Poppyseed Chicken

Who doesn't love an easy chicken casserole for dinner? This recipe for poppyseed chicken is a family favorite. My mom cooked it often while I was growing up and I remember requesting it when I came home on the weekends during my college years. It's creamy with a crunchy topping, thanks to the Ritz crackers on top. You can make this recipe and bake immediately, or prepare the recipe up to 24 hours in advance. We like to serve it over white rice, with a green salad on the side. It's the perfect meal for back to school season!

Poppyseed Chicken

Serves: 6    Prep Time: 1+ hour 

Ingredients:

3 large white meat chicken breasts, shredded *see note below

1 can Cream of Chicken soup (I use the Campbell's Healthy Request brand)

1 cup sour cream (I use reduced fat)

2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crumbled

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp celery salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix shredded chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup and sour cream together in a bowl until combined. 

3. Add in Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Mix again. 

4. Spread chicken mixture in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for about 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix Ritz crackers, melted butter and poppyseeds together. Spread that mixture over the chicken mixture after it's been cooking for about 30 minutes. 

6. Put casserole back in a 350 degree oven and cook until warmed through and browned on top, about 20 minutes or so.

*Note: When using shredded chicken breasts in a recipe, I like to poach my chicken in a slow cooker with chicken broth for a few hours during the day to cook them. I remove the chicken broth and shred the chicken and it's nice and tender. Feel free to use shredded rotisserie chicken as an alternative.