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.
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 9x13-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.
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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