Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole Prepped In Just 5 Minutes

This poppy seed chicken casserole recipe is all kinds of delicious. It's a super rich and creamy chicken casserole that's topped with buttery Ritz crackers and poppy seeds, and when you get one bite of it you'll be hooked. In addition to being delicious though, it's also super easy to make. With just a few minutes of prep, you can have this poppy seed chicken casserole in the oven and done in 30 minutes! 

The Best Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

I haven't been able to stop making casseroles lately, and I think I've created some pretty good ones. But, out of all the casseroles I've made recently, this poppy seed chicken casserole has to be my favorite - well atleast one of my favorites.

It takes a basic chicken casserole and elevates the flavor to another level. Seriously, the flavor is so good that your family will think you got this catered! From the rich and creamy chicken and rice filling to the simple Ritz cracker topping, every bite of this chicken casserole is the best one. 

Now, the crazy part about this poppy seed chicken recipe is that you only need 7 ingredients to make it! Plus, not only are the ingredients simple, but the process of making this casserole is too! In fact, it will take you just 5 minutes of prep work to have this poppy seed chicken casserole ready for the oven.

How great does that sound?

Oh, and as I mentioned, I haven't been able to stop making casseroles lately. So, if you love casserole recipes as much as I do, I highly recommend giving this chicken divan casserole recipe and this Philly cheesesteak casserole a shot sometime soon.

Ingredients

As I mentioned above, the ingredient list for this chicken poppy seed casserole is pretty straightforward. In fact, you probably already have everything you need to make it in your kitchen already!

Anyway, here's what you will need to make this easy poppy seed chicken casserole:

• 1 cup Rice, cooked
• 2 ½ cups Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded
• ½ cup Sour Cream
• 1 can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup Can
• 1 ½ cups Ritz Crackers, crushed
• ¼ cup Butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. Poppy Seeds

Simple stuff, right?!

Diving Into The Ingredients

To make this recipe as quick, easy, and convenient as possible, I like to use already-cooked chicken and rice to make this casserole. So, typically I'll just pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store and use that, and then I either cook the rice the night before I make the casserole or in the morning the day I make it.  

With that said, you can always cook the chicken yourself if you want to do that. It'll add a little bit of extra time and work on your end, but your recipe should still turn out great.

Oh, and by the way, I always use cream of chicken soup for this poppyseed casserole, but you could also use any creamy soup like cream of mushroom or cream of celery. Those will work fine too.

How To Make Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

So, now it's time to get into the good stuff - making this poppyseed chicken casserole!

As I mentioned earlier, it couldn't be easier to make this casserole. I'm not kidding, you basically just mix everything together, add it all to a casserole dish, top it with some crackers and poppy seeds, and bake it. It's really that simple.

Anyway, let's not waste any more time, let's get cooking!

Step 1: Prep The Casserole

First things first, you'll want to preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC) and prepare an 8-inch round baking dish (or something similar in size) by greasing it with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

Once you've done that, you can layer the rice evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish and set it aside.

Next, you can take out a large bowl and add the shredded chicken breasts, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup to it. Then, give those ingredients a good mix until they're fully combined, and set the bowl aside.

Now, in a separate bowl, mix the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter until the butter soaks into the crackers and it forms a paste-like mixture.

Step 2: Layer The Casserole

Ok, now that you have all the separate layers taken care of, it's time to assemble your poppy seed chicken casserole.

So, to assemble it, you'll want to evenly spread the cream of chicken filling on top of the rice in the casserole dish. Then, you'll want to follow that up by adding the buttery Ritz crackers on top of the filling. Finally, to finish the casserole off, you can sprinkle the poppy seeds on top of the crackers.

Step 3: Bake The Casserole

Now, once the poppy seed chicken casserole is ready, you can put it in the oven to bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown.

Finally, serve this poppy seed casserole warm and enjoy!

How To Store Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

This recipe for poppyseed chicken casserole will make about 4 servings.

But, honestly, this creamy chicken casserole is so good that you should expect everyone will want seconds! Thankfully, it's easy to double - or triple - this recipe, all you have to do is change the ingredient amounts and use a bigger casserole dish.  

Then, if you end up with any leftovers of this poppyseed casserole, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

Alternatively, if you want your leftovers to last even longer you can freeze this poppy seed chicken casserole for up to 6 months.

How To Reheat Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

Now, if you stored this poppy seed chicken casserole, you'll definitely want to reheat it for that hot, out of the oven experience. So, to reheat it, I recommend putting the casserole back into a baking dish and warming it in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until the casserole is fully warmed.

Alternatively, to warm up your poppy seed casserole even quicker you can heat it in the microwave. Just cook it in 20-second increments until it reaches your desired temperature.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make poppy seed chicken casserole!

Honestly, making weeknight casserole dishes has never been easier - or more delicious - than it is with this recipe

Seriously, this poppy seed chicken casserole recipe is a breeze to make, and it's just so, so good. The creamy chicken filling with rice, the buttery Ritz crackers, and the poppy seeds just create a flavor combination like no other.  

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this poppy seed chicken casserole as much as my family and I do. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts!

More Casserole Recipes

If you're looking for some more easy casserole recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights, we have a ton on the blog you can try next!

Check all of these out:

• Sausage casserole
• Cheeseburger casserole
• Walking taco casserole
• Chicken pot pie casserole
• Crack chicken casserole
• Paula Deen corn casserole

Oh, and for more deliciousness, don't forget to follow us along on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram! We post new ones on them every single day.

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