Creamy Chicken Casserole has a made-from-scratch sauce and a crunchy parmesan Ritz topping that takes it over the top. Your family will love this easy dinner!
The secret to what makes this recipe SO good, is the parmesan Ritz topping. Seriously though, we love everything about this dish. You won’t find a cream-of-anything in here, as we are keeping it old school with this made from scratch sauce, just like your mom made it.
If you’ve never made sauce from scratch before, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is. You’ll start with a roux, which is a mixture of 50/50 fat and flour (not to be confused with a slurry or gravy), which you will then add to with your liquid of choice. Depending on the recipe, chicken and beef broth are common, however, we frequently find ourselves reaching for the carton of milk.
Pro tip: make sure you let the butter and flour mixture cook for a full 1-2 minutes before adding in the broth. Raw flour really needs that time to cook for the best flavor. Also, don’t rush pouring the chicken broth and milk. Trust us.
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Do I have to use Ritz crackers?
No, you really don’t. You do want to use some sort of butter style cracker though. Do you eat as organically as possible? Grab some Late July Classic Crackers! Want your dollar to stretch further? Generic store brand isn’t missing anything! Use what works best for your family.
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Does Creamy Chicken Casserole work with any other type of pasta?
This recipe uses egg noodles, but we’re big believers in using what you have on hand as much as possible, without sacrificing the intent of the recipe. Any short, tube-shaped pasta would work well here: Penne, Rigatoni, and Ziti are great examples of this. These pastas can handle the thick sauce.
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My kids hate peas. Can I use a different vegetable?
We’ve all been there. Picky eaters can make or break a family meal. Broccoli is a stellar substitute in this casserole. Simply steam your broccoli florets first before adding in with the chicken.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious casserole recipes:
- Mom’s Chicken Pot Pie
- The Best Tuna Casserole
- Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Best Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
So so good family loved this thank you so much it’s a keeper!
This recipe was delicious! It tasted just like the Chicken Alfredo from Olive Garden 🙂 I was very pleased when I made this for my family. I am a new cook and it tasted amazing!
I love chicken and I will make this for sure. It will be nice and creamy. Thanks for sharing your beautiful recipe.
I made this used Heavy Cream instead of milk, added frozen peas & carrots,and used regular crackers with a little Sharp Cheddar Cheese, parmesan & Romano blend with Butter instead of Olive oil. This was a Major Hit with My family, and I will be makingit againn in the Future.Great Reciepe Hugs!!!
I’m wondering how many calories, etc. that the heavy cream added to this recipe. There are about 500 calories in 1 cup of heavy cream – this recipe calls for 2 cups of milk – did you add 2 cups of heavy cream?
I also use heavy cream instead of milk. Makes a huge difference. Sooo much better!
I find that cooking the chicken in a pressure cooker with a little bouillon and water seasons the meat and leaves me with a stock to make the broth, plus there is no need for added salt or seasonings, as the stock and meat bring all that to the mix! Chicken in a normal pressure cooker takes about 25 minutes at pressure, plus heat up and cool down, so less than an hour tops. I use breast meat, which saves me tons of time cleaning it, but that’s clearly preference.
Rachel,
Heat your liquid before adding it to the roux and it is easier. Years/generations of making gumbo you learn some things.
what is a good side to serve with this ?
This is one of those meals that doesn’t really need a side, however a baguette is always a great idea!
A nice mixed salad would be nice
Cole slaw
My husband and daughter loved this, my son wouldn’t eat it, and I thought it was bland. I may try making this one more time but use regular chicken broth instead of reduced sodium. A lot of work for little flavor.
This was delicious! I like that it didn’t have added salt or pepper. I did add half a teaspoon of white pepper to the whole recipe and then fresh ground pepper and salt to individual servings. I did not have Ritz so I used white cheddar cheez its. It was perfect. Total comfort food that I could not stop eating! It looked beautiful too?Thank you!
Amazing. Ended up adding a teaspoon salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Family loved it.