Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole and Rice is one of the yummiest and easiest comfort foods you could add to the dinner rotation. You will love this simple meal made from pantry staples! This recipe is sure to become a family favorite that everyone will be asking for over and over.
Buttery, crunchy, juicy, AND delicious? In short, it is a winner. I mean ... I ate two generous servings last night and I don’t regret it one bit. Not one bit.
These are a Few of My Favorite Things
You all know my love and obsession for Cheesy Hashbrown casserole. If I was ever told I could only eat one food for the rest of my life it would be a no brainer for me. I mean truly, Cheesy Hashbrown casserole is the only correct answer. BUT if I was told I could enjoy TWO foods – Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole and Rice would definitely be the dish I used to fill that second spot.
Give me a heaping spoonful of this, alongside a loaf of French bread with honey butter and marinara sauce. … To alternate between for dipping folks - NEVER honey butter and marinara at the same time. I mean, we aren’t animals here. Geesh! ... Anyways, fill that request and I would literally be in heaven.
Chicken - Our Star of the Show
Start with thawed chicken. If you store your chicken in the freezer pull it out at least 24 hours before wanting to use and place it in the fridge. If your chicken breasts are thicker like mine, fillet each breast to cut down to more of a chicken cutlet thickness. This is key for cook time. We don't want to be serving anyone raw chicken.
Adding Extra Flair
If looking for a little extra finesse, try caramelizing up some sweet yellow onion and add that to the buttery cracker and poppy seed topping. You would be amazed what a little caramelized onion can do for the flavor profile! Plus your house will smell AH-MAZING and have everyone asking when dinner is going to be ready.
Dinner is Served
To enjoy, serve poppy seed chicken over a bed of our super simple baked brown rice. With these two recipes, dinner could not get any easier. Put both baking dishes in the oven alongside one another and in an hour you have a delicious well rounded meal full of comforting goodness.
And in an act of self love, spoon a generous scoop of the sauce from the bottom of the casserole dish over top the whole thing. (You can thank me later.) For sides consider a nice steamed broccoli or fresh green salad like our Citrus and Cranberry Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing.
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
A comfort food must-try. Made from pantry staples, this recipe is a family favorite on the dinner menu. Buttery, crunchy, juicy, AND delicious? This one is a sure winner!
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 chicken breasts
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 package butter crackers, crushed
- ¾ cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Generously spray 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Slice chicken breasts in half so they are thinner for faster cooking and place them so they cover the bottom of the casserole dish.
- In a medium bowl combine sour cream and condensed soup.
- Spread cream sauce mixture evenly over chicken breasts in pan.
- Crush crackers and spread evenly over chicken and cream sauce.
- Pour melted butter across crushed crackers and chicken in the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the entire dish with poppy seeds.
- Place pan in oven and allow to cook for 40 minutes or chicken reaches internal temperature of 165° F.
- Serve over baked brown rice or tender pasta and enjoy.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute the cream of mushroom soup for your favorite condensed cream of ... variety. Cream of Chicken or Cream of Onion would work just as well.
- Enjoy the buttery crumb topping? Feel free to use as many crushed crackers as you would like. Sometimes we use up to two full sleeves of crackers depending on my mood.
- If looking for a more even dispersal of poppy seeds add them to the crushed crackers and mix together before sprinkling on top of the chicken and sauce in the casserole dish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 347Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 455mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 19g