Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

For nights when you don’t know what to make for dinner, you’ll want to keep this poppy seed chicken casserole recipe handy. With just 15 minutes of prep work and 30 minutes of baking, dinner comes together in under an hour. Plus, this casserole recipe features plenty of nourishing ingredients, such as condensed cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cooked cubed chicken and rice, which makes it a filling, complete meal all in one. Unfussy dinner recipes don’t get much easier (or tastier) than this chicken poppy seed casserole.

Ingredients for Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

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• Sour cream: For a rich and creamy consistency, sour cream helps bind the ingredients in this poppy seed chicken casserole together while adding essential moisture to prevent the casserole from drying out while baking.
• Condensed cream of chicken soup: When preparing this casserole, it’s crucial to use condensed cream of chicken soup, which is a soup that’s been boiled until most of the water has evaporated, leaving behind a thick, gelatinous stock. The highly concentrated ingredient enhances the casserole’s savory chicken flavor.
• Poppy seeds: Poppy seeds speckled throughout the casserole give the dish a mild nutty flavor and a slight crunch with every bite.
• Dill weed: Dill weed is the leafy portion of a dill plant. Store-bought dill weed tends to come in a jar and is the dried plant.
• Cubed cooked chicken: Save time by purchasing precooked chicken at the grocery store to make this recipe. For even more flavor, opt for shredded rotisserie chicken, which includes dark and white meat.
• Cooked rice: Use frozen or precooked rice instead of making a fresh batch of rice from scratch.
• Butter-flavored cracker crumbs: Avoid over-crushing the crackers to maintain their crunch as they cook.
• Butter: Butter helps infuse the crushed cracker crumbs with even more flavor and encourages browning as the casserole bakes.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the casserole

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In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, soup, poppy seeds and dill; stir in the chicken and rice.

Step 2: Bake the casserole

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Spread the mixture into a greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Combine the cracker crumbs and butter; sprinkle over the casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

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Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole Variations

• Use condensed cream of mushroom soup: For an earthier flavor, opt for condensed cream of mushroom soup made with umami-rich mushrooms.
• Make a bread crumb topping: Rather than adding butter-flavored cracker crumbs to the top of this casserole recipe, make a homemade bread crumb topping for a more delicate crunch and flavor.
• Use a different protein source: Although this recipe features cubed cooked chicken, other proteins, such as roasted turkey or canned tuna, work just as well.

How to Store Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Store this poppy seed chicken casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. Cool the casserole before storing it and divide it into smaller portions to store in shallow containers for optimal freshness.

Can you freeze poppy seed chicken casserole?

Yes! Transfer the casserole to freezer-safe containers before storing it for up to two to three months. However, keep in mind that the texture may change over time. Plus, you’ll want to withhold the cracker topping until the casserole is ready to reheat, as the crackers get soggy when frozen and thawed.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole Tips

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What is the key to making a good casserole?

Casserole recipes take a few key steps to master. Above all, you’ll want to ensure that the mixture is sufficiently moist before it goes in the oven. The casserole should be slightly wetter and looser than the intended consistency of the final dish to prevent it from overdrying as the moisture evaporates when baking.

What thickens chicken casserole?

As the chicken casserole bakes, the cooked rice will absorb much of the moisture from the condensed cream of chicken soup and sour cream, thickening the dish.

Do you bake casseroles covered or uncovered?

Since the majority of the ingredients in this recipe are precooked, you can bake it uncovered for a short period without risking burning the surface. On the other hand, if the ingredients were uncooked and required a longer baking time, you might wish to cover the casserole for at least a portion of the cooking time.