Sookie's Chicken Casserole
It is no secret that I love to read. I finished another book a couple of days ago, and have been searching my nook shopping library for suitable and cheap reading material ever since. It's been a fruitless search. My wishlist is 100 miles long, but at this juncture, I cannot justify the expense. The free books are mostly in desperate need of an editor (note to self published authors: please proofread. Please?). But the real root of the problem is that I am pining away for a new release from one of my favorite authors-- and the date is still two months away (Shasta Cola it's still two months!!!).
If you read my post on Caroline Bellefleur's Chocolate Cake, then you are already aware of my affection for Sookie Stackhouse. And since Chad gave me The Sookie Stackhouse Companion for Christmas, whenever I am longing for a good read, I make a recipe out of this book.
The recipes are just as super as the writing.
In a large bowl stir together cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, sour cream and poppy seeds. To cut calories and fat where I could, I poached the chicken and used fat free, low sodium versions of the cream soups and light sour cream. I also used brown rice.
Poppy seeds needed to star in their own photo.
I used Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers and cut the amount of butter called for in half. I crushed the crackers and stirred them with the melted butter before spreading them across the casserole (the original recipe says to drizzle the butter across the top).
Bake this at 350 for about 30 minutes. The result will be a crunchy crust and a casserole that's hot and bubbly. We ate this up, along with the giant pile of roasted vegetables I served with it. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a take along dish for a potluck.
- nonstick cooking spray
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, poached and shredded (see note)
- 8 ounces sour cream (I used light)
- 1 (10 ounce) can of cream of chicken soup (reduced fat, low sodium)
- 1 (10 ounce) can of cream of celery soup (reduced fat, low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 cups of cooked rice (I opted for brown)
- 1 sleeve of Ritz Crackers, crushed (I used reduced fat)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a 9X13 baking dish with the nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl stir together the cooked chicken, sour cream, both soups, and poppy seeds. Then stir in the rice.
- Spread the casserole mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- Combine the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter and then cover the chicken mixture with the buttery cracker crumbs.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and the cracker topping is toasty.
- Serve warm.
#2- If you want to take this a from-scratch step further, try my Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe in place of the cream of celery! (it is included in the middle of the broccoli casserole recipe)
This recipe for Sookie's Chicken Casserole was adapted from The Sookie Stackhouse Companion, a book full of Bon Temps-inspired creations and other amazing details about the characters and set of this fantastic series.
Serve with a big plate of green vegetables.
oh delicious!! I've seen it made with cornflakes before but never seen this one yet! looks great!!!!
It was! Sookie is a very good cook!
This looks so good and I have to start this series.
Um yes. You do.
This looks great! Casseroles are the best dish for busy weeknights! I want to taste those poppy seeds. I don't think I've ever had them in a meat dish.
Thanks, Sandra! The poppy seeds were extra yum... and made for pretty pictures 🙂 I'm a poppy seed bagel girl, myself, so I had to try this one out.
I just requested the first Sookie Stackhouse book at our library...maybe I'll make this when the book arrives!
You should. Or make Caroline Bellefleur's Chocolate Cake (link to that post above). Or both. I'm gonna go ahead and say both 🙂
I'm so happy this popped into my in-box this afternoon. Looks absolutely delicious, Heather. My husband and I watch the HBO show Trueblood, but I've never read the books. I'm hoping my library has them (I can't fit another book into our bookshelves). Speaking of my hubby, he'd love this casserole!!
Read the books read the books! The TV series is good... the books are better. The TV series tends to stray from the plot a pretty good bit. The recipes in this book are killer (and totally full fat lol). This is only my second post on the recipes in the book, but I totally plan on cooking my way through it!!!
This is a great dish which is quick to put together while feeding lots of people - nice one 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you! It was super quick, easy, and filling.
I nominated you for Kreativ Blogger!
http://domesticdivamd.com/fun-facts-and-favorites/kreativ-blogger/
oh yay! That's fun! Thank you!!!
I like this Heather!! And I like that you used brown rice instead of white. Yum!!
Thanks! I do like brown rice. It takes a little longer to cook, but I feel better serving it- and eating it!
A little longer? How about ages longer! But I, like you, feel much better serving and eating it.
I love soup-based casseroles. They are so satisfying when I need some comfort food!
I agree. Creamy casserole is totally like the food equivalent of snuggling up on the sofa with a blanket and a book.