This Ritz or “Ritzy” chicken casserole is one of our favorite ways to stretch shredded chicken. We often make it with chicken breasts, but we recently made with a whole chicken that we cooked “rotisserie style,” then finely shredded.
We had enough for a large 9×13 casserole dish + 2 more meals!
The French onion soup cooked into the rice adds a punch of flavor to this pantry meal!
Oh, and don’t let the title full you. This casserole is by no means a pricey, “ritzy” dish. It’s just because it is topped with a delicious, buttery Ritz cracker crumble.
Tips for Making Ritzy Chicken Casserole
I highly recommend making this with a rotisserie-style chicken (or roasted). It adds a depth of flavor that chicken breasts just doesn’t have.
In the video tutorial below, we made this chicken casserole as part of our January Pantry Challenge. For that reason, I left out the melted butter drizzled over the crumbled Ritz crackers. But if you have it, the Ritz topping is much better with butter drizzled over the top! (What isn’t, right?)
Also, we love this best seasoned with a garlic and herb blend, but we’ve also used Mrs. Dash with great success. Just season your chicken mixture however your family prefers!
If you prefer video, there is a video tutorial at the bottom of the recipe card. Enjoy!
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Ritzy Chicken Casserole with Rice
This Ritz chicken casserole is a delicious, frugal meal that you can make when you need to make your chicken stretch as far as possible. Its Ritz cracker topping perfectly complements the French onion-flavored rice!
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9x13 casserole dish 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon garlic and herb seasoning
- 2 sleeves of Ritz crackers
- 1 cup white rice, uncooked
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 can condensed French onion soup
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Instructions
1. Mix 4 cups of shredded chicken with 2 cups of mayonnaise. Season to taste with a garlic and herb blend or spice of your choice.
To Make the Rice Mixture:
1. In a pressure cooker (like an InstantPot), add the rice, butter, French onion soup, beef broth, and garlic.
2. Mix well. Set your pressure canner to “Seal” and pressure cook for 6 minutes. Allow for a natural release (about 10 minutes).
To Assemble the Casserole:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the chicken mixture with the rice mixture. Spread it into a 9×13 casserole dish. Crumble the Ritz crackers to form an even layer of topping. Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
