This Ritz Chicken Casserole combines tender chicken in a creamy sauce with veggies and spices. It is baked in your oven to bubbly perfection and topped with a crispy Ritz cracker topping. You will be having seconds.
Easy and Delicious Casserole Recipes
Comfort food is what we are all about. And nothing says “Comfort” like a nice warm casserole. Whether you need one to warm you up on a cold winters day, bake one to give to someone going through a major life challenge or just need an easy recipe that will give you leftovers the next day, a casserole is always there for you.
Crispy Casserole Toppings
My favorite type of casseroles are the ones that have a nice crispy topping on them when they come out of the oven. I love that texture of the hot, creamy casserole with the crunchy topping! We’ve shared a whole bunch of these on our website. Some of my favorites are this Crispy Hash Brown Casserole, our Green Bean Casserole and this awesome Cheesy Dorito Chicken Casserole.
So, today, we thought we’d share another tasty one, this Ritz Chicken Casserole!
Ritz Chicken Casserole
This Ritz Chicken Casserole is the ultimate in comfort food. The ingredients are simple, cheap and easy to find. In fact, you probably already have most of these in your kitchen!
- CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP-Gives this casserole that creamy texture and a big boost of flavor.
- SOUR CREAM– This thickens the sauce of the casserole a bit. You can use fat free sour cream if you want to shave some calories. Or you can substitute Greek Yogurt.
- DRIED OREGANO, PARSLEY AND THYME, GARLIC POWDER- All casseroles need seasoning! Even this one!
- SHREDDED CHICKEN– See below for my suggestions on chicken. You could also substitute turkey if you have some leftover! This is a great recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers!
- PEAS AND CARROTS– Gives this dish some flavor and color!
- RITZ CRACKERS– This is where you are getting that addictive, buttery crust on top. Yum!
- BUTTER– Mixed with the Crackers before baking. You can use salted or unsalted.
What Type Of Chicken Is Best To Use In A Casserole?
We use a boneless/skinless chicken breast for this recipe. You can boil it, roast it or bake it. But, chicken thighs are also delicious in casseroles. The darker meat makes the dish even more tender and juicy! Or, you could buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and use that! It’s a great idea to buy a couple extras, take the meat off and freeze it for when you need it for a casserole!
Can You Freeze A Ritz Chicken Casserole?
Yep! You sure can! This is another awesome thing about casseroles! You can freeze them and take them out whenever you need them. It’s easy. Just simply let the casserole cool and then wrap tightly with saran wrap and/or aluminum foil. I like to wrap my casseroles in at least two things to make sure it is protected. I also sometimes use freezer bags as well! Make sure you label what kind of casserole it is and what date you made it on. It should be good in your freezer for 3-4 months.
You can also separate these ingredients into two 8X8 inch baking dishes. Eat one tonight and freeze the other one for later!
Notes, Tips and Variations
Like all great comfort food, there are lots of ways you can tweak this if you want to. Here are just some of the ideas. But feel free to use your imagination!
- Gobble! Gobble!- Instead of chicken, use Turkey! Have some leftovers from Thanksgiving? Making a casserole with leftover Turkey is always a great way to use it up!
- Veggies- We used peas and carrots in this dish, but if you have another vegetable that sounds good, go for it!
- Other Toppings- Yes, this is called a Ritz Chicken Casserole. But you can use other things besides Ritz crackers on the top if you’d like. How about some Doritos? Either Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch would be yummy. Or you could top it with Panko Bread Crumbs, Potato Chips, Rice Krispies or even Corn Flakes!
- Cream of Mushroom Soup- Instead of the Cream of Chicken, sub out for Cream of Mushroom for a slightly different flavor.
- Shave Some Calories?- If you’re looking to make this a little lighter, sub out the cup of sour cream for a cup of plain Greek Yogurt.
Equipment To Help This Recipe
- 9X13 CASSEROLE DISH WITH A LID– This casserole dish is awesome because it comes with it’s own, fitted lid. So you can keep your leftovers right in there!
- SET OF 5 COLORFUL, PLASTIC MIXING BOWLS– Affordable, dishwasher safe and perfect for any kitchen!
LOOKING FOR MORE CASSEROLE RECIPES? YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!
I hope you enjoy this Ritz Chicken Casserole Recipe. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Ritz Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 10.5- ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 1 15- ounce can peas and carrots
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers crushed
- 1 stick 1/2 cup butter, melted
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, parsley, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, shredded chicken, and peas and carrots. Stir until mixed.
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In a separate bowl, combine the crushed crackers and melted butter.
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Pour the chicken soup mixture into the prepared baking dish.
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Top with butter and cracker mixture.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the crackers are golden brown and the soup is bubbly.
Recipe Notes
Gobble! Gobble!- Instead of chicken, use Turkey! Have some leftovers from Thanksgiving? Making a casserole with leftover Turkey is always a great way to use it up!
Veggies- We used peas and carrots in this dish, but if you have another vegetable that sounds good, go for it!
Other Toppings- Yes, this is called a Ritz Chicken Casserole. But you can use other things besides Ritz crackers on the top if you'd like. How about some Doritos? Either Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch would be yummy. Or you could top it with Panko Bread Crumbs, Potato Chips, Rice Krispies or even Corn Flakes!
Cream of Mushroom Soup- Instead of the Cream of Chicken, sub out for Cream of Mushroom for a slightly different flavor.
Shave Some Calories?- If you're looking to make this a little lighter, sub out the cup of sour cream for a cup of plain Greek Yogurt.
Raul says
I had over twice as much shredded chicken as required, so I doubled everything and made two casseroles. On the second one, I topped it with shredded cheddar cheese instead of the cracker and butter mixture. Both casseroles were excellent!
Kathy says
Awesome! Great suggestion! Thanks for the comment!
Ashley says
Has anyone ever tried adding a packet of ranch seasoning?