you have some to top each serving with for crunch.

Very cruncy casserole, but pretty bland...even after adding garlic powder and more soy. Would cream of celery soup be better than cream of chicken?

Easy enough but not a big hit with my family. My daughter said it was too salty and she just picked at her plate and hubby didn't like the chow mein noodles so even though I thought this was a good/quick weeknight meal, I don't think I will be making it again.

I agree w/others who felt it was bland. Don't think I'll be making this one again.

1 1/2 Pds ground beef 2cans cr. mushroom soup 3/4 C. Water 2 cups cooked rice Water chestnuts diced 3 1/2 T. Soy sauce 2 cans rice noodles 2-3 diced fresh garlic 4 stalks or more of celery

My family thought that this recipe was a little bit bland. If I make it again I think that I will add more vegetables and maybe put the chow mein noodles on the bottom so they soften up some.

I've been using this recipe for years and all of my picky eaters love it. The only change I made was to increase the celery! Love it!

We liked this. I used 1 1/2 cups of rice and that seemed just right for the amount of ground beef. I used ideas from others and added ginger, garlic powder and water chestnuts. I think next time I will add mushrooms too. Will definitely make this again soon.

So easy & very yummy! I left out the celery (my family doesn't like it) & it was still delicious!

This was a great meal! A keeper. Not a pretty dish but the tase with the cream of chicken soup is unique. I added fresh mushrooms as well.

We loved it!!!! Added a can of mushrooms,used cream of mushroom soup and "veggie meat" instead of hamburger. My non-vegetarian husband did not know the difference. The leftovers were delicious also. Would recommend only putting the noodles on half if you are expecting to have leftovers as they did get soggy.

Kids all loved it...even picky Logan.

almost like mom's but not quite

As many others did, I used Cream of Mushroom soup instead of chicken and left out the almonds. Next time I will be adding water chestnuts and more veggies. The flavor was great but a little heavy on the hamburger.

My teenage daughter approves this dish because it reminds her of Hamburger Helper, which is great because this is much healthier! I doubled the rice, used 1.5 lbs of ground beef, but would recommend also doubling the celery. Next time, I might add additional veggies - maybe green beans, peas, carrot slivers.

My kids are picky eaters and they abosolutely loved this recipe...as did my husband and I!!!

This recipe was very very bland. Won't be making again

I have made this before and my family really enjoyed it. This time I added 1 can of bean sprouts and 1 can of sliced water chestnuts for a really great oriental flair and it was a hit!

Wooo hooo I'm Asian and I loved this!!! Not bland whatsoever ( as the rating said before mine!!!). Lots of good flavor and even my 6 yr old loved it!!!

Like others, I used cream of mushroom soup and 2 cups of rice. It reminds me of my childhood so that is why I think I love this recipe so much. It's not fancy but it just tastes good to me.

This is a really tasty casserole. The only problem I had was the chow mein noodles started to burn on top. I had to take some off before I served it. I think next time I make this, I will add them halfway through the cooking time.

I loved it, picky hubby hated it. I used the mushroom soup instead of the cream of chicken, added water chestnuts and Asian spice blend. Hubby said it was too bland, I thought it could have used some more spices but overall I liked it.

I thought this was very yummy!!! It tastes even better as leftovers. I will be making this again!!!!

Very tasty. Added a little Chinese 5-spice powder for a little bit of kick.

This was an okay meal - not bad once in a while, but not a favorite. I also found that doubling the rice and soup made for a better tasting dish.

My family loved this, we ate the whole thing that night. It's delicious.

Blah! I hated this recipe, but my husband liked it, so we compromised on a 3 star rating. I thought it was really bland and wouldn't have eaten it if I wasn't as hungry as I was!

A house guest requested this recipe since his mom used to make it when he was a kid. It was different, not something I would normally make. I added mushrooms and water chestnuts, used garlic almonds that you find in the salad section. I also added plenty of garlic salt and pepper. Both of my children loved it, good comfort food.

Been making this for years. If you use Minute rice and two cans of cream soup you can skip cooking the rice separate. Tastes the same. I add mushrooms. My boys grew up on this. Fast weeknight meal.

This was o.k. I used Worcestershire Sauce in place of the Soy sauce just for that different flavor. I also doubled the rice and used ground turkey. I take a couple cups of this mix out before adding the soup (picky non-canned soup lover husband). I also did not have chow mein noodles, so tried the canned fried onions. They were pretty good. Kept them covered for most of the cooking to avoid burning them.

We don't add the almonds or noodles because we don't like the crunch. I used cream of mushroom soup instead. I always double the batch. Great every time! UPDATE: I don't bake this any more. It's fine on the stove top with modifications. I don't use almonds. I use 1/4 c water. I saute my celery and onions a bit with some oil, then add the beef. Then I toss it all together. Done in 15 min.

My Mom made this when I was a kid and it still brings back so many memories. I usually double the rice, soup, and water. I also substitute the almonds for sliced water chestnuts. My family loves this. I also put the Chinese noodles around the edges so that my picky eaters can eat without the noodles.

I think this is a great easy meal to make. My family loves it! I do add water chestnuts to it (which adds alot)Enjoy

This was alright. Mine turned out pretty dry. I toasted the almonds before adding them so that added some good flavor. I've been making something similar for years using left over meat loaf and egg noodles. I think I'll stick to that.