Ritzy Chicken Casserole - Family Favorite

I tell you what, casseroles just don't photograph very pretty! The top just looks pretty boring, and it looks rather goopy/nonpretty on the plate. I tried several different shots of this one, but never got one I was truly happy with. I did try a bit of an action shot that turned out okay, so these photos will have to do.



Still, don't judge a meal by its appearance. This is one of our family favorite meals, one my mom has been making as long as I can remember. I believe the only change we've made to it in all these years is the addition of the pasta, making it more of a true casserole (meat plus starch in one) than it was before. Hope you enjoy!

Ritzy Chicken Casserole
Source: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pasta (we prefer spaghetti broken in half, or elbows)
• 2 large cans of white meat chicken, drained (or 3-4 cups shredded cooked chicken)
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (fat free is fine)
• 8 oz sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
• 1-2 Tbsp milk, if needed
• 1 tube ritz crackers
• 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter or margarine, melted

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions until cooked through but still firm. Drain.
• In large bowl, combine chicken meat, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream. Stir in pasta until well combined, adding milk if necessary to thin out the mixture to coat the pasta better.
• In large ziptop bag, crush crackers. Add melted butter and mix until crumbs are coated and butter is absorbed. Set aside.
• Pour chicken mixture into 2 quart baking dish. Top with buttered cracker crumbs.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until top is deeply golden and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:
* Can substitute 2 cups cooked rice for pasta, if desired. Definitely add the milk to the mixture if you do, since the rice will absorb more moisture from the mixture than the pasta.