Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

In the tradition of David and Jennifer, and because our friends in our community group were annoyed that I never emailed this recipe, here is a recipe for my family's absolute favorite casserole! My girls (and my husband and I) eat this stuff up! We have to force ourselves to quit eating it in order to have some for lunch the next day.

This recipe is taken from The Dinner Doctor by Anne Byrn. I use this cookbook ALL THE TIME! I also use her Cake Mix Doctor and Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor books.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

1 package (6.2 oz) fried-rice flavor Rice-a-Roni, cooked. (Great Value brand works just fine, too.)
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (I just cut mine into chunks.)
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream (I use the real stuff. ssshhhh!)
1 can (10.75 oz) reduced-fat cream of chicken soup (again, real)
36 buttery round crackers such as Ritz, crushed (1 tube works great!)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Spoon the rice in an even layer over the bottom of an 11-by-7 inch (2 quart) glass or ceramic baking dish.

3. Combine the chicken, sour cream, and chicken soup in a medium sized bowl. Spoon this evenly over the rice.

4. In the same bowl, combine the crackers and butter. Scatter this over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle the poppy seeds evenly on top.

5. Bake until bubbling and crackers have lightly browned. 25 to 30 minutes. Serve at once.

Her note says this doubles, triples, and quadruples, well. Yes, you might want to quadruple a recipe. It's THAT good!

One note: This recipe is quick, IF you have the rice and chicken already cooked. If you're like me and you walk into a cold kitchen with rice in a box and raw chicken in the fridge, it's gonna take longer. Just remember the rice will take a good 30 minutes to cook. The chicken could be done in as little as 20 minutes if it's in smaller pieces to begin with. Chicken tenders work well and are quick. You might need two packages, though.