Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is made with leftover chicken, a homemade creamy sauce, and a butter cracker topping to create a creamy, easy chicken casserole.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and brush a 2-quart or 8x8 casserole dish with butter or spray with cooking spray.
In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk the milk and chicken broth into the flour mixture. Season with the seasoned salt and garlic and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Add the cooked chicken, poppy seeds, and sour cream to the pan and stir until everything is evenly combined. Pour the mixture into the greased casserole.
For the topping, crush the butter crackers into crumbs in a large storage bag. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and then add the melted butter cracker crumbs, tossing to coat the crackers evenly with the butter. Spread the cracker mixture evenly over the chicken mixture.
Bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes or until crackers have browned and the sauce is bubbly.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve over rice or as desired.
Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Preparing in Advance: Assemble the casserole up to baking, minus the cracker coating. Allow it to cool then cover it with foil or plastic wrap, and store the casserole dish in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to prepare, remove the casserole from the fridge as the oven preheats. Prepare the cracker topping, uncover the casserole, and top it with the cracker mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until the dish is bubbly and warmed through.Gluten-Free Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole: Make this Poppy Seed Chicken gluten-free, by using a 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Mix when making the cream of chicken soup and Gluten-Free Butter Crackers in place of the Ritz crackers.Lower-Fat Poppy Seed Chicken: Use skim milk and reduced-fat sour cream OR plain Greek yogurt to prepare the creamy sauce. I would also recommend using diced or shredded chicken breasts, rather than dark meat chicken. You can also reduce the butter from 4 to 2 tablespoons for the cracker topping.Add Flavor: Feel free to add in up to ½ teaspoon of celery seed to the creamy filling to replicate the flavor in canned cream of celery.