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Chicken Casserole

Chicken casserole with a creamy chicken-and-rice filling and a golden, bubbly Ritz cracker and cheddar crust. Baked until the topping caramelizes, crunch-crackling over every inch for an easy family dinner casserole.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 580
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken casserole mixture
  • 3 cup cooked chicken
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar and Ritz topping
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed
  • 3 tbsp butter melted

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prepare the dish
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Make the creamy chicken mixture
  1. Combine cooked chicken, cooked long-grain white rice, both soups, sour cream, chicken broth, frozen peas and carrots, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper; stir until well mixed.
Assemble the casserole
  1. Spread the chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  2. Top evenly with shredded cheddar cheese.
  3. Mix crushed Ritz crackers with melted butter and sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until bubbly and the cracker topping is golden brown, with visible caramelized crunch at the edges.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, make sure the rice is fully cooked and the chicken is evenly shredded, then stir until the mixture looks uniform. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; reheat in the oven or microwave until hot throughout. Freezing is not recommended because the sour cream and topping can lose texture after thawing. Dietary swap: use gluten-free crackers and an all-purpose gluten-free substitute for Ritz crackers to make it gluten-free.