Poppy Seed Chicken

I always feel like I can throw together a quick dinner with poppy seed chicken. The chicken is moist and covered in a creamy sauce topped with buttery cracker crumbs. This is my favorite type of casserole to make. While it bakes in the oven you’ll see the bubbles forming along the sides. It’s nice to have that added crunch.

Whenever I need a recipe that I know my family will devour and it doesn’t take much effort to make this is always a go to. I usually have chicken left over that can be used in this recipe which makes it even easier to prepare. There isn’t many ingredients that go into this recipe so it’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal or even a pot luck meal. I could see making this on a Sunday and having it as our main meal.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

There are many reasons why I think you should try this recipe. You get moist chicken with a creamy sauce that’s covered with buttery cracker crumbs. Not only is there not a ton of ingredients involved but there isn’t much hands on time. This is great for those nights when you need to get dinner on the table fast.

The clean up is minimal as well. You will have two bowls to clean one for the sauce and one for the topping. While your dish is in the oven you can rinse your bowls and make a quick vegetable side dish to go with your meal.

What You Need

Cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cracker crumbs, butter and poppy seeds. That’s it! Most of these ingredients you will already have in your home.

Cooked Chicken

Using rotisserie chicken is convenient when you don’t want to cook anything. But if you have some left over baked or boiled chicken you can use that as well. Just shred or chop up your chicken. If you decide to use raw chicken you will need to cook your chicken before putting it in the casserole dish. Since you’re baking the casserole to brown the topping and warm the chicken.

Cream Of Chicken Soup

Using cream of chicken soup will give your chicken a nice creamy consistency. Don’t follow the instructions on the can and use it as if your making soup. When you mix it with the sour cream it will coat your chicken perfectly. You can use your homemade cream of chicken soup as well just make sure it’s thick and seasoned well with chicken bullion and poultry seasoning.

Cracker Crumbs

Most people like to use Ritz cracker crumbs. Club crackers can be used as well. You want to crush your crackers into small pieces. Some of your crackers will be in a crumb form and others you’ll have little pieces of crackers. The butter you drizzle on top will brown your crackers and add a lot of flavor. If you don’t have crackers you can use panko bread crumbs or even crushed corn flakes.

How To Make

There are just a few simple steps to make this recipe. Make sure you have your chicken cooked and ready to go. Preheat your oven and get started.

Prepare Your Chicken

Take your 9×13 pan and spray with non-stick spray. Add your cooked chicken to the pan. You can break up your chicken and make sure it’s spread across the pan. I like to keep my chicken in small chunks so its easier to stir and scoop.

Make Your Creamy Sauce

In a medium bowl mix your cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Pour your sauce over the chicken. Stir until everything is well combined. Try to get the sauce to all areas of your pan so you don’t have spots with only chicken.

Crush Your Crackers

Take your crackers and place them in a Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin crush your crackers. Don’t over crush your crackers you want to have some larger pieces. Once you’ve crushed your crackers pour them into a small bowl. Add your melted butter and poppy seeds and stir.

Bake

Sprinkle your crackers on top of your chicken. You want to have an even layer of crumbs over your chicken. Do not press your crumbs down. Place your dish in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. You want the chicken to be heated through and you’ll see your crumb topping is browned.

Allow To Cool

Let your dish cool for about 5 minutes before you serve. Your sauce will still be creamy but will start to thicken up as it cools.

Tips

• I like to have some of my crackers in chunk form. If you crush them to fine they will absorb all the butter and sauce and won’t be crunchy. I like to have a few pea size pieces mixed in.
• If you want to make this recipe with cheese. Add one cup of shredded sharp cheddar to your chicken. You can use Parmesan cheese as well but it may be better if you use less of it. Since the recipe has cream of chicken soup and buttery crackers I think it’s already well seasoned. Taste your sauce before adding any additional salt.
• Feel free to add vegetables to this recipe. I’ve added peas and broccoli to this recipe and it’s delicious. Just make sure your vegetables are drained and cut up if using broccoli.

Storing And Reheating

• To Store: Place in an airtight container or cover tightly. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Your topping will become soft but the rest will taste just as good when reheated.
• Freeze: You can freeze the chicken and sauce without topping with the cracker crumbs. Allow to thaw in the fridge before baking. Top with fresh cracker crumbs and bake. It may take longer to bake if coming out of the freezer.
• Reheat: Microwave until heated through or reheat in the oven at 350 degrees. You can tent with foil if you notice your cracker crumbs are browning too much. Then take off the foil for a few minutes to allow the crumbs to crisp up a bit.

Serve With

• White rice or egg noodles with this chicken poured over the top.
• Roasted green beans.
• Garden salad.
• Steamed broccoli.

FAQ

Can I use Greek yogurt?

Yes. You can use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Just use the same amount as the sour cream. If you want the thickness to be similar use full fat Greek yogurt. It may taste a bit tangier and different consistency.

Will I taste the poppy seeds?

You will get a slight flavor from the poppy seeds. But with all the creamy filling and buttery crackers it won’t stand out. More so you will see them and get that crunch. If you don’t like poppy seeds you can omit them.