Description
Paula Deen’s chicken casserole combines creamy textures with crunchy Ritz cracker topping for a comforting Southern classic. Rich layers of tender chicken and cheese create a satisfying meal you’ll crave at family gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 10.5 oz (298 g) condensed cream of chicken with herbs soup
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113 g) salted butter, melted
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed
- ½ cup sliced green onion
Instructions
- Preheat: Warm the oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously spray a 2.5-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray to prevent adherence.
- Blend Sauce: In a large mixing bowl, whisk cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and green onions until the mixture becomes smooth and uniform, creating a luxurious base for the casserole.
- Combine Filling: Gently fold the shredded chicken into the creamy sauce, ensuring each morsel is completely enrobed with the rich, velvety mixture, then transfer the entire composition to the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.
- Prepare Topping: Pulverize Ritz crackers into fine crumbs using a rolling pin or food processor, then melt butter and thoroughly integrate it with the cracker fragments to craft a decadent, golden-hued topping.
- Assemble and Bake: Sprinkle the buttery cracker crumbs across the chicken layer, creating a uniform, crisp coating. Slide the casserole into the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, monitoring until the topping turns a tantalizing golden brown and the edges bubble with promise of a perfectly heated dish.
Notes
- Cracker Crumbling Technique: Use a rolling pin or food processor to crush Ritz crackers into uniform, fine crumbs for the most consistent and crispy topping texture.
- Butter Blending Tip: Completely melt butter before mixing with cracker crumbs to ensure even coating and ultimate golden-brown crispiness.
- Chicken Distribution Strategy: Fold shredded chicken gently into the creamy mixture to guarantee each bite is perfectly sauced and flavorful.
- Baking Precision Alert: Monitor casserole closely during the 25-30 minute baking window, looking for bubbling edges and a bronzed cracker topping as signs of perfect doneness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 502
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 1060 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 98 mg