Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole
Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole is a comforting, creamy chicken casserole loaded with bacon, cheese, and a buttery Ritz cracker topping!
A SATISFYING CASSEROLE RECIPE
Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole is a true comfort food meal! Inspired by a chicken casserole served at the cafe at Neiman Marcus back in the day, this indulgent dinner is always a huge hit! How can you go wrong with a creamy casserole filled with tender chicken, smoky bacon, melty cheddar, and a golden buttery cracker topping? In addition to being easy to make, it’s also great for taking to potlucks and simple enough to whip up on those busy nights. Plus, making it ahead is an option and we love that!
This was very yummy! Absolutely delicious just the way it is and I wouldn’t change anything. Two thumbs up by everyone! Thanks for sharing!
– Georgia
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Neiman Marcus is a well known department store that used to have a cafe in many of their store locations. I’m not sure if any of them have it anymore. If you know of a location, please let me know! Neiman Marcus had a chef that created this particular dish and it became pretty popular with patrons. There are several stories about the origin of this recipe but all I know is it is delicious!
Yep! For making ahead, assemble the casserole without the Ritz cracker topping up to 24 hours in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator and add the topping just before baking. It can also be frozen.
You can add in other veggies. Stir in 1 cup of frozen peas, cooked carrots, or sautéed mushrooms for extra texture and flavor.
You can replace cream of chicken soup with Cream of Mushroom or cream of celery for a flavor change.
Add grated parmesan or a sprinkle of paprika to the Ritz cracker crumbs for added flavor and presentation.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or bake the entire dish in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warmed through. Cover with foil to avoid over-browning the topping.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- Ritz crackers– crushed and to be used as a casserole topping. You could swap it out for saltine crackers or club crackers for the topping. If you need less salt in this recipe, use unsalted crackers.
- butter– you can use salted or unsalted butter. I would suggest if you are trying to keep the salt levels low that you use as many as unsalted options as possible.
- cooked chicken– you can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken works as well. If you want to cook up some chicken, you’ll need to do it ahead of time and you can make some Slow Cooker Chicken, Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, roast some chicken in the oven, or Air Fry Chicken Breasts. I have not tested this with uncooked chicken, so I can’t attest to how much additional time it would need to bake.
- cream of chicken soup– you can grab a can of your favorite cream of chicken soup or use some of your Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup. I shared a few other options above in the FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) section if you don’t have any cream of chicken soup on hand.
- sour cream– if sour cream isn’t your thing, you can swap it out for other options like plain Greek yogurt, mayonnaise instead or even creme fraiche.
- shredded cheddar cheese– any other shredded cheese could be used. If you want a little kick, try some shredded Pepper Jack cheese.
- green onions – you could also use chives.
- slivered almonds– this is an optional ingredient that adds a little crunch and could be swapped for something else like chopped water chestnuts.
- bacon– cooked and crumbled used for topping, if preferred. I like freshly cooked bacon but you could use the microwave stuff in a pinch or the bacon pieces that you can buy in the salad section of your grocery store.
HOW TO MAKE NEIMAN MARCUS CHICKEN CASSEROLE:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Stir the crushed ritz crackers and melted butter together in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the diced chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, almonds, and bacon in a large bowl. Mix until everything is fully combined.
Spread the mixture evenly into the greased baking dish, leveling it out with a spatula. Sprinkle the buttery ritz cracker crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the casserole is bubbling. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional chopped bacon, and sliced green onions if desired, or garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Enjoy!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (about 32 crackers)
- 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted (can use salted or unsalted)
- 4 cups cooked diced chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup slivered almonds (optional)
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (plus more for topping, if preferred)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Stir 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed and 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted together in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 4 cups cooked diced chicken, 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup sour cream, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 3 green onions, thinly sliced, ½ cup slivered almonds and 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled . Mix until everything is fully combined.
- Spread the chicken mixture evenly into the greased baking dish, leveling it out with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the buttery ritz cracker crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake uncovered on the middle rack for about 25–30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the casserole is bubbling. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with additional chopped bacon, and sliced green onions if desired, or garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
would it be good served over rice?
I mixed with egg noodles for my 4 boys!!! So good!!!
That’s a great way to stretch a meal too! Thanks so very much Margaret!!
This casserole is delicious! This is my second time making it. Its fairly easy to make.
Thanks so much Vicki! I so appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!
This looks really good, I will make it soon
This was very yummy! Absolutely delicious just the way it is and I wouldn’t change anything. Two thumbs up by everyone! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Georgia – I really love hearing that and I appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!
Just picked up a rotisserie chicken today at the supermarket. Was going to have it for supper with a salad and a baked potato (boring). This recipe looks so delicious and I have all the ingredients on hand. Just have to cut up the chicken. I can almost taste it already! Gave it 5 stars as I already know it will be great. I love anything with bacon.
You saw this recipe at just the right time! Ha! Thanks so much Sue ♥️
can you put broccoli in this casserole
I don’t see why not. I have a good chicken and broccoli casserole on the site that is very similar to this if you’d like to see how I do it with that one. https://www.thecountrycook.net/chicken-divan/