Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon (about 6 strips)
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers (about 35 crackers), crushed
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives or green onions, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or lightly butter it.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and sour cream. Beat them together until smooth and no lumps remain. This works best if the cream cheese sits at room temperature for about 30 minutes before mixing.
- Add the cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, and onion powder to the cream cheese mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Fold in the cooked chicken, 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and half of the crumbled bacon. Mix gently until everything is evenly distributed.
- Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Remember the soup and bacon add saltiness, so start with just a pinch.
- Spread the chicken mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish, using a spatula to smooth the top.
- In a separate bowl, mix the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter until all crumbs are coated. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the casserole.
- Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese and the rest of the bacon crumbles.
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling.
- Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives or green onions if using.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for the quickest prep – one small rotisserie chicken yields about 3 cups of meat
- Room temperature cream cheese blends much easier than cold
- Crush crackers while still in the sleeve to minimize mess
- Mix the topping just before adding to prevent soggy crackers
- Cover with foil if the top browns too quickly
- Let the casserole rest before serving to allow it to set properly
- Double the recipe easily for larger crowds – use two 9×13 pans
- Add the bacon just before serving for maximum crispness
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion (about 1/6 of casserole)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg