How to Make Delicious Cafeteria Noodles at Home

If you’re looking for a simple side dish that goes with just about any meal, these butter noodles are it. They’re creamy, comforting, and ready in under 30 minutes—making them perfect for busy weeknights or picky eaters.

This is one of those recipes that brings back memories of school cafeteria lunches, but even better because it’s homemade and full of flavor. Best of all? Kids absolutely love it.

🧈 Why You’ll Love These Butter Noodles

✔ Ready in under 30 minutes

✔ Uses simple pantry ingredients

✔ Kid-approved and picky-eater friendly

✔ Creamy without using heavy cream

✔ Perfect side dish for chicken, pork, or beef

🛒 Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) bag egg noodles

• 32 oz chicken broth

• ½ stick butter

• 1 chicken bouillon cube(or 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon)

• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup

• Pepper, to taste

  

💡 Helpful Tips for the Best Flavor

• Use egg noodles, not pasta. Egg noodles cook faster and give the dish the classic soft texture.

• Chicken broth is key. Do not substitute water — the broth adds all the flavor.

• Bouillon boosts flavor. If watching sodium, use low-sodium broth or homemade stock.

• Cream of chicken = creamy without cream. No milk or heavy cream needed!

• Go light on salt at first. The broth, bouillon, and soup already contain salt. Taste before adding more.

• Pepper makes it pop. A little black pepper goes a long way. Add parsley if you want to dress it up.

  
  

🍜 How to Make Butter Noodles

Step 1:

In a large pot, whisk together:

• Chicken broth

• Cream of chicken soup

• Bouillon

• Pepper

  
  

Bring to a boil.

Step 2:

Add the entire bag of egg noodles and boil for 2 minutes.

Step 3:

Remove the pot from the heat. Add ½ stick of butter, cover with a lid, and let sit for 10–15 minutes.

Step 4:

Remove the lid, stir well, and serve warm.

That’s it! Creamy, comforting butter noodles with almost no effort.

This is one of those simple, no-fail recipes you’ll come back to again and again. It’s budget-friendly, kid-approved, and perfect when you need a quick side dish that everyone will love.

If you make this recipe, let me know how it turned out — and don’t forget to save it for later!