This broccoli cheese chicken casserole with Ritz crackers is one of the easiest weeknight dinner recipes and one of my favorites! It’s layered with chicken, broccoli, a homemade cheese sauce (no canned soup or Velveeta), and buttery Ritz crumbs. It’s easy to make and will be on your table in under 45 minutes!
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Old-fashioned Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers
I have a confession to make. I have a terrible memory when it comes to my childhood. There are very few things that I remember my mom cooking when I was growing up, not because she didn’t cook, but because I don’t remember them. One of those things is pizza loaf and still my favorite meal to this day.
One of the others is this broccoli cheese chicken casserole that we had probably once a week, maybe more often.
The original was made with Velveeta and cream of chicken soup, but I remade it with a from-scratch cheese sauce but kept the Ritz because I love a good crunch! I love this casserole so much that I even made these broccoli cheese bites that are pretty much the same thing (minus the chicken) in small bite form.
Ingredients in Ritz broccoli chicken casserole
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Milk – I always prefer whole milk for the thickness and fat content but you can use something with less fat if you really want.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – I recommend shredding your own from the block versus using pre-shredded because they add things to the pre-shredded that can mess with the sauce.
- Broccoli – frozen or fresh works. If you’re using frozen, thaw and pat dry. If you’re using fresh, steam until bright green before you add to the casserole!
- Chicken breasts – you’ll want to cook and dice the chicken before you add it to the casserole. One of my favorite shortcuts is to use rotisserie chicken cut up!
How to make chicken broccoli ritz cracker casserole
Once you’ve prepped your ingredients, this casserole is super easy to make. Make sure to read the recipe card at the very end for precise ingredients, timings, etc.
1 – Make the cheese sauce
- Make a roux by melting the butter over low heat. Add the flour, salt, paprika, and pepper. Stir in until well combined.
- Once the roux is bubbly, add in your milk and bring it to a boil.
- Once it’s boiling, add the shredded cheese and stir it all up until you get a good creamy cheese sauce.
2 – Layer the Casserole
- Layer your cooked chicken and steamed broccoli in a non-stick 9×13 casserole dish.
- Top with half of your cheese sauce then half of your crumbled up Ritz crackers.
- Repeat the same thing with the other half of your ingredients kind of like if you were making a lasagna with multiple layers.
- Top with a final layer of shredded cheese then some melted butter.
3 – Bake and Serve
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until everything is heated and melted together. Serve warm immediately.
How to store and make ahead of time
If you’d like to make this ahead of time, I recommend making all of the components ahead of time then layering them right before you bake. That way the crackers inside the casserole don’t get too soggy sitting in the fridge overnight!
Store the made ahead casserole in the fridge tightly covered until you’re ready to bake.
If you want to store leftovers, either wrap the top tightly with plastic wrap or put leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warm. My personal preferred method is to add the casserole to a cold oven, preheat to 350, and remove when it warms.
The leftovers are typically good for four days, although you may want to add some fresh Ritz cracker crumbs on top when you reheat for the added crunch!
Helpful Tips & Shortcuts
Make sure to cut the broccoli into small bite-sized chunks so no one ends up with giant pieces of broccoli in their casserole.
Crumble up the Ritz Crackers by hand or put them into a plastic zipper top bag and crumble in a bag versus putting them into a food processor and processing that way. This will give you some larger chunks that are one of my favorite parts!
Use rotisserie chicken to make this even faster to make!
Use pre-shredded cheese if you don’t have time to shred. It’ll taste fine, I’ve found that shredding it directly from the block melts better!
Recipe FAQS
Can I use frozen broccoli?
You can use fresh or frozen broccoli. Steam either one and chop into small bite-sized pieces before adding to the casserole.
How do I keep the crackers from getting soggy?
If you’re cooking this casserole immediately, the crackers should add a crunch and not get soggy during the cooking process. If you’re making this ahead or warming up leftovers, you can add extra cracker crumbs to the top since they’ll likely get soggy sitting in the fridge overnight.
What should I serve with broccoli chicken casserole?
This casserole has the protein, grains, and veggies all in one dish so you really don’t need to serve it with anything. If you want a side to go with it, you could serve it with a nice tropical fruit salad or even some homemade yeast rolls on the side.
More easy Chicken Recipes
If you like chicken, you should add these other chicken recipes to your menu plan!
Chicken Broccoli Casserole with Ritz Crackers
Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
- 1 TBS butter
- 1 TBS flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 sprinkle paprika
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Casserole
- 16 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and cubed
- 2 cups fresh broccoli steamed and chopped
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed to large crumbs either by hand or in a zipper top bag
- 1 TBS butter melted
Instructions
Cheese Sauce
- Melt 1 TBs butter in saucepan over low heat. Once bubbly, add flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir until combined.1 TBS butter, 1 TBS flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 sprinkle paprika
- Cook over low heat for one minute then add in milk and stir. Heat until mixture is boiling, stirring continually.1 cup milk
- Once milk boils, boil for another minute before adding 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese.1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Stir until completely melted and remove from heat.
Casserole
- Spray 9×13 casserole dish all over with non-stick spray.
- Add half of your broccoli and half of your chicken into the prepared casserole dish. Mix together into one single layer.16 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 cups fresh broccoli
- Top chicken and broccoli layer with half of your cheese sauce, making sure to cover the entire chicken layer with cheese.
- Sprinkle half of your cracker crumbs over the cheese layer.1 sleeve Ritz crackers
- Repeat so you have two “layers” of casserole, like a lasagna.
- Top final layer with the other 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Melt the other 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave and pour over the top of the casserole.1 TBS butter
- Bake casserole at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the top cheese is melted and the cracker crumbs are browned (but not burnt).
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