A guest blog from Atlanta Mom today. I'll confess I haven't tried this recipe yet because SHE JUST SENT IT DESPITE ME ASKING FOR IT FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS (ahem), but it's definitely going on next week's menu plans. Mmmm
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Today is my high school BFF’s birthday. We have known each other since we were four, and though we don’t get to see each other very often, we don’t skip a beat when we are together, and it’s so fun to watch our children becoming friends. It seems appropriate to post a recipe that she passed on to me today, one that is very often requested by her 3rd grade daughter. I was hoping to have similar results in my family, but it was my husband who loved it the most! Regardless of who likes this dish, it is very kid-friendly and quick to prepare.
Poppy-Seed Chicken
1 package of fried rice flavor Rice-a-Roni
3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (she uses a rotisserie but you can also use Ina Garten’s roasted chicken breasts*)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 can Healthy Requests cream of chicken soup
36 buttery crackers (Club crackers work best, and I used the reduced fat kind)
½ stick butter, melted
1 T. poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 375. Cook rice according to directions. Spoon rice into bottom of 11 x 7 baking dish (2 qt). Combine chicken, sour cream, and soup in a medium bowl, then spoon evenly over rice. In the same bowl, combine crushed crackers, butter, and poppy seeds. Bake 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and browned.
*Bonus recipe for Ina’s roasted chicken breasts: Using bone-in chicken breasts with skin on, brush with EVOO and sprinkle with generous amounts of kosher salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet/half-sheet pan in 350 deg. oven for 35-40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, pull chicken from bone, and either shred it by hand or chop it. Super moist and delicious—perfect for casseroles! I usually roast 3 at a time.
