Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
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Creamy Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole topped with buttery ritz crackers. A comforting casserole with tons of flavor and made without any “cream of” soup!
Chicken and Rice Casserole, Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole, and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Casserole are more casseroles just waiting to be tried next!
You guys it’s getting cold here. I am totally unprepared for fluffy white frozen stuff all over my yard and I know it’s on its way because I woke up to a thin blanket of frost covering the lawn. Not. Okay. The only good thing about the cooler weather is that it is a really good excuse to whip up every kind of comfort food imaginable. You don’t have to twist my arm….
Poppy seeds aren’t just for breakfast muffins, they are the shining star in this casserole dish. Poppy seed chicken casserole is usually made with cream of chicken soup but this version is creamy-yet-soup-free and it has sooo much more flavor than the canned soup versions.
Casseroles, they can be good, bad, sort of mediocre… but this casserole is different. This is the kind of secretly easy, insanely yummy comfort food you will want to serve to guests. Scratch that. You will want to invite guests over just so you can impress them with your creamy poppy seed chicken casserole making skills. Seriously, this dish is that good. Good enough that making a double batch in an extra large casserole dish so that you can guarantee yourself some leftovers for lunch tomorrow is really probably a genius idea.
More Recipes to Try
- Sweet Paprika Chicken {5 ingredients} – dinner doesn’t get easier or flavorful than this.
- Honey Sriracha Chicken – sweet, sticky, spicy chicken that’s even better than takeout.
- Pineapple Chicken – a quick and easy dinner with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
When you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag me on social – I love connecting with you and seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded, (about 3-4 cups of shredded chicken)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 ounces plain greek yogurt , OR sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 sleeve buttery round crackers, (like Ritz), crushed – about ⅔ cup
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- optional: chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Grease a casserole dish.
- Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add flour and stir until mixture clumps together.
- Gradually whisk milk into sauce pan. Add chicken broth, greek yogurt (or sour cream), cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5-10 minutes until cream cheese is melted (stir to combine).
- Add shredded chicken and poppy seeds to sauce mixture and stir. Transfer to casserole dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Top with cracker crumbs. Drizzle melted butter over crumbs. Bake for 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Been making this recipe for a few years now… healthier and yummier than the one I grew up on. 11/10!!
This is simply DEVINE! Blows my MILs recipe out of the water. Love that is calls for all pantry staples and no canned creams! Both of my girls and husband gobble this up!
Can I freeze this for take them a meal?
I’ve never tried to freeze this dish before but I think it should be fine other than the crushed crackers on top. If it’s possible, I would wait until you’re reheating it to add them.