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Crispy Cheddar Chicken

by Jamie
I have a simple dinner recipe for you today. Simple and easy and tasty and smile provoking…an all around treasure. 
I love it when smiles are provoked. Heck. I’ll take a smile from my kids even without provoking it! It’s just so much nicer when people smile instead of whine. 
 
Do you like whining?
Not a fan, myself. 
Speaking of my children…the other day we were watching a cooking show on The Food Network and one of my kids said…
“Hey Mom, you like to cook. 
Why don’t you be the cooker on that show?”
My response?
“I’m pretty sure The Food Network frowns upon cookers who use cream of chicken soup. I think I’m out.”
Especially since just last week three of the trial recipes I made for this little ol blog
crashed and burned in failure. I used real cream in all of them!
Cross your fingers that real cream and I can become friends soon. 
I hear from the good folks on The Food Network that it’s a mighty fine ingredient.
 
Now. Do I feel embarrassed about cooking with cream of chicken soup? Heavens no! I just bought three cases of it last month.
Should you feel embarrassed about cooking with
cream of chicken soup? 
 
Of course not! 
Are you the cooking she-rah for your family or what?
Do make food that provokes a smile?
Do your family members occasionally say things like…
“You are The Bomb, Mom. What ever you made with that trusty old cream of chicken soup is rocking my world.”
 
I thought so.
I knew you were great! 
We cream of chicken soup lovin’ ladies have to stick together.
 


Serve This With

Rice Pilaf with Almonds 
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Baked French Fries
Roasted Broccoli with Balsamic Glaze
Glazed Rosemary Carrots
Roasted Asparagus 

 Now, let me show you how to make this crispy chicken happen!
1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks. 
 
2. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers. 
 
 
3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk…
 
then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don’t worry about it.
 
 
Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don’t let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers.
 
5. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. 
 
6. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. 
7. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy. 
8. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken. 
Enjoy!
The last
Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 7 servings

***Note: This recipe makes a great freezer meal. Assemble the chicken according to recipe instructions, but don't bake it. Cover your pan tightly with foil and freeze. When you are ready to use it let it thaw completely and then bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. It's best to make the sauce fresh, when you are ready to eat.

Ingredients

Chicken:
4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 C milk
3 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 t dried parsley
 
Sauce:
1   10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 T sour cream
2 T butter

Instructions

1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.
2. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers.
3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don't worry about it. Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don't let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers.
5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.
6. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.
7. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.
8. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.
https://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken/
Recipe from adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago via Pinterest

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761 comments

Jen Blacker October 13, 2011 - 11:56 am

You can always make your own cream of chicken soup base (dry ingredients kept in a baggy, add the liquid when you're ready to go). I've done it a few times but yes, busy mom's use canned soup too! 🙂

I wonder how Melba Toast would work with this recipe instead of the crackers. I use MT to make crispy chicken drumsticks often as my son eats all the other crackers in the house.

I'll have to try your recipe soon it really looks good! Anything with cheese can't go wrong.

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Dawn October 13, 2011 - 1:35 pm

looks and sounds yummy!! i've used ritz crackers, italian dressing and par cheese to make chicken and my girls love it so I'll have to try this! thanks!

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Danielle October 13, 2011 - 2:56 pm

Looks yummy. We are definitely fans of canned cream soups in this house lol.

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Anonymous October 13, 2011 - 5:07 pm

I have to say that simple recipes often go further than the 'gourmet' –and your photography is simply beautiful. It is so beautiful, I'd try the recipe just based on that! oh- and I AM making it this week-cream soup and all !

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Sheri Graziano October 13, 2011 - 5:56 pm

I agree on the photography comment. Great mouth watering photo. I will definitely add this recipe to my “easy night” recipes.

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Jenn October 13, 2011 - 7:14 pm

Ummmm easy. YUMM! I can't wait to try this at my house!

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Peklet Mom October 13, 2011 - 9:33 pm

I applaud you for using cream of chicken soup. So many blogs out there are so gourmet that we busy moms can easily get frustrated when trying to make dinner, change a diaper (wash hands), kiss a skinned knee, calm a child who has just awakened from her nap, change another diaper (wash hands), and help the toddler on the potty (wash hands again!) all while trying to get dinner on the table. Thanks for keepin' it real. Gotta love cream of chicken soup! It's a life saver.

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Anonymous March 19, 2012 - 2:35 am

I smiled the whole time reading this comment! That is my life in a nutshell! I am very thankful for the canned soups! 🙂

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Anonymous May 17, 2012 - 2:25 am

I smiled too! After the day I've had, 4 month old on nap strike and 2.5 year old potty training, this is my entire life!!! It's such a relief to read these posts- motherhood can feel so lonely sometimes and it's amazing how complete strangers can help me feel not so alone! We are in this together!

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The Sassy Butterfly's Chaotic Musings October 13, 2011 - 9:49 pm

Canned soup ROCKS! I do the homemade with cream version for 'special' occasions.. but I'm a busy mom during the week and canned soups are often helpers in my dishes!

Tonight I made this but w/ a few variations:
I used the Roasted Vegetable Ritz crackers (YUM!), Monterey Jack with a bit of parmesan, and buttermilk to dip them into. I omitted the salt and pepper because the flavored crackers added tons of flavor. Instead of the creamy soup 'gravy' I opted for some JARRED (gasp! lol) garlic alfredo sauce and boiled up some Ziti pasta and slathered it over the chicken and the pasta. YUM YUM! Thanks for a great and EASY idea!

~Wendy

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Kim B. October 14, 2011 - 12:00 am

I'm sending you a cyber HIGH FIVE!! I just made a chicken & rice dish last night with cream of chicken soup & it was DELISH!! Can't WAIT to make this recipe too….looks super YUMMY!! Love the FABULOUS picture tutorial too, soo inspiring! Thanks for sharing 🙂

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[email protected] October 14, 2011 - 1:09 am

This looks delicious! I love cream of chicken soup – I use it all the time! Who cares as long as it tastes good!!

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rsuz October 14, 2011 - 4:52 am

Well I *was* going to make chicken pot pie for dinner tomorrow night, but now I'm making THIS!

I'd have to agree with Peklet Mom's sentiments when she said “Thanks for keepin' it real”!

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Anonymous October 14, 2011 - 12:45 pm

I made this last night and it was really easy and very good! My husband gave it 2 thumbs up! The gravy is a must!!! Thanks for posting!

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Terry October 14, 2011 - 3:54 pm

Jamie, When I saw the word “Crispy” I thought hmm, must be fried. Then I saw the word Cheddar and I wondered “What the?” So I had to check it out more closely. I was so happy to see this was baked. I know it is far from low cal, but still, it's not fried! Thank you again for all your work. Also, I want to thank you for putting an option to print the recipes WITH a picture. It really helps me – I love seeing what it 'should' look like when I get done making it. You Rock.

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Dawn October 15, 2011 - 12:15 am

We tried this for dinner last night and it was a hit! I was told I should have made a double batch! lol
Thanks for the great recipe! =)

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Tiffany October 17, 2011 - 12:40 am

Just made this recipe but instead of the sauce I made an Alfredo and served it over penne pasta! AMAZING and SUPER easy!

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Anonymous October 18, 2011 - 2:02 am

Used panko bread crumbs instead of the crackers and pre-cut chicken tenderloins and it came was delicious! And I couldn't believe how easy it was. Thank you!

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Kristy October 18, 2011 - 3:22 pm

Sounds fantastic to me!! I think I know what's for dinner tonight! Oh, and BTW, what you just did with that trusty can of cream of chicken soup? It's rocking my world! 😉

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Walkerfam00 October 18, 2011 - 10:44 pm

I found your recipe on Pinterest, and I made it for dinner tonight. My very picky daughter loved it! I used Roasted Vegetable Ritz (like another commenter did) and omitted the salt in the breading. Delicious! Thanks so much! I will definitely be getting lost in your blog for several hours in the near future!

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Jamie October 19, 2011 - 2:15 am

I had a REALLY hard time getting my cheese to stick to the chicken. I ended up mixing the cheese with the cracker crumbs…..BUT wow was this good! My daughter said I should make this once a week (along with the delicious rice pilaf)!

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Sandy January 23, 2012 - 1:59 am

I, also, had a hard time getting the cheese to stick, and mixed them but still didn't get much to stick so I spread all the leftover crumb/cheese mixture over all the chicken pieces in the pan. It was a hit. Next time I will pound the chicken though. It was too thick and dense.

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Amanda October 25, 2011 - 5:17 pm

Soup-er : ) tasty! I'm with Jamie though, I had a hard time getting the cheese to stick–I use skim and didn't know if the lack of fat had anything to do with that. I wisked an egg in with the milk after 2 pieces and switched to a fine grate cheese and it helped a bit. And I had a TON of cracker crumbs left. One sleeve of Ritz would have done it for me. All that being said–it was yummy and my picky people ate it up!

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LC Hunt October 26, 2011 - 8:09 pm

Looks so good that I can print the pics and eat … LOL. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe. I'm going to try it and the Banana Chocolate Chip muffins. I am new to your blog and now following through GFC. Hugs & Blessings.

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Anonymous October 26, 2011 - 10:54 pm Reply
Hannie C October 27, 2011 - 3:23 pm

wow!! looks so delicious! definitely in my dinner menu soon.

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Candice October 27, 2011 - 6:48 pm

This was very good! 🙂 My sauce was very yellow though – is that normal? Yours is creamy white and much more appealing. It tasted great regardless just wonder if Imissed a step for the sauch?

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Amanda C October 29, 2011 - 12:52 am

This recipe is the BEST! My kids devoured it!! I will say that I added some spices to the chicken before preparing it 🙂 My family needs food with a a kick lol

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Dustin & Kate November 1, 2011 - 11:59 pm

Just tried this for the first time. (Found the recipe on Pinterest) It was SUPER yummy! A hit with my hubby and kids. This will be going on the regular dinner rotation for sure. Thanks!

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Anonymous November 2, 2011 - 11:19 pm

Just made this and it was DELICIOUS!! thank you so much for sharing!!!

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Chrissy.Barile November 4, 2011 - 3:39 pm

I made this the other night. SOOO good & easy!! Thank you for sharing!

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Anonymous November 4, 2011 - 5:29 pm

I made this last night…..my husband said it was fantastic! I haven't heard that in awhile. In fact the people in his office want the recipe too, they say his leftovers.

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Lori A. November 7, 2011 - 5:01 pm

I made this last week for my family and EVERYONE loved it. I am making it again tonight!

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Anonymous November 7, 2011 - 10:45 pm

Its on the oven now…smells like mac and cheese and looks a m a z i ng

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Wendy Space November 9, 2011 - 12:12 am

I made this tonight. I had to use the cheese and crackers all in one, also. It wasn't as crispy as I thought it should be, so I'll make some adjustments next time, but there will definitely be a next time. Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe!

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Anonymous November 12, 2011 - 1:36 am

I made this tonight! Yummy!! I used Saltine Multi grain crackers instead of the Ritz. Also used in sauce, cream of chicken reduced sodium (no MSG) in it. Light sour cream and Smart Balance instead of butter. I also added a little milk to the sauce because it was still a little thick. I recommend you try this yummy!

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Julie @White Lights on Wednesday November 13, 2011 - 2:01 am

This chicken looks so yummy. I'm a canned soup girl. I have made friends with cream, but cream of mushroom soup keeps the man happy. Thanks for the confidence boost. I see a lot of my favorite food bloggers doing their 100% fresh stuff, which is great and good for them if they can do that all the time, but I have a 2 year old, 7 month old and Daddy works 2 jobs so I can stay home with the kids. Needless to say, the quicker/eaier dinner can be the better.

I'm looking forward to discovering more recipes on your site!

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Jess November 14, 2011 - 11:51 pm

I pinned this weeks ago but finally got around to making it and it was a HUGE hit at my house!! It was so good that my son said I should do the same thing to our turkey for Thanksgiving!! We love cream of chicken soup, btw! Thanks so much for such a yummy idea!

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Anonymous November 15, 2011 - 12:53 am

Just fixed this recipe tonight. It was absolutely delicious and so easy to make! The family loved it! Thank you for making “dinner” easy again.

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Karen November 15, 2011 - 1:43 am

Making this tonight! It smells divine!! 🙂

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Anonymous November 15, 2011 - 10:56 pm

Very good.

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Britt01 November 17, 2011 - 1:28 am

This is seriously now a family favorite meal! I only had trouble getting my cheese to stick to the chicken, but I ended up just dumping the rest of the crackers and cheese on top of it in the dish!

My husband would have licked the plate if he could have! The gravy was AMAZING!

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Anonymous November 18, 2011 - 1:50 pm

This was delicious!!!!! Thinking of substituting the ritz crackers with ground up french onions. Thanks for sharing!

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Katie November 19, 2011 - 6:02 pm

I'm making this next week.

I think Food Network was a lot more appealing when it was cooking for real people instead of all gourmet (nothing wrong with gourmet, but not something I can do every night) – anywho, where would Food Network be without Paula Deen, and I'm sure she wouldn't shy away from canned soup in a recipe!

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brlracincwgrl November 23, 2011 - 4:10 pm

This looks like perfect comfort food! I can't wait to make it! Found you via Pinterest! 🙂

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Whitney November 28, 2011 - 11:49 pm

So, I'm making this right now… looks so good!! BUT.. I have a question: I'm making up the sauce, and after I added the can of soup I noticed the recipe calls for a 14oz can and the Campbells one I had was only 10 3/4 oz. So, I added just under half of another can of soup. Was that wrong?? It seemed really thick, so I thinned it out with some milk and a little more sour cream.

Should I have only added on can?? I didn't even know they made 14 oz cans of condensed soup.

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Jamie Cooks It Up! November 29, 2011 - 11:18 pm

Whitney,
It only needs one can of cream of chicken soup. You are correct, it is a 10 ounce can that you need. There was a little typo. Thanks for making me aware of it. Hope it turned out good still!
~Jamie

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Erica June 4, 2023 - 3:13 pm

Is it teaspoons or tablespoons in the directions? We are trying this tonight.

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Jamie June 5, 2023 - 10:42 am

Hi Erica,
T stands for Tablespoon and t stands for teaspoon. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe. Good luck!
~Jamie

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Christine November 30, 2011 - 9:19 pm

Jamie, I wonder if a different soup would work? I have cheddar cheese soup in a can and cream of mushroom soup. Trying to utilize whats already in my pantry as much as I can, what do you think?

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sara :) December 1, 2011 - 12:24 am

I am making this for the second time in 2 weeks. It is AMAZING.

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Jamie Cooks It Up! December 1, 2011 - 4:53 am

Chritine,
I would use the Cream of Mushroom. I bet it would work great. Good luck!
~Jamie

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Amanda December 4, 2011 - 6:37 pm

I'm not sure what went wrong. I made the recipe according to the instructions listed here, but I had a lot of trouble getting the cheese to stick. The breading never got crispy. It stayed really mushy and fell off, when i went to plate it. Suggestions? :/

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Tripp December 5, 2011 - 11:38 pm

cooking it now. it just looked too good not to try

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mandi December 6, 2011 - 12:30 am

I got this from pintrest and I just made this, it is actually still in the oven and it looks and smells so yummy! i can't wait to try it. I will definitely post about how yummy it turns out!

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