Description
Southern comfort meets creamy nostalgia in this poppy seed chicken casserole, a crowd-pleasing dish that blends tender chicken, buttery crackers, and a rich sauce. Crispy, golden-brown edges and a comforting interior make you crave seconds of this classic family favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Dairy:
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 (8 ounces / 226 grams) container sour cream
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) butter, melted
Sauce and Topping:
- 1 (10.5 ounces / 298 grams) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 sleeve buttery round crackers (such as Ritz), crushed
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Simmer chicken breasts in water for 20 minutes until fully cooked, then remove and shred meat using two forks.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9-inch square baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Combine cream of chicken soup and sour cream in a mixing bowl, creating a smooth, creamy base.
- Spread half of the soup mixture across the bottom of the prepared baking dish, ensuring even coverage.
- Distribute shredded chicken uniformly over the initial soup layer.
- Pour remaining soup mixture over the chicken, creating a complete coverage.
- Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese across the entire surface.
- Mix crushed crackers with melted butter and poppy seeds until thoroughly incorporated.
- Scatter cracker mixture evenly over the cheese layer, creating a crunchy topping.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until cheese melts and edges become golden and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow sauce to settle.
Notes
- Chicken Prep Hack: Poach chicken breasts in chicken broth instead of water for extra flavor depth.
- Texture Enhancement: Let the casserole rest 10 minutes after baking to help sauce set and make cutting easier.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Swap traditional crackers with gluten-free alternatives like almond flour crackers or crushed rice cakes.
- Healthier Spin: Substitute full-fat ingredients with low-fat sour cream, reduced-sodium soup, and part-skim cheese to lighten the dish without compromising taste.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 615 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 820 mg
- Fat: 46 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg