Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, onion powder and pepper. Stir and let cook for 1 minute to become fragrant.

Whisk in the flour and stir for about a minute until it is well combined with the butter and seasonings.

Slowly add in chicken broth and heavy cream while stirring. Allow sauce to bubble and thick while stirring. It will take about 6-8 minutes on medium-high heat for the sauce to get thick.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the egg noodles until not quite done. I cook mine for about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a small skillet, saute the thinly diced celery and onion in butter or olive oil (2 Tbsp) over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes until tender.

Use a large mixing bowl and stir together cooked noodles, sauteed celery and onion, frozen peas & carrots, shredded cheese, cooked chicken, and sauce. Mix well.

Pour the casserole mixture into your greased baking dish.

In a large glass measuring cup, melt 4 tablespoon butter in the microwave and then stir in the crushed crackers. Spread the cracker mixture evenly over the top of your casserole.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil cover and bake for another 5 minutes.

ENJOY!