Poppy Seed Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole – a fun twist to a classic dish! Super easy to make and tastes amazing!! Can make ahead and freeze for a quick meal later! Chicken Rice-A-Roni, cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, garlic, onion, sour cream, poppy seeds, melted butter, and Ritz Crackers. Everyone cleaned their plate and went back for seconds! GREAT weeknight chicken casserole.

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Easy Chicken & Rice Casserole

This Poppy Seed Chicken Rice-A-Roni has quickly become a favorite at our house. It is super easy to make and tastes great! Chicken Rice-A-Roni, cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, melted butter, and Ritz Crackers. One bite and you will be blown away! Comfort food at its best! I ate two big helpings of this casserole for dinner last week. You must give this a try ASAP!

poppy seed chicken rice-a-roni casserole in baking dish

How to Make Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole with Rice

This casserole is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Start with preparing a box of Chicken Rice-a-Roni according to the package directions. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice with sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Stir poppy seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, chopped chicken, salt, and pepper. Spread the chicken mixture into a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and crushed crackers. Sprinkle the cracker mixture over the casserole and bake in the oven.

Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

Here is our recipe for Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-chicken-rice-roni/
I used rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken in this casserole. You can use any cooked chicken that you have on hand. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken tenderloins all work great.
Here is our recipe for Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken: https://www.plainchicken.com/slow-cooker-rotisserie-chicken/
Feel free to add some vegetables to the chicken mixture. Broccoli or spinach works great.
This casserole is also delicious with some grated parmesan cheese mixed in. YUM!
Can use low-fat sour cream and cream of chicken soup for a lower calorie dish.
Can Poppy Seed Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking the casserole straight from the refrigerator.
Can Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cover the dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place the dish in the freezer and freeze. The casserole will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To bake the casserole after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

spooning chicken rice-a-roni casserole from baking disg]h

What to Serve with Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole

We ate this casserole for dinner and had the leftovers for lunch during the week. The leftovers were just as good, if not better reheated! My favorite part of the whole casserole is the buttery Ritz crackers topping. Don’t skip it. It makes the dish!

We usually serve this with some green beans or asparagus. This is also great with a green salad and a roll. Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this twist on a classic casserole:

Vegetables