A delicious chicken casserole with boneless chicken combined with broccoli, all in a poppy seed cheese sauce and topped with a crispy buttered cracker topping.

Poppy seed chicken casserole in baking dish with spoon.

I have been making this poppy seed chicken casserole for more years than I care to confess :) It always hits the spot and is a great all-in-one dish dinner. I love that it can be assembled ahead and baked later, too!

Ingredients and substitutions

Chicken – I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breast in this dish, but you could certainly use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead. You’ll need about 2 breasts or about 5 thighs.

Broccoli – I recommend fresh broccoli if possible. I find that frozen broccoli become a bit mushy in a dish like this.

Poppy Seeds – Poppy seeds can go rancid if they have been sitting at room temperature for more than about 6 months. Using fresh poppy seeds can ensure that an off-flavour isn’t introduced into the dish.

Milk – I typically use 2% milk, but you can use what you have on hand. As noted above, I sometimes replace some of the milk with chicken broth if milk is in short supply. You can replace 1/3-1/2 of the milk with chicken broth. This does cream a less creamy sauce that’s a bit lighter in flavour and texture.

How to make poppy seed chicken casserole

Cooking chicken pieces in a skillet.
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Cooked chicken and broccoli in a casserole dish.
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Melting butter in a saucepan.
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  1. Start by cooking the diced chicken in a skillet until just cooked through. (If you happen to have cooked chicken on hand, you can skip this step and just dice up the cooked chicken.
  2. Add the chicken to a casserole together with the broccoli that has been briefly blanched, steamed or microwaved. Set aside while you make the sauce.
  3. Start the sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan.
Adding flour to the melted butter in the saucepan.
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Adding milk to the butter and flour mixture.
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Adding shredded cheese to the saucepan.
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  1. When the butter has melted, add the flour and cook with the butter, stirring, for about 1 minute.
  2. Gradually add the milk to the butter/flour mixture and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens. Season with some salt and pepper as needed.
  3. Add the shredded cheese to the sauce and stir in.
Finished sauce in saucepan.
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Pouring sauce over chicken and broccoli in casserole dish.
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Sprinkling shredded cheddar cheese on top of casserole.
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  1. Stir in the poppy seeds and stir until the sauce is smooth.
  2. Pour the finished warm sauce overtop of the chicken and broccoli in the casserole dish and stir to combine.
  3. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese overtop of the casserole. Set aside briefly while you make the topping.
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  1. To make the topping, add the crushed crackers to the melted butter and stir well to combine.
  2. Scatter the cracker topping overtop of the casserole.
  3. Pop the casserole in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly. (As the chicken is cooked before going in the oven, you really just need to cook until bubbly).

Recipe video

Recipe tips!

  • I sometimes replace some of the milk in the sauce with chicken broth (either half milk and half chicken broth or 1 cup milk with 1/2 cup chicken broth). It makes for a lighter sauce and is a handy substitution if milk is in short supply.
  • Seasoning the cheese sauce is really important! There is no seasoning in the chicken or broccoli and as the sauce uses milk, there is no seasoning in that either. So be sure to generously season the cheese sauce to really bring all the great flavours together.
Poppy seed chicken casserole in baking dish with spoon.

Making ahead, storing and freezing

You can assemble this casserole ahead and refrigerate covered for up to 8 hours. Allow a bit more baking time if cold when going in the oven.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. I haven’t frozen this casserole unbaked. I feel like it would technically work, though the sauce may be somewhat changed from the process.

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Poppy seed chicken casserole in baking dish with spoon.

Get the Recipe: Poppy Seed Chicken

A delicious chicken casserole, with boneless chicken combined with broccoli, all in a poppy seed cheese sauce. Topped with a crispy buttered cracker topping.
5 stars from 1 rating
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 10 oz fresh broccoli , cut into bite-sized pieces and steamed, blanched or microwaved for 1-2 minutes.
  • 2 cups chicken breasts, diced *see Note 1 below

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk, *see Note 2 below
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

For the topping:

  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed *see Note 2 below
  • 1/4 cup butter, butter

Instructions
 

  • Grease a 2-quart-ish casserole dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350F (non-convection).
  • Add the diced chicken to a skillet and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Add the chicken to the casserole dish.
  • Add the broccoli pieces to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 45-60 seconds. Add the broccoli to the casserole with the chicken. (Alternatively, you can steam or blanch the broccoli for 1-2 minutes).
  • To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring until all the milk is added. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the shredded cheddar cheese stir in, then stir in the poppy seeds. Cook until the sauce is smooth.
  • Tip! Seasoning the cheese sauce is really important! There is no seasoning in the chicken or broccoli and as the sauce uses milk, there is no seasoning in that either. So be sure to generously season the cheese sauce to really bring all the great flavours together.
  • Pour the sauce overtop of the chicken and broccoli in the casserole dish. Stir to combine. Scatter the topping cheddar cheese evenly overtop.
  • Make the cracker topping by melting the butter in a bowl in the microwave (or saucepan). Add the crushed crackers and stir to combine well. Sprinkle the cracker topping evenly overtop of the casserole.
  • Bake the casserole uncovered in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Notes

Note 1: I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this dish. You will need about 2 breasts. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will also work. You will need 4-5 chicken thighs. If you have left-over cooked chicken available, you can use that. Just dice and measure out about 2 cups.
Note 2: I sometimes replace some of the milk in the sauce with chicken broth (either half milk and half chicken broth or 1 cup milk with 1/2 cup chicken broth). It makes for a handy substitution if milk is in short supply or if you prefer a lighter sauce.
Note 3: Ritz crackers are the usual topping for this casserole and lend a lovely buttery flavour as well as crunch. If you don’t have Ritz, regular soda crackers or another cracker will also work. You could also use bread crumbs or panko in a pinch.
Need to feed more? Double the recipe (use the “2X” button above) and bake in a 9×13-inch pan.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips on making this recipe. You’ll also find step-by-step photos there, that you might find helpful.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Main Course
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 726kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 50g, Saturated Fat: 28g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 181mg, Sodium: 795mg, Potassium: 637mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1905IU, Vitamin C: 63mg, Calcium: 618mg, Iron: 3mg
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