Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
This easy Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole is creamy, comforting, and topped with buttery crackers that bake up golden and crisp. It's a simple, family-friendly dinner that comes together with pantry staples and pre-cooked chicken in under an hour.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed (about 1½ cups)
- 5 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 4 heaping cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup with herbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper divided
- Sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 2 to 3 quart baking dish.
- In a small bowl, toss the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter and a pinch of the salt and pepper until every piece is evenly coated and glossy.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, onion powder, and remaining salt and pepper. Stir until well mixed. The mixture will be very saucy, which is exactly right.
- Spread the chicken mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Top with the buttered Ritz cracker mixture.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot and bubbly with a deep golden brown topping.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut. A large rotisserie chicken from Costco yields about 4 cups of meat. Smaller grocery store rotisseries yield just over 2 cups each, so you may need two.
- Cream of chicken with herbs is the upgrade. Regular cream of chicken soup works just fine if you can't find the herb version. You can add a pinch of dried parsley, thyme, or poultry seasoning to the filling for a similar flavor.
- Don't reconstitute the soup. Add the can of soup directly to the bowl. No water needed.
- Add vegetables for a one-dish meal. Stir in 1 to 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables or small broccoli florets with the filling. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
- Serve it over rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta. The saucy filling works beautifully spooned over a starchy base.
- Coat the crackers fully. Every crushed piece should look glossy with butter. Dry spots bake up pale instead of golden.
- The topping softens after refrigeration. Reheat leftovers uncovered in the oven for the crispest result.
- Storage. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat uncovered in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 427IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
QR code
Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.
