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Grandma's Church Potluck Casserole - golden-brown comfort food in a vintage baking dish
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Grandma's Church Potluck Casserole

A creamy chicken and rice casserole with a buttery Ritz cracker topping — the church potluck recipe my grandmother never wrote down. Feeds a crowd, freezes beautifully, and tastes like home.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken casserole, church potluck, grandma recipe, potluck recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Author Maggie

Ingredients

For the Casserole

  • 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded about 2 lbs or a rotisserie chicken
  • 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 10.75 oz each, regular kind
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed about 30 crackers
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 stick
  • 2 cups cooked white rice cook 1 cup uncooked rice per package directions (about 18-20 min) to yield ~2 cups
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Optional Toppings

  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • dash of paprika for color

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 baking dish. IMPORTANT: If using uncooked rice, cook it first. Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add 1 cup long-grain white rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 18–20 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Verify your chicken was cooked to 165°F internal temperature before shredding. If using rotisserie chicken, the temperature is already verified.
  2. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, both cans of cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, cooked rice, peas and carrots, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir until evenly mixed. Season with salt and pepper — go easy on salt as the soup and crackers are salty.
  3. Spread the chicken mixture into the greased baking dish and press down gently to even it out. If adding cheese, sprinkle it over the top now.
  4. Crush the Ritz crackers in a zip-lock bag. Pour melted butter over the crushed crackers and stir until coated. Spread the buttered cracker mixture evenly over the casserole. Sprinkle with paprika if using.
  5. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and edges are bubbling.
  6. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving to set up. Serve with a green salad or buttered rolls.

Recipe Notes

The sour cream is the secret — it makes the casserole creamy without being heavy. Rotisserie chicken saves time and works perfectly. This freezes beautifully: assemble, cover with foil, freeze before baking. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed, adding 10 minutes to the covered time.