Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers

This chicken casserole with Ritz crackers is a real crowd pleaser and will not disappoint. It is EVER-SO-TASTY with its creamy sauce, tender chicken, and crunchy Ritz topping.

If you love chicken or casseroles in general, try my chicken wellington, easy chicken broccoli casserole, and fantastic Greek lemon chicken soup next.

⭐ Why I love Ritz chicken casserole

Well, for three reasons!

One is because it is truly the easiest recipe I have ever made. Secondly, everyone loves it, and it is a budget-friendly meal that saves me from going to the restaurant.

Whoever created the slow cooker Ritz Chicken needs a medal of honor because it has saved me more times than I can count!

The bonus of this recipe is that you can swap and change a few things to your liking. For example, you can substitute the rice for mashed potatoes or swap the chicken for codfish if you're a fish lover.

There's no need to worry if you don't have a slow cooker, as this recipe can be made as a casserole and will still taste the same. All you need is an oven dish and to follow some simple instructions, then pop it in the oven for a few hours while giving you time to do other things.

🍽 What you need

This delicious slow cooker Ritz Chicken Casserole recipe is easy to make. All you need to do is chop a few veggies, mix some ingredients and let the slow cooker do the rest for you.

🍳 Equipment

• Slow cooker or large casserole dish
• Chopping board
• Knife
• 2 large bowls
• A whisk

🍲 Ingredients

• condensed cream of mushroom soup - 1 10 oz can
• chicken stock - 2 cups
• milk - 1 ½ cups
• cream cheese - 1 small tub, softened
• salt and pepper - to taste
• Crushed Ritz crackers crumbs - 2 cups,
• butter - ½ cup, melted
• cheddar cheese - 1 cup, shredded
• rice - 2 cups uncooked
• white onion - 1, chopped
• garlic cloves - 2, pressed
• chicken breasts - 4, boneless, skinless - cubed
• broccoli - 1 head, chopped
• Cooking spray

⏲️ Time

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 4.5 hours
• Total time: 5 hours
• serving: 4 - 6 servings

🔪 How to make chicken casserole with Ritz crackers

Learn how to make this easy and delicious chicken casserole with step-by-step instructions or watch my Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers video for a complete recipe walkthrough.

1.Using the knife and chopping board, finely chop the onion and garlic. Then the head of the broccoli.

Quick Tip: Lubricate the inside of the slow cooker using cooking spray to prevent anything from sticking.

2. Put the rice, onions, and garlic on the bottom, then place chicken breasts and broccoli on top.

3. Get a bowl and mix using a whisk the mushroom soup, stock, milk, cream cheese, salt, and pepper, then set aside.

4. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken and vegetable mix

5. In the other bowl, mix 2 cups crushed Ritz crackers crumbs with 1 /2 cup butter melted and cheddar cheese until well combined.

6. Sprinkle the crushed Ritz crackers evenly on top.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and turn it low for 6 to 8 hours, or if you want it quickly, turn it on high for 4 hours. The rice should be soft, and the chicken breasts should be cooked thoroughly.

Serve it up on its own or with a simple side salad. And as far as casseroles go, my chicken tetrazzini casserole is worth a look.

💭 Recipe Tips

• You can use cream of chicken soup if you can't find mushroom soup.
• Add a small tub of sour cream mixture to the soup and then pour over the chicken for extra creaminess. Sour cream is fantastic in this recipe.
• If you cant get your hands on Ritz crackers, you can substitute them for cornflakes. Crush them up and add them to the crumble mixture the same way as in the recipe instructions.

📖 Recipe Variations

This recipe is beyond flexible. I've made so many chicken casserole variations I've lost count.

Spices make the difference. Consider using onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and poppy seeds to mix up your recipe.

Skip chicken breasts and try rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, skinless, boneless chicken legs, and even canned chicken.

Elevate this easy chicken casserole with sour cream, chicken broth, egg noodles, shredded cheddar cheese, and frozen peas, to name a few.

🙋 Can I make chicken casserole without a slow cooker?

Yes, you can make this Ritz chicken casserole without a slow cooker, all you need to do is preheat the oven on low-medium heat.

Spray an oven-proof dish and follow the exact instructions as shown above. Organize the ingredients in the dish, cover it with some tin foil and then bake it in the oven for around 4 hours until the chicken is hot and the rice is cooked through.

🙋 Can you prepare the Ritz chicken casserole in advance?

Yes, you can prepare this recipe in advance with the slow cooker or in the oven.

• Mix the mushroom soup, chicken stock, milk, cream cheese, salt, and pepper until well combined, then transfer it into a bowl and pop it in the fridge.
• Chop the onion and garlic into fine pieces along with the head of broccoli and put them in a sealable container ready for later use.
• Smash the Ritz crackers in a sealable bag or use a blender until they resemble fine crumbs, then mix with the cheddar cheese and melted butter until well combined. Transfer the ingredients into a sealable bag for later.

When the time comes to cook the recipe in the slow cooker or as a casserole, assemble the items and bake!

🥗 What to serve with

Though this slow cooker Ritz chicken recipe is perfect by itself as the main course, you can also accompany it with mashed potatoes, a side salad, or even garlic bread.

Bread is my personal favorite as it is excellent for dipping in that FINGERLICKING creamy sauce.

For something a bit sweeter, try these simple honey-roasted carrots as a side dish:

Ingredients:

10 carrots, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of olive, chopped parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

1. Chop the carrots into halves (lengthways)
2. mix them with the olive oil and honey, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper
3. Place them in an oven-proof dish and bake for 35 minutes on medium-high heat.
4. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

🥫 Storage

The slow cooker Ritz chicken can keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge, but it is doubtful it will last that long. At least in my house, it never does anyway. I would be lucky if I got some for lunch the next day!

After your friends and family have finished eating the tasty dinner, let it cool down completely before transferring the contents into an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, and when you come to reheat it again, transfer the contents into an oven dish and cook for 30 minutes until it is piping hot.

Freeze

Yes, you can freeze slow cooker Ritz chicken for up to 6 months. When it comes to eating it again, transfer the Ritz chicken leftovers into an oven dish and bake for 30 minutes until hot.

For microwave use:

Transfer the frozen leftovers into a microwaveable bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a microwaveable lid. Cook for 8-10 minutes on high, stirring the ingredients after 2-minute intervals.

🍳 Related Casserole Recipes

Try one of these fantastic comfort food recipes for your next meal.

Looking for a delicious and easy side dish casserole? Try my 30 minutes green bean casserole with homemade crispy onions.

🎥 Recipe Video

If you are not much of a chicken fan and prefer fish, I highly recommend making this dish with haddock or codfish. Any white fish will do, but I find that codfish works best with the creamy mushroom sauce and the crispy Ritz crackers topping.

This slow cooker chicken casserole is so easy to make.  You literally throw all the ingredients in and then come home to a delicious smelling, wonderful tasting complete meal.

📋 Recipe

Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers

This chicken casserole with Ritz crackers is a real crowd pleaser and will not disappoint. It is EVER-SO-TASTY with its creamy sauce, tender chicken, and crunchy Ritz topping.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Casserole, Dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 4 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 1276kcal

Author: Ben Rayl

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup - can condensed 10 oz
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 8 oz cream cheese tub - softened
• to taste salt and pepper
• 2 cups Ritz crackers - crushed
• ½ cup butter - melted
• 1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded
• 2 cups rice
• 1 small white onion - chopped
• 2 cloves garlic - pressed
• 4 chicken breasts - boneless, skinless
• 1 head broccoli - chopped

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the mushroom soup with the stock, milk, cream cheese, salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, toss the Ritz crackers with the melted butter and cheddar cheese until well combined.
• Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray, then place the rice, onions and garlic in the bottom.  Put the chicken and broccoli on top of the rice, then pour the mushroom soup mixture over the top.
• Sprinkle the cracker mix evenly over the top, then put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for about 6 - 8 hours (or on high for 4 hours), or until the rice is soft and the chicken is cooked through.

Video

Notes

• You can use cream of chicken soup if you can't find mushroom soup.
• Add a small tub of sour cream mixture to the soup and then pour over the chicken for extra creaminess. Sour cream is fantastic in this recipe.
• If you cant get your hands on Ritz crackers, you can substitute them for cornflakes. Crush them up and add them to the crumble mixture the same way as in the recipe instructions.

Nutrition

Calories: 1276kcal | Carbohydrates: 122g | Protein: 82g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 257mg | Sodium: 1723mg | Potassium: 1979mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 2261IU | Vitamin C: 140mg | Calcium: 565mg | Iron: 5mg