Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

This recipe came from my mom. She and my dad were traveling and stopped to have dinner at a friend's house...and this is what the friend served. She doesn't remember who the friend was....but she DOES remember the food. (I think that's hilarious.) I've made this casserole since my kids were little and it's always a welcome treat. It's so simple to prepare...and so delicious. I used a store bought rotisserie chicken which made it even easier. I had this thing assembled and baked in about 45 minutes. I tell ya'...those rotisserie chickens are the BOMB! I love them! I buy two or three at a time....take the meat off the bone and bag the meat in freezer bags..pop them in the freezer so I have it ready to go for a quick dinner. Like this!!

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole



3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces sour cream
1 sleeve Ritz crackers - crushed
1 stick butter – melted
½ cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Salt
Pepper

Combine soups and sour cream. Add chicken and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish. Melt butter in a small bowl. Combine crushed crackers, almonds and poppy seeds and stir well. Sprinkle over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

All the goods..... (See my cute 

pineapple salt and pepper set? 

My DIL gave them to me for Christmas! 

I love them!)

 

Combine the soups and sour cream. 

Stir well.

 

Then add the chicken...

 

...and stir again. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Pour the mixture into a 

greased casserole dish.

 

Work out your aggressions by 

crushing the crackers with your bare hands!

 

Combine the cracker crumbs, 

almonds, butter and poppy seeds.

 

Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle.

 

Bake! (Fuzzy photo! Sorry)

Copyright © 2011 Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. All rights reserved.

There's a restaurant near here that serves the best poppy seed rolls. They bring them to your table in a little basket, piping hot from the oven with the most delicious cinnamon honey butter. I have been on the lookout for a good copy-cat recipe and I think I've come pretty close. While not exact, they're very good and very easy to make. This recipe is easily doubled if you're feeding a crowd. Served with the cinnamon honey butter, they make a great little evening snack!

Poppy Seed Rolls with 

Cinnamon Honey Butter

(rolls adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons instant dry milk

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast in and whisk until yeast is dissolved.

Stir in the brown sugar and ½ cup of all-purpose flour. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the dry milk, salt, poppy seeds and ½ cup of the all purpose flour. Add to the yeast/water mixture.

Add the remaining flours, ½ cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead it, adding more flour if necessary. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm place for 1 ½ - 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Punch down dough and turn onto a floured surface. Shape dough into a rope about 24 inches long and cut into 24 pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spray rolls with water and allow to rise until swollen. Preheat oven during this time to 450 degrees. Bake the rolls for 15 – 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

 

The list of ingredients for the rolls.

 

Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water.

 

Then stir in the brown sugar and half of the all purpose flour. 

Allow to sit for about 10 minutes.

 

Combine the rest of the flours, 

the poppy seeds, dry milk and salt.

 

Then add that to the yeast/flour mixture, 

1/2 cup at a time.

 

Mix until it pulls away from the sides of bowl.

 

Allow to rise for a couple of hours.

 

Roll into a log about 24 inches long.

 

Then cut 24 pieces.

 

Place on a cookie sheet and allow to rise for another 

hour or so...until slightly swollen.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

1 stick butter – room temperature

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons honey

In a small bowl, combine ingredients and stir until well blended.

 

Here's the stuff for the honey butter.

 

Combine in a small bowl and use with the rolls!

 

Uuuuummmmm.....yum!!