I am excited to introduce you to Kim, one of our new contributing writers. I was excited when I saw her recipe for chicken casserole, because later this week, I’ve got 18 casserole recipes coming to you. We love casseroles! This one is a true classic, crunchy cracker topping and all.
I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes, I just need comfort food. And nothin’ says comfort here in the South more than a chicken casserole!
It makes an appearance at every church potluck, it’s a great dish to take to friends who have just had a baby, and it makes a pretty easy family meal. BUT…..the traditional version that I grew up with is loaded with fat and calories, making it a “special occasion” meal instead of frequent “go-to” dinner. After taking a look at the main ingredients of one of my favorite versions of chicken casserole, I decided to lighten that bad boy up….and I am SO glad I did! It was delicious, and even my kids ate it! (well, 2 out of 3 anyway…which is a miracle around here!)
Ingredients
- 5 cups chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- 1 cup fat free plain yogurt
- 2 cans reduced fat cream of chicken soup (or homemade)
- 2 cups crushed 'buttery round' (aka Ritz) crackers (about 1 1/2 rolls of crackers)
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- (optional ingredients)
- 1 T lemon juice
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil chicken until done. (I like to boil mine a small onion, carrot, and a couple of celery sticks- cut into large chunks, salt & pepper, and a tsp of chicken bouillon to make a flavorful broth).
- Let chicken cool slightly and cut into bite size pieces.
- Place cubed chicken in a 9X13 casserole dish.
- Stir together the condensed soup, yogurt, optional ingredients (if using).
- Pour over chicken.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, melted butter, and chicken broth (from cooked chicken).
- Sprinkle over the chicken and sauce.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the topping is browned and the sauce is bubbling.
Kim of Mo’Betta – I have been married for 13 years and have 3 children, ages 11, 9, and 4. I started blogging as a way to journal my adventures in the kitchen as I learned to move away from the microwave and boxed meals to cooking ‘from scratch’. Most of my recipes are tailored to meet the needs of my food allergic son (nuts & eggs), diabetic husband, or my waistline!
