Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

1) In enough water (lightly salted) to cover all of the chicken, boil chicken at low rolling boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until no longer pink in the center). Shred chicken into small pieces.

2) Mix soup and sour cream together completely. Stir in the shredded chicken.

3) Grease a 9 X 13 casserole dish, and pour the soup/chicken mixture into it.

4) Crush the Ritz crackers and sprinkle this all over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top of this. Melt the butter and drizzle it over the top of everything.

5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) and bake for 30 minutes.

COOK’S NOTES –

*You may also bake the chicken in the oven and then shred it up. Try both the boil method and the baked method – they both are very tasty but the chicken texture changes. See which one you like better!

* This is a large casserole. If you would like to split it in halves, you can do so. You can get smaller square casserole dishes and prepare them both. Halve your ingredients and set one up completely like the recipe says and cook it. For the other half of ingredients, prepare a pan but DO NOT add the crumbs, seeds or margarine to the top. You can freeze the chicken mixture, and just add the seeds, crackers and butter when it is thawed and ready to cook.

*This goes very well with a vegetable on the side. My family loves a green veggie with this such as a spinach salad, green beans or some steamed broccoli.