This is going to be the best Chicken Casserole recipe you'll ever make! A hearty and creamy filling topped with a cheesy and crispy topping, this recipe will become a household favorite.
Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly spray a 13x9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Fold in the chicken and 1½ cups of cheese. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
In a medium bowl stir together the crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle crackers over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheese.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the crackers are lightly browned. Allow the casserole to cool and set for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Feel free to add some vegetables to this! You can easily turn this into a chicken and broccoli casserole or chicken and mushroom casserole with a quick addition. When adding vegetables, saute them first, so it decreases the water content.
You can quickly make shredded chicken breasts by poaching them. Simply add chicken breasts to a pot of cold water, bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat, lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Alternatively, roast your chicken by drizzling chicken breasts with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 375F on a rimmed baking sheet until cooked through (35 to 40 minutes).
Quickly shred chicken breasts by beating them with a mixer while warm. The chicken will shred effortlessly.
To easily shred your own cheese, run it through a cheese grater or a food processor’s grater attachment.
By allowing the chicken casserole to cool before cutting, you give it time to set up. This makes serving much more manageable, so don’t skip this step.