Description
Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole brings comfort straight from your grandma’s kitchen, combining crispy cracker topping with tender chicken in a creamy sauce that makes dinner feel like a warm hug. Weeknight dinners become effortless when this simple, satisfying casserole comes together quickly with just a few pantry staples.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
Starches and Crackers:
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cups mixed vegetables
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 350°F and coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Whisk condensed soups, 1 cup sour cream, and ½ cup milk in a spacious mixing bowl until completely smooth.
- Fold 4 cups cooked chicken, 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, 1 small diced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt into the creamy mixture.
- Pulverize 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers into rough crumbs and blend with ¼ cup melted butter.
- Transfer half the chicken blend into your prepared dish. Scatter ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese and sprinkle the first batch of buttered cracker crumbs across the layer.
- Pour remaining chicken mixture over the first layer and top with another ½ cup shredded cheese.
- Crush the second sleeve of Ritz crackers and combine with remaining ¼ cup melted butter. Distribute evenly across the casserole surface.
- Slide the dish into the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until edges bubble and cracker topping turns golden brown.
- Let the casserole settle for 5-10 minutes before serving to help it set and cool slightly.
Notes
- Check chicken tenderness by ensuring it’s fully cooked and easily shreds with a fork before mixing into the casserole.
- Swap frozen mixed vegetables with fresh seasonal veggies to customize the dish and add more nutrition.
- For a gluten-free version, replace Ritz crackers with gluten-free crackers or crushed cornflakes for a crispy topping.
- Make the casserole ahead of time by assembling and refrigerating up to 24 hours before baking, which helps develop deeper flavor combinations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 408 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 660 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg