I’m not sure when my mom started making Poppyseed Chicken casserole, but I know I’m glad she did. It was always a dish we loved to request for birthday dinners, cool nights, or company dinners. It’s so easy to make (and easy to make a lot) if you are cooking for a large group.
You can prepare the chicken a couple of different ways. The original recipe says to boil 8 chicken breasts. (Keep in mind that this recipe dates back to when a single chicken breast wasn’t the size of my head. By today’s standards, you probably need 4-5.) The easier way is to buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the deli counter at your local supermarket. They are usually all about the same size, but get the largest one to be safe.
When you get it home, remove all the meat from the bones, discarding the skin. Tear or cut the meat into bite sized chunks. Add 1 cup (8 oz.) of sour cream, one can of cream of chicken soup, and one can of cream of mushroom soup. Stir it all together. The mixture should be thick, not runny. If it seems to be runny, add more chicken. (You can add a large can of white meat chicken, or a another cooked chicken breast.)
Put the mixture in a 8×8 or 9×9 casserole dish.
Melt one stick of butter (1/2 c.) and stir in 2 T. of poppyseeds. Crush one sleeve of saltine crackers into medium sized pieces and add to the butter. Stir well to coat the crackers and then spread them evenly over the top of the chicken mixture. (The original recipe also calls for 1/3 c. slivered almonds in the topping, but so many people are allergic to nuts, I usually leave them out.)
Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly (about 20-30 minutes). Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Keep any leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat as desired.
If you need to serve a crowd, use two rotisserie chickens or 6-8 chicken breasts, an extra can of soup (whichever flavor you prefer), and double the amount of cracker topping. Put in a 9×13 dish.
The great thing about this casserole is that it freezes well! Keep a dish of it in the freezer and you have a quick meal if needed.
The Fake Gourmet 