Jan Andrea at home on the web

1/2 lb egg or eggless noodles (usually 1/2 bag)
2 cans condensed cream soup (mushroom, chicken, broccoli, etc.) and
1 soup can full of milk
***OR*** the equivalent amount of homemade cream soup (~20 oz total)
Meat-like material of choice (1 can tuna, 1 cup cut-up chicken or turkey, 1/4 cup TVP, etc.) and/or veggie of choice (broccoli, peas, carrots, corn, etc.)
Seasonings: I usually add pepper, sage, parsley, basil, garlic powder, and whatever else is handy and smells good; probably best to start simple and add what you like in small amounts until it tastes right to you.
Cheese (if desired); we use about 1 cup total of shredded cheddar or a couple of slices of American cheese, but any will do.
Broken-up chip-like material of choice (potato chips, grain-flake type cereal, etc.)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Start water boiling for the noodles -- cook according to package directions. (I like to do this in the pot the whole casserole will go into -- PYREX (r) works well for this, as it can go into the oven no problem.
At the same time, in a separate pan on medium heat, combine the cans of soup and the milk, stirring until the soup lumps go away (that might take a while).
McFeisty suggests: "A tip for the 'lumpy soup' in your casserole recipe - shake the cans before opening, make like a paint can shaker, the more violent the shaking, the better. Then, the soup actually pours out of the can, should be no lumps for you. Of course, this may be as much or more work than stirring until the lumps go away, but I find it more of a stress-reliever and it gets my heart rate into a good zone, hope that will help someone."
Add the spices now, too, as they may take a while to rehydrate
Add the meat-like material and/or veggie to the soup once it's warm and homogenous.
Drain the noodles when they're tender (according to package directions).
Combine the noodles, soup mixture, and cheese (if desired) in a large pot or casserole dish (cleanup is a little simpler if you can use the same one you cooked the noodles in). Stir together well to avoid clumps of stuff.
NOTE: If you want to make the casserole ahead of time to be cooked the next day (like my mom used to do), stop here and put the casserole in the refrigerator. Instruct the second-stage cook to follow the next directions, and if you're using a casserole dish that has a basket, make sure they know not to put that part in the oven! (I did that once at the age of 12 and had to evacuate my siblings from the house while the smoke cleared. I was a bright child, but completely lacking in common sense...)
Top the whole thing with the broken-up chip-like material (salt and vinegar chips are tasty, but that may be a health issue for you).
Put the casserole in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until you're too hungry to wait any longer. Serve promptly; refrigerate remainders for the next day's lunch. (It's good leftover, but tends to get a little dry, so you may want to top leftover servings with cheese before reheating them.)

This has been a staple in my family for years (first when I was a kid living at home, and now that I'm out of the house and married), and I hope you find it to be helpful, too.

About the Author (recipes)

Very Easy Noodle Casserole