Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 7 1/2 cups
Once you taste this comforting chicken casserole you will understand why it's so popular. The buttery Ritz cracker top and bottom crusts offer surprising flavor and texture, and the rich and creamy sauce is unbelievably easy to make, featuring canned cream of chicken soup and sour cream. You may omit the bottom layer of crackers if you'd like to lighten the recipe a bit.
Perfect for weeknight dinners, the chicken casserole takes no more than 15 minutes to put together and bakes to perfection in about 30 to 40 minutes. Make sure to cook the chicken before adding to the sauce. Serve with roasted or steamed broccoli or a simple salad on the side.
«This creamy casserole has lots of chickeny flavor from the broth and cream of chicken soup. The contrast between the crunchy Ritz crackers and the creamy chicken filling is great. I served this with a tart green salad» —Craig Ruff
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, or cream of mushroom soup
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1 (8-ounce) container sour cream, about 1 cup
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1/2 cup low-sodium or unsalted chicken broth
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5 cups diced cooked boneless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds
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1/2 teaspoon fine salt
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, optional
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60 Ritz crackers (about 2 sleeves, 7 ounces), divided
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8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325 F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
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In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, chicken broth, diced chicken, salt, pepper, and scallions, if using.
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Crumble 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
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Drizzle half of the melted butter over the crackers.
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Spoon the chicken mixture evenly over the Ritz cracker layer.
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Crush the remaining sleeve of crackers and toss them in a bowl with the remaining half of the melted butter.
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Sprinkle the buttered cracker crumbs over the chicken mixture.
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Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Recipe Variations
- To make it more colorful and nutritious, feel free to add other ingredients such as pimientos or 1 to 1 1/2 cups of lightly steamed frozen peas, green beans, or mixed vegetables to the chicken and sauce mixture. Steamed asparagus or broccoli are good options as well.
- Add a few tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley to the filling for color.
- Sauté 6 to 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter until tender and browned; fold the mushrooms into the chicken mixture.
- Substitute diced cooked turkey or ham for the chicken.
- Add cooked bacon to the chicken mixture.
- Use one of the flavor varieties of Ritz crackers, including whole wheat, bacon, garlic butter, and low sodium.
How To Store
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or a 350 F oven until heated to an internal temperature of 165 F.
Can I Use Canned Chicken in This Casserole?
For quicker preparation, you can use canned chicken instead of cooking raw chicken breasts, substituting about 24 ounces of drained canned chicken breast chunks. Fully cooked roasted or grilled chicken breast strips or rotisserie chicken meat are also great options when time is a factor.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 569 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 34g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat 15g | 74% |
| Cholesterol 147mg | 49% |
| Sodium 619mg | 27% |
| Total Carbohydrate 26g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
| Total Sugars 4g | |
| Protein 39g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 1% |
| Calcium 89mg | 7% |
| Iron 3mg | 16% |
| Potassium 385mg | 8% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
