Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is a delicious dish to bring to your dinner table.

The flavorful, rich and creamy sauces combined with the poppy seeds and Ritz crackers really make this dish unique and incredible.

Adding this Chicken casserole over the top of some cooked egg noodles, white rice, or mashed potatoes is a great way to stretch it further to feed more people or to satisfy those hungry bellies.

Of course, that’s just a tasty suggestion, and there’s nothing wrong with eating this chicken poppyseed casserole as-is either! 

How often do you sit there an hour before dinner struggling to find something to make?

I do it all of the time! I want something easy, that doesn’t require going to the store, and that can please everyone so that I don’t have to pull the mom card and remind them that they have to clear their plates or there’s nothing else to eat.

Thanks to this chicken casserole I can use up leftovers, create a tasty dish, and have everyone licking their plates clean within that hour.

I love easy chicken casseroles like this one because it makes dinner time cheap and filling without too many complaints from the picky eaters.

In fact, this recipe shares a lot of similarities to my Chicken Divan, and if you like one, you’ll most likely enjoy the other as well!

What’s In Poppy Seed Casserole?

• 1 ½ lbs Chicken Breasts
• 1 teaspoon Garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tbs Olive Oil
• 2 Cans (10 ¾ ounce) Cream of Chicken Soup
• ¾ Cups Sour Cream
• 1 - 1 ½ cup Milk
• 1 tablespoon Poppyseeds
• Topping
• 2 tubes Ritz Crackers Crushed
• ½ Cup Butter Melted

How to Make Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
2. Cut chicken into small bite size cubes
3. Heat frying pan over Medium/High heat.
4. Add Olive Oil to pan
5. Add Cubed chicken with garlic, salt and pepper
6. Saute until cooked through
7. Pour chicken in an un-greased 9x13 baking dish
8. In a large bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, poppy seeds and milk. Stir to combine. This gravy should be thick, but pourable. You may need to adjust the milk accordingly. Once combined, pour it over the chicken.
9. How to Make the Topping
10. In a separate mixing bowl melt your butter in the microwave.
11. Crush cracker using a rolling pin leaving some larger pieces
12. Toss crushed crackers into melted butter and mix.
13. Sprinkle cracker mixture over chicken and gravy
14. Bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Can I make Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole using the Instant Pot?

You can use your Electric Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.

In fact, I love to meal prep using my Shredded Chicken Instant Pot Recipe. It makes whipping up this casserole super simple.

Just cook up your chicken and then follow the recipe for the gravy and cracker topping. Bake in the oven following the directions.

Can you make Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole ahead of time? 

Yes! You can make this dish ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. Then just take it out and bake right before eating. This makes it even faster to pull dinner together! 

How to store Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole?

Whether you have the dish already cooked, or it’s simply pre-made, it should be kept in the fridge, and it should remain well-covered.

In a baking dish with a lid, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil are all great ways to keep it covered.

How long is Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole good for?

I recommend eating this dish and its leftovers within 3 days, but you can go as long as 5 days if it’s been kept properly stored.

Anything longer than that is risky and shouldn’t be eaten for fear of getting sick. If you can’t manage to eat leftovers within this timeframe, then I recommend freezing any leftovers so that there is no waste.

How to reheat Poppy Seed Casserole

If frozen, let it thaw. If removed from the fridge, no thawing is needed.

Place your baking dish in the oven and cook at 350 for 15-20 minutes until it’s heated through. You want the dish to be fully warmed throughout.

You can also place it on a plate and microwave it until it’s hot, time may vary depending on your microwave, so check it every minute just in case.

This is an easy way to heat one serving at a time if you don’t need to cook a full pan.

Chicken Dinner made easy with more fantastic recipes!

• Easy Chicken Divan
• Honey Glazed Chicken
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
• Cashew Chicken
• Ground Turkey Tacos
• Fiesta Chicken
• Chicken Stuffed Croissants
• Chicken Parmesan Pasta Casserole
• How to Make Teriyaki Chicken
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
• Instant Pot Pulled Chicken ~ Easy Meal Prep