148 Shares

This classic Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is delicious, easy to make comfort food! Made with pieces of tender chicken tossed in a creamy sauce and topped with buttery cracker crust this casserole is a family favorite!

Who doesn’t love a great chicken and rice casserole? I know I always do! Especially Chicken and rice casseroles are easy to make, serve a lot and are budget friendly. Try some of my favorites are Chicken and Rice, Chicken and Wild Rice, Mexican Chicken and Rice.

How to make Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole: (full printable recipe at bottom of page)

Ingredients:

chicken
Poppy seeds
Ritz crackers
cream of chicken soup
sour cream
garlic powder
onion powder
butter
parsley (for garnish)

Special Equipment:

9×13 casserole dish
silicone spatula
mixing bowls

Instructions:

Step one: Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F and then spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set the dish aside while you make the chicken mixture.

Step Two: In a medium size mixing bowl combine together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream onion powder and garlic powder until well blended.

Step Three: Add the shredded chicken to the soup mixture then toss to combine.

Step Four: Line the bottom of the prepared casserole dish with the chicken mixture. Use a silicone spatula to spread the mixture evenly. Set the

Step Five: In a small bowl melt the butter.

Step Six: In a separate mixing bowl crush the crackers. Then pour the butter over the top and toss to coat the crackers in the butter.

Step Seven: Spread the buttered crackers over the chicken mixture then sprinkle poppy seeds over the top.

Step Eight: Bake for thirty minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

My Notes and Tips:

To make this casserole you need about 5 cups of cooked chicken. I simply baked chicken in the oven and then shredded it. Another option is to buy rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

Substitutions and Variations:

I use Ritz crackers to make this casserole but you could use any brand of butter cracker. You could even use saltines if you have those on hand.
You could add some parmesan cheese to this if you’d like. Parmesan cheese is a nice compliment to the garlic and onion in this recipe.
Add some chopped broccoli to the chicken mixture before baking to make this a one dish meal.
Spread 2 cups of cooked rice over the bottom of the casserole dish before the chicken mixture to give this recipe more substance if you prefer.

Serving Suggestions:

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is traditionally served over rice. Other suggestions are egg noodles, pasta or mashed potatoes.
I like to serve this dish with a chopped salad and green beans. It also pairs well with broccoli or even asparagus.

Storage:

Refrigerator: Leftovers should be cooled completely then placed in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

Reheating: Heat in microwave for 60 seconds stirring once halfway through the cooking time.

Freezer: This casserole can be made in advance and then frozen. To do this follow the directions as written leaving off the crushed crackers. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months.

Thawing and Reheating: Thaw casserole in the refrigerator overnight. Then before placing it in the oven add the crushed crackers. Bake as directed.

I hope you and your family will love this Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole as much as we do! It really is classic comfort food!

Happy Cooking Y’all!

Susanne