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Overhead view of a poppy seed chicken casserole with a wooden spoon.
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4.50 from 2 votes

Poppy Seed Chicken

This creamy Poppy Seed Chicken casserole has tender chicken in a homemade sauce with sour cream, buttery crackers, and poppy seeds. Easy comfort food with NO canned soup!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Total Cost: $8.68 recipe / $1.45 serving
Servings: 6 servings (about 1 cup each)
Calories: 493kcal
Author: Melissa Nolan

Equipment

  • 9x9 Casserole Dish
  • Large 12" skillet

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • nonstick cooking spray $0.01
  • 2 lb. chicken breasts boneless, skinless & cut into 1-inch cubes, $5.34*
  • ½ tsp salt $0.02
  • ½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.08
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil $0.04

For the Poppy Seed Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp butter $0.23
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour 40g, $0.05
  • ½ cup chicken broth 4oz., $0.07**
  • ½ cup milk room temperature, (4oz.) $0.13
  • ¾ tsp salt $0.03
  • ½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.08
  • ½ tsp onion powder $0.03
  • ½ tsp garlic powder $0.04
  • 1 cup sour cream 8oz., $0.94
  • 1½ tsp poppy seeds $0.17

For the Topping

  • 4 Tbsp butter $0.46
  • 1 sleeve buttery crackers lightly crushed, (33 crackers) $0.79***
  • 1½ tsp poppy seeds $0.17

Instructions

  • Gather and prepare all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x9-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.
  • Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season evenly with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cubed chicken in an even layer. Sear in batches if needed.
  • Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then flip, and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place it on paper towels to drain. Set aside.
  • Turn the heat to medium and melt 2 Tbsp of butter in the skillet, then sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, whisking until it thickens, for about 1 minute.
  • Next, whisk in the milk, remaining salt and pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Keep whisking until thick and smooth, for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  • Place the chicken in a bowl. Pour the sauce, sour cream, and half (1½ teaspoons) of the poppy seeds into the bowl. Fold everything together and place it in the greased casserole dish.
  • Melt the remaining butter in a medium bowl and add the crushed crackers and remaining poppy seeds to it. Fold together until combined.
  • Then top the casserole evenly with the poppy-seed buttery crackers.
  • Bake the casserole, uncovered, in the oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will also work well here because they're naturally juicier and stay tender in the creamy sauce. Cut them into 1-inch pieces and sear as directed. They may need an extra minute or two in the skillet to brown.
**I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth because it's budget-friendly, easy to keep on hand, and lets me mix up only what I need!
***I use buttery crackers for my topping (e.g. Ritz crackers or buttery rounds) and keep them fairly large when I crush them for added texture. If you only have saltines or other crackers on hand, you can use them instead.
You can make the recipe ahead of time! Assemble the casserole up to the baking step, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Wait to add the buttery cracker topping until just before baking, so it stays crisp, then add a few extra minutes to the bake time if the casserole is cold from the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (1 cup) | Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 30g | Sodium: 989mg | Fiber: 1g