Delicious Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers Recipe

One bite of this creamy chicken casserole will leave you and your family coming back for seconds. This popular casserole is a quick and easy alternative for those busy evenings. It only takes ten minutes to throw this casserole together and will feed the whole family. This recipe calls for six simple ingredients that you likely already have on hand.

The crispy crunch of the Ritz cracker crusts paired with the delectable sauce will send your taste buds soaring. If you are watching your carbs, you can nix the bottom layer of crackers but if you don’t, all the better! Follow these six simple steps to learn how to make this delicious chicken casserole:

What You’ll Need

2 sleeves of Ritz crackers (roughly 60 crackers/7 ounces)

1 stick of melted butter (8 teaspoons or 4 ounces, divided)

1 can of condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup

1 container of sour cream (8 ounces or 1 cup)

1/2 cup of low sodium chicken broth

4 cups medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halved, cooked and diced)

How to Make It

1. While you are boiling your chicken, preheat the oven to 325 F. Once your chicken is done cooking drain it in a colander and let it cool.
2. In your casserole dish, crumble one of the sleeves of Ritz crackers. They don’t have to be uniform in size; just make sure you don’t leave any whole pieces. Use half of the melted butter to drizzle over the crackers and set aside.
3. Take your cooled chicken and dice it into small half inch cubes. In a large mixing bowl combine the sour cream, chicken broth, soup, and chicken. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Once the mixture is thoroughly mixed, pour it over the layer of Ritz crackers in your casserole dish. Spread it out evenly in a thick layer, so that it will cook evenly.
5. In a small bowl, crush the other sleeve of Ritz cracker and add the remaining melted butter. Gently mix together with a fork or whisk. Don’t use a spoon or your crumbs will clump together.
6. With your fingers, sprinkle the crumbs over your prepared chicken mixture. Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for thirty to forty minutes. Oven times vary so keep an eye on it. You won’t want to burn your top layer of crumbs. Your casserole is done when it is hot, bubbly and golden brown. Allow your casserole to rest for at least ten minutes. If there are any leftovers, which I doubt, cover with aluminum foil or saran wrap for a quick meal the next day.

Tips and Tricks

Make a few of these delicious casseroles ahead of time when you catch a good sale on chicken at the grocery store. This ready-to-go casserole will come in handy when you need a quick meal and are great to take to potlucks and other gatherings.

This casserole is not very colorful. You can add a pop of color by adding pimentos, grape tomatoes, peas or other colorful vegetables that you and your family enjoy.

If you want to make a healthier version add some asparagus, zucchini or broccoli when you make the chicken mixture. You can add just about anything to this casserole to make it your own.

If you are a cheese lover, toss some shredded cheese into the chicken mixture. You can even sprinkle some on top before you bake it. What goes great with cheese? Bacon, of course! You can chop bacon on top of the casserole and serve with a dollop of sour cream for a different spin on this classic casserole.

Want an Italian casserole? Use your favorite spaghetti sauce in place of the broth and add some mozzarella cheese. Serve with garlic bread and a side salad.

You don’t have to use chicken. Make use of those Thanksgiving leftovers and use diced or shredded turkey. You could also use diced ham or bacon in place of the chicken. Use this recipe as a base and build your own casserole creation. The possibilities are endless.

Share this delicious chicken casserole with Ritz crackers recipe with your family and friends. Everyone will come up with something different, and you may just add their new recipe to your favorites!