Hot Chicken Casserole
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This old-fashioned favorite Hot Chicken Casserole is a creamy, flavorful meal that makes dinner time delicious!
A creamy chicken salad is warmed and topped with a layer of buttery crushed crackers to make an excellent homestyle meal!

Hot Chicken Salad Casserole Recipe
If you love a classic chicken salad and casseroles this recipe is the perfect combination of the two to create a familiar favorite. Made more hearty with rice and a generous layer of cracker crumbs this is the centerpiece of an easy family meal.
A warm, creamy and crunchy combination this homemade chicken casserole is a keeper.
Especially in the winter we like to rotate through easy casseroles throughout the week like Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, Kielbasa and Noodle Casserole, and Pizza Casserole.

Similar to the ingredients in our Chicken and Rice Salad and Almond Chicken Salad we love this casserole without cheese.
Why This Recipe Works
- Several flavors blend beautifully together to make a delicious meal.
- Leftovers freeze and reheat well.
- Can mix up the casserole ahead of time and store in the refrigerator to bake when you’re ready – just increase baking time by 10 – 20 minutes.
- Cook ingredients ahead of time for meal prep.
- Rotisserie chicken or canned chicken can be used to save time or you can make your own whole chicken.
- We like to make a big batch of Instant Pot rice and use extras in this chicken casserole and our Sausage Fried Rice.

Ingredients Needed
- Cooked chicken – can be shredded, chopped or diced
- Rice – include a cup of your favorite cooked white rice, do not use raw – when using brown rice we like to use 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup
- Celery – smaller pieces blend better in every bite and add a crunch to every bite
- Water chestnuts – come in a can, should be drained and chopped to help blend in better – adds a slightly sweet, nutty and earthy flavor while giving a little more structure to the mixture
- Mayonnaise – adds a richness that is so reminiscent of a cold chicken salad
- Cream of chicken soup – we do like the Campbells brand over generic options, makes the casserole creamy and holds all of the ingredients together so well
- Lemon juice – adds a hint of lemon, but also helps sharpen the other flavors in the dish – we like to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, but using a bottle works fine too
- Almonds – adds a little protein and crunch, we prefer slivered but thin slices work fine too

How to Make Hot Chicken Casserole
Preheat oven to 325°F and lightly grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish.
Chop water chestnuts and celery.
Cook rice and chicken if necessary.

Measure mayonnaise, rice, lemon juice, cream of chicken soup, water chestnuts and celery into a large mixing bowl.
Stir well.
Then add chicken and mix well.

Spread half of the mixture into a 9 x 13″ baking dish.

Spread thinly sliced eggs in an even layer.
Slices of eggs are a bit more visible than chopped pieces. Picky eaters may prefer slices as they are not as easy to identify.

Spread remaining half of the chicken mixture in an even layer on top.
Then sprinkle almonds on top.

Crush Ritz crackers or buttery crackers into fine pieces.
In a small mixing bowl melt butter and stir in crushed crackers. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake uncovered for 40 – 50 minutes until brown and bubbly on top. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Hard boiled eggs can be chopped or sliced. We find slicing them makes layering a bit easier.
- Purchasing pre-cooked boiled eggs can save time over boiling the eggs in the insta pot.
- Using a rotisserie chicken saves time.
- Chicken needs to be cooked, but can be shredded or diced
- 2 cups of crushed crackers is almost 2 sleeves
- Crackers can be substituted for corn flakes or plain potato chips
- Amount of mayo can be doubled for a stronger flavor
More Delicious Meals with Chicken
Shredded Chicken Sandwiches uses cans of chicken to create sandwiches even picky eaters enjoy!
Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Sliders are an easy way to elevate sandwiches and make them so tasty.
Potato Chip Fried Chicken is a modern flair on a popular meat that is so tender and juicy!
Buffalo Chicken Roll-ups make packing a cold lunch easy, but taste great warmed up too.

Hot Chicken Casserole
Author: JenniferEquipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken diced
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup celery diced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup rice cooked
- 1 tablespoon onion grated
- 8 ounce can water chestnuts drained
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 hard boiled eggs
Topping
- 2 cups Ritz crackers crushed
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and prepare a 9 x 13" pan.
- Mix all casserole ingredients except eggs together. Pour half of the mixture into the greased baking dish.
- Slice the eggs and layer over the mixture.
- Then pour remaining mixture over the top.
Topping
- Sprinkle almonds over the casserole.
- Crush crackers and mix in melted butter then spread over almonds.
- Bake until brown and bubbly approximately 30 – 45 minutes.
I love this recipe I use slivered almonds. This recipe was passed down to me from my mother over 35 years ago! It is the perfect dish for a bridal/baby shower, or to deliver to someone who just had a baby! And if you donโt like using canned cream of chicken soup, you can make a homemade version.