Are you heading off to a potluck anytime soon? We discovered this Lemon Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole last summer and it quickly became a family favorite. It is so quick and easy to make and it travels really well.
This is comfort food at its best. It’s one of those main dishes that makes you feel all warm and cozy inside. Even though my grandma never made this for me, it makes me think of her. Is that weird? It just feels like one of those “just like Grandma made” kind of meals!
Lemon Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Ingredients:
– 2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts or thighs
– Salt and pepper
– Garlic powder
– 1 cup of creamy lemon poppy seed dressing (not vinaigrette)
– 1 can of cream of chicken soup
– 8 ounces of sour cream
– 1 sleeve of crushed butter crackers (something like Ritz) = 30 crackers
– 2 tablespoons of butter
– 1 cup of shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese
– olive oil
Directions:
1. Start by adding a tablespoon of olive oil to your pan. Season the chicken breasts well with salt, pepper, and some garlic powder.
On medium heat, cook the chicken for 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Poached chicken works well for this recipe too. Just add a little garlic to your sour cream mixture then!
TIME SAVING TIP:
This is a great recipe for using up leftovers too. When I’m making roast chicken, I make two. I remove all the meat from the second one and pop it in the freezer for recipes like this!
2. Let the chicken cool and rest.
3. In a mixing bowl add in the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and creamy lemon poppy seed dressing. Mix well.
4. Once the chicken is cooled, dice it or shred it and add it to the mixture. Fold the chicken in well.
Serving Suggestion:
We like to serve this with rice. In fact, often I will cook the rice ahead of time (or again, use up leftover rice) and mix it right into the chicken mixture before it goes into the oven. We’ve also served it over rice and it’s quite tasty that way too.
5. Pour the entire mixture into your baking dish. We used a 12 inch round dish.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
YES! It works well in the slow cooker.
Here are my suggestions for best results:
Use a slow cooker liner for much easier cleanup.
I find it best not to include the rice. It can dry out quickly. I have had good results with mixing the rice with the chicken mixture but then it is not so much a throw it in the slow cooker and forget it kind of meal. You’ll need to cook on low and check every few hours. If it’s starting to look dry, mix together some more cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and chicken broth. Pour over the chicken and rice.
If not using rice, you don’t even need precooked chicken. Just throw some chicken breasts into the slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic if desired. Top with the cream of chicken soup mixture. I like to add about 1/2 cup chicken broth to this just to keep it extra moist.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours. During the last half hour of cooking, you can add the crumb topping. If you prefer a crispier topping, place the whole mixture in an oven safe pan. Top with the crumb mixture
6. Now prepare your casserole topping. In a separate bowl, add 2 tablespoons of melted butter, shredded Parmesan cheese, and crushed butter crackers. Mix well.
7. Spoon the crumble on top of the chicken mixture. Evenly spread it out.
8. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Allow a few minutes to cool prior to serving.
Make Ahead Tips:
This recipe freezes really well. I like to make double or triple batches so I can put some in the freezer for an even easier no prep meal later. Once again, you can mix rice right into the chicken mixture or place a layer of rice in the pan, then the chicken mixture, and finally the crumble topping.
Want to make it an all-in-one meal? Chop up some steamed broccoli (dare I say it again – GREAT way to use up leftovers!) and add it to the casserole. When ready to have your chicken casserole, place it in the fridge to thaw. Then, simply follow the cooking instructions above and serve!
PRINTABLE LEMON POPPY SEED CHICKEN CASSEROLE RECIPE CARD
Lemon Poppy Seed Chicken
This Lemon Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole recipe is a great dish to make for a family meal or a potluck. Simple, delicious comfort food that you can make ahead and freeze!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Garlic powder to taste
- 1 cup creamy lemon poppy seed dressing not vinaigrette
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup 1 standard can
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 30 butter crackers Crushed. We use Ritz. 1 standard sleeve.
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shaved or shredded
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
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Start by adding a tablespoon of olive oil to your pan. Season the chicken breasts well with salt, pepper, and some garlic powder. On a medium heat, cook the chicken for 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
-
Let the chicken cool and rest.
-
In a mixing bowl add in the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and creamy lemon poppy seed dressing. Mix well.
-
Once the chicken is cooled, dice it or shred it and add it to the mixture. Fold the chicken in well.
-
Pour the entire mixture into your baking dish. We used a 12 inch round dish.
-
Now prepare your casserole topping. In a separate bowl, add 2 tablespoons of melted butter, shredded Parmesan cheese, and crushed butter crackers. Mix well.
-
Spoon the crumble on top of the chicken mixture. Evenly spread it out.
-
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Allow a few minutes to cool prior to serving.
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Cherryl Ehlenburg says
This sounds delicious! I will have to add it to my list of recipes to try!
Marie says
Hmmm, you’ve piqued my curiosity. I’ve never tried poppy seeds with chicken before. Interesting recipe and pinned to try