Easy Cheesy Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
Add Preferred SourceFew dishes bring that instant sense of home quite like Cheesy Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole. It’s creamy, hearty, and layered with tender chicken under a crisp, buttery, cheese-topped cracker crust. When it’s baking, the aroma alone makes it impossible to wait for dinner to be served.
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After making countless chicken casseroles over the years, this one continues to be a household favorite. It comes together with minimal fuss especially if you have cooked or rotisserie chicken ready to go and the balance of savory cream sauce, colorful vegetables, and irresistible crunch is always spot on. Serve it straight from the oven and watch it vanish fast.
Ingredients
- Condensed cream of chicken soup – You can use any kind of condensed cream of soup. Mushroom, chicken with herbs, and celery. Whatever you have on hand, but cream of chicken is my favorite.
- Sour cream – Cook with full fat sour cream to reduce the risk of it curdling.
- Green onions
- Green bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Garlic powder
- Cooked and diced chicken – Rotisserie chicken works well, or use leftover baked or grilled chicken.
- Ritz crackers – You’ll need about 60 crackers in total. Don’t crush them into powder. Keep them kind of chunky.
- Salted butter
- Cheddar cheese
How To Make Cheesy Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Set your oven to 375°F and coat a 2.5-quart or 9×9-inch baking dish with non-stick spray so nothing sticks.
In a large stainless steel mixing bowl (perfect for tossing ingredients while keeping the mess contained), stir together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, green onions, both types of bell peppers, and garlic powder.
Add the chicken and mix until every piece is well covered, then spread the filling evenly into the prepared dish.
Using the same bowl, mix the crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter, and shredded cheddar cheese.
A heavy-duty dough whisk works wonderfully here, blending the ingredients without turning the crackers into crumbs. Scatter the cracker topping evenly over the chicken mixture.
Slide the dish into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the top turns golden and the filling bubbles around the edges. For spot-on doneness, check the temperature with an oven-safe digital thermometer so it’s fully heated but not overbaked.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Leftover grilled chicken is a great substitute for rotisserie.
- For an even crispier crust, toast the cracker topping briefly before adding it.
- Make ahead, store in the fridge, and bake just before serving for ultimate freshness.
Make It a Meal
Pair this casserole with a fresh salad dressed in vinaigrette and a warm loaf of crusty bread. The crisp greens lighten up the rich, creamy casserole, and the bread is ideal for scooping up any extra sauce.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven to maintain the crispness of the topping or microwave for quick individual servings.
Easy Cheesy Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken with herbs soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup green onion sliced
- ¼ cup green bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper diced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers crushed
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 2.5-quart or 9×9-inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, green onions, bell peppers, and garlic powder. Stir in chicken and spread in the dish.
- In another bowl, mix crushed crackers, melted butter, and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle over chicken mixture.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until topping is golden and casserole is bubbling. Serve hot.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Leftover grilled chicken is a great substitute for rotisserie.
- For an even crispier crust, toast the cracker topping briefly before adding it.
- Make ahead, store in the fridge, and bake just before serving for ultimate freshness.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
