I Make Church Chicken Casserole for a Taste of Home

Whether it was at a potluck picnic after church service in Macon, Mississippi, or in the basement of Blessed Sacrament after mass in San Diego, there has always been a version of church chicken casserole in my life. Usually consisting of cooked chicken, a starch, a couple of cans of soup, and a crunchy topping, I never missed the opportunity to put a scoopful on my plate.

My stepmother’s recipe, which she learned from her mom in Illinois, included a base of uncooked Minute Rice and a topping of onion soup mix that was delicious. But my all-time favorite, and the one that always comes to mind for me, is my Grandma Olga Mae’s recipe, which included egg noodles, sour cream, and crushed-up Ritz crackers.

Olga Mae would think I was just being fancy, but I tried to elevate her casserole just a bit. Instead of using sodium-heavy canned soups, my version uses a roux to make a chickeny-mushroomy cream soup base with pronounceable ingredients.

Simple Swaps

I brown up some fresh chicken, but you could just as easily shred a rotisserie chicken. I also use Ritz crackers, but saltines, club crackers, or even a package of dry stuffing mix would do the trick. This casserole is the definition of stick-to-your-ribs cooking, and sometimes that’s exactly what we need.

Classic Chicken Casseroles

• Marry Me Chicken Casserole
• Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Chicken Taco Casserole
• No-Peek Chicken
  

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray or grease with butter.

Cook the egg noodles:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook 2 minutes less than the package directions (they will finish cooking in the casserole). Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the chicken:

Season the cubed chicken with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter melts and begins to foam, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Sauté the chicken, turning to brown all sides, until lightly golden brown and no more pink color is visible, 5 to 7 minutes. It will not be completely cooked, but will finish cooking in the casserole. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and set aside.

Cook the mushrooms:

Into the same pan, add another 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are tender and browned and most of the juices have cooked away, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and set aside with the chicken.

Make the sauce:

Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Whisk in the flour and let cook until the mixture turns light tan and smells nutty, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the chicken broth followed by the milk. Continue whisking until it just begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Simmer until the soup has thickened, about 8 more minutes.

Assemble and bake:

Add the cooked noodles, chicken, and mushrooms to the pan with the soup. Add the sour cream and mix until everything is combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed. 

Pour into the prepared pan. To make the topping, place the Ritz crackers in a zip-top bag and use your hands or a rolling pin to crush them into coarse breadcrumbs. Combine with the melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake until the topping is browned and the casserole is bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.

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