Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole

This Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole is a retro comfort food classic! A creamy chicken filling topped with buttery Ritz crackers and cheese, baked until golden and bubbly. Perfect for family dinners or potlucks!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken breast recipe, chicken casserole recipe, easy casserole, easy dinner recipe

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 546kcal

Author: Sandy

Equipment

Ingredients

Filling

1 cup Sour Cream
1 10.75-ounce can Cream of Chicken Soup
0.7-ounce packet Italian Dressing Mix
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
3 Green Onions (½ cup, chopped)
3 cups Cooked Chicken (1 ½ pounds)
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese divided

Topping

1 ½ sleeves Ritz Crackers crushed
6 Tablespoons Butter melted
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (about ¼ cup)

Instructions

Prep

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray or grease a 2.5-quart casserole dish.

Make the Filling

To a mixing bowl, add the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, Italian dressing packet, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian Seasoning. Mix together.
Add the chopped green onions and the chicken. Stir to combine.
Mix in 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese, if using, saving ¼ cup for the topping.
Transfer the mixture to the prepare casserole dish and spread it out evenly.

Make the Topping

Crush the Ritz crackers into rough crumbs, leaving some larger pieces for texture. Add them to the same mixing bowl, along with the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, if using. Mix together.
Pour in the melted butter and stir well to coat the cracker crumbs and cheese.

Top the Casserole

Pour the butter cracker topping evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake

Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes. The topping should be lightly browned, and the filling bubbling. If using raw diced chicken, cook about 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Broil (optional)

If you want the topping to be even more crisp, you can turn on the broiler and give it about 3 to 5 minutes (but watch it carefully so it doesn’t get too browned or burnt).

Serve

Serve with a crisp green salad, or other vegetable side dish, as desired.

Notes

Storage

Refrigerate: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Assemble without baking, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as directed.
Reheat: Warm leftovers in a 350°F oven until heated through, or microwave individual portions.

Nutrition