Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole with Rice features a creamy chicken and rice mixture covered with a delicious crunchy Ritz cracker topping. It’s an easy way to use up leftovers and is sure to become a family favorite dinner!
My friend shared this recipe with me a few years ago and every time I make it, my family gobbles it right up!
I added a few extra ingredients to the original recipe to give it a little more flavor, but it’s also just as good without those.
This recipe works because it’s:
- A great way to use up leftovers. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked rice, this dinner takes care of them.
- Easy not to be exact. The measurements in this recipe are given for your convenience, but adding more or less of an ingredient isn’t going to mess anything up.
- Simply delicious! The creamy chicken and rice combined with the salty crunchy of the cracker topping makes this a family favorite.
- A full meal in one. Just add some veggies and fruit on the side and dinner is done!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix 2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts (about 3 cups), 10 ounces of canned cream of chicken soup, 1½ cups of sour cream, and 2 cups of cooked white rice (about 3/4 cup uncooked).
Mix 1 sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers (about 3.4 ounces), 1/4 cup of melted butter, 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon of dried parsley, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
Pour the chicken mixture into the greased pan and top with cracker crumb mixture.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until topping is crispy and the chicken mixture is bubbling.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
The ingredient amounts listed in the recipe are for your convenience. You can add more or less of any of the ingredients based on what you have on hand or personal preference.
If you don’t have any cooked chicken or rice on hand, you can cook your chicken and rice before you assemble the casserole. Just give yourself an extra 20 minutes to get dinner ready.
The original recipe doesn’t add parsley or grated Parmesan cheese, so you can leave those out if you wish.
Try these additions or substitutions for a different flavor:
- Use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
- Add in some softened cream cheese in place of some of the sour cream.
- Add in cooked peas or broccoli to the chicken mixture.
- Omit the rice and serve over cooked egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
- Use leftover turkey or pork instead of chicken.
- Mix in Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, lemon juice, or pepper to the chicken mixture.
If you’re out of certain ingredients, try these:
More Like This
Looking for more yummy casseroles? You’ll love these!
- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
- Chicken Zucchini Casserole with Stuffing
- Cheesy Chicken Macaroni Casserole
- Creamy Mushroom Swiss Chicken Bake
FAQs
If you’d like to freeze this poppy seed chicken casserole, make the chicken mixture and place it in a freezer-safe container. Do not add the cracker topping. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, top with the cracker topping, and bake according to the directions until heated through.
Alternatively, you could bake it directly from the freezer. Cover the casserole with foil and bake at 350 degrees for up to 90 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of cooking and top with the cracker mixture.
Poppy seeds add a nutty flavor to this recipe as well as a nice color contrast to the other tan colors. You may want to omit the poppy seeds because they can get stuck in your teeth, but poppy seeds are actually rich in magnesium, calcium, and fiber. So consider leaving them in!
You could make this with cauliflower rice, but I would cook the rice before and squeeze out as much water as you can before adding it to the chicken mixture.
Alternatively, you could just serve the cooked casserole (minus the white rice) over the cauliflower rice.
I hope your family loves this poppy seed chicken casserole! If you make it, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
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Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole with Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts, about 3 cups
- 10.5 ounces canned cream of chicken soup
- 1½ cups sour cream
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 3.4 ounces crushed Ritz crackers, 1 sleeve
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and cooked rice.
- Mix crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter, poppy seeds, dried parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
- Pour the chicken mixture into the greased pan and spread into an even layer. Top with cracker crumb mixture.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until topping is crispy and the chicken mixture is bubbling.
Carol
Sunday 20th of November 2022
This was easy and tasty! Even my picky eaters gave it a thumbs up. I used a seasoned rotisserie chicken I picked up at the grocery store and I suspect that gave it some extra flavor.
Jessica Ashcroft
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
That's great Carol! It's so good with rotisserie chicken :)