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Cooked chicken, condensed soup and two cheeses bake beneath a buttered cracker crust. Have the bacon cooked before mixing the filling so it can be divided deliberately between the casserole and topping if desired. Check the hot center before serving, even when the crackers look done.
Use the ten-and-a-half-ounce can condensed. Sour cream and mayonnaise already supply the remaining creamy ingredients. Diluting the soup as though serving it alone makes the filling looser than this casserole formula intends.
Ingredient amounts and preparation
- Set out: 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
- Set out: 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz)
- Set out: 1 cup sour cream
- Set out: 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Set out: 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Set out: 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Set out: 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
- Set out: 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Set out: 5-6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Set out: 1 tsp salt
- Set out: 1/8 tsp pepper
- Set out: Chopped chives for garnish
Cooking sequence and doneness
- Stage 1
- Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Stage 2
- Cook and crumble the bacon before assembling.
- Stage 3
- Mix condensed chicken soup, sour cream, mayonnaise and pepper in a large bowl. Fold in cooked chicken, cheddar, mozzarella and the cooked bacon.
- Stage 4
- Taste the filling and add salt only as needed.
- Stage 5
- Spread evenly in the dish. Crush the crackers and toss with melted butter until lightly coated.
- Stage 6
- Scatter the crumbs over the filling without pressing firmly.
- Stage 7
- Bake about twenty-five to thirty minutes, continuing until the middle reaches 165°F and shielding the crumbs if necessary. Rest briefly and garnish with chopped chives.
Cook and crumble the five to six slices before assembling. Add them to the chicken mixture or reserve a small part for the surface. A final instruction to cook bacon after baking would leave it unavailable when the filling needs it.
How much cracker topping belongs here?
Crush one standard sleeve of Ritz-style crackers, then mix with the quarter cup of melted butter. Sleeve sizes differ across packages, so use enough coated crumbs for a light, even surface rather than packing a thick wet layer. The crumbs should look moistened, not float in butter. The chicken, soup, bacon, cheese and crackers may all be salted. Taste the cooked filling before adding the listed teaspoon. Starting with less prevents an overly salty casserole without changing its main ingredients.
How is a dark topping managed?
Loosely tent the dish if the crackers brown before the filling reaches 165°F. A chilled filling needs longer than a warm one. Let the casserole settle briefly before scooping, and expect a creamy serving rather than a rigid slice.
Storage and serving later
Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below; do not wait for a large hot batch to cool completely on the counter. University of Illinois Extension’s leftover guidance gives a three-to-four-day refrigerated window and 165°F for reheating foods served hot. Keep cold salads and toppings chilled, and follow shorter product-label limits where applicable.
Related recipe choices
For another complete recipe, see BBQ Ranch Chicken Pasta Casserole or Mashed Potato Casserole with Crispy Chicken and Gravy. Each has its own ingredient quantities and cooking sequence; keep those measurements separate when choosing a meal. USDA’s temperature guidance specifies 165°F when reheating cooked poultry. Thermometer placement guidance explains checking the thick center rather than relying on surface color.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- Does the soup need extra water?
Use the ten-and-a-half-ounce can condensed. Sour cream and mayonnaise already supply the remaining creamy ingredients.
- When is the bacon cooked?
Cook and crumble the five to six slices before assembling. Add them to the chicken mixture or reserve a small part for the surface.
- How much cracker topping belongs here?
Crush one standard sleeve of Ritz-style crackers, then mix with the quarter cup of melted butter. Sleeve sizes differ across packages, so use enough coated crumbs for a light, even surface rather than packing a thick wet layer.
- Why taste before adding salt?
The chicken, soup, bacon, cheese and crackers may all be salted. Taste the cooked filling before adding the listed teaspoon.
- How is a dark topping managed?
Loosely tent the dish if the crackers brown before the filling reaches 165°F. A chilled filling needs longer than a warm one.