I had someone ask me for an easy chicken recipe for dinner. I have made this for years. It is delicious, easy and easy on the pocket-book!. In the ingredients list it will tell you to use chicken breast. I don’t use chicken breast, I buy a big bag of leg/thigh quarters. It is so much cheaper this way…..it does take a little more time because you have to take the chicken off the bone after you boil it but I really like the flavor and moisture of the dark meat. Remember on a casserole, the amounts that you use are not as important as it is when you are baking, so if you want to add something to the mix or omit an ingredient, go ahead, give it a whirl.
Poppyseed Chicken Over Rice
1 can crean of chicken soup
1 16 oz carton of sour cream
4 chicken breast or 4 leg and thigh quarters
1 1/2 stacks Ritz crackers
1/2 stick butter
salt and pepper
1 T. poppy seeds
2 cups cooked rice
Boil the chicken in salted water until done. When the chicken is done and cooled down a little, if you are using the breast, just cut the chicken or tear it into strips or chunks. If you stepped out a little and used the leg/thigh parts you will now need to take the skin off and then take the meat off of the bone. (I know this part is not very fun but you will thank me in the end and your family will thank you!)
After your chicken is prepared, mix in your sour cream and the can of cream of chicken soup. Mix in one tablespoon of poppy seed (optional but good). Add salt and pepper to taste (extra pepper makes it even better).
Pour your chicken into a casserole dish. Now comes the good part! Crush you Ritz crackers in a zip lock bag and then pour the melted butter over them. Mix well and sprinkle the crackers over the chicken. Bake at 350, uncovered for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on top (the chicken is already cooked so you just need to bake until nice and hot)
Now that you casserole is in the oven this is a good time to make your rice. Just use instant rice, it is just easier and faster. you will need about two cup cooked rice.
After the chicken and rice is done and you are ready to present your master piece, mess up your hair and poof a little flour on your face to make your family thing you have slaved in the kitchen all day because the food will taste like it!!! Good luck and happy cooking!! Write me if you have any questions.
Tonya, this recipe brought back old memories of my days in banking. In 1977 we were operating out of a small trailer waiting for our new branch building to be completed.(This trailer is the very place where I heard that Elvis had died) We decided to have a luncheon that day and one of my tellers brought this recipe. I LOVED it and asked for a copy. But this is the funny part—we both loved cooking so we decided that day that we would start our own catering business. We went on our lunch hour to get our BUSINESS LICENSE. This was the easy part. We then volunteered to help a Professional Caterer on one of her jobs. As we were scrubbing pots and pans at 1:00 A.M. we decided we would just stay in Banking. Of course, you tweeked this recipe over the years and made it your own. I admire you for your hard work and stamina. Little did I know that in later years my daughter would ACTUALLY follow through with the catering. Hummmm—i wonder what I did with that business license ? Love ya, Mom
I wonder if this recipe originated in Alabama. My sister gave me one like this several years ago. She lives near Birmingham. It is delicious! You are very sweet to share.
Tonya, I make this recipe all the time. The only thing I do different is, I use Uncle Ben’s wild rice. I put the rice in the bottom of my casserole dish and put the poppy seed chicken mixture on top of it. Of course I have already cooked the wild rice when I put it in the casserole dish. I will have to try it your way and see if there is any difference in taste.
Gloria asked if this recipe originated in Alabama. This recipe did apparently originate in Alabama. I failed to mention in my earlier comment that I was in Mobile, Al working at a bank there when I first ate this. Small world. Mom