Take-out Tuesday, Comfort Chicken and Gravy Dinner

the Painted Apron

4 years ago

I love something cozy and comforting for dinner after a busy day…

How about some old fashioned chicken and gravy

with green beans and rice

AND!

Guess what?

It’s easy peasy breezy to put together!

There are many versions of this baked chicken dish floating around,

also known as Cracker Chicken or Ritz Cracker Chicken

The chicken is coated with cheese and crushed Ritz cracker crumbs

The secret in my version is coating the chicken with mayonnaise

before covering with cheese and crackers

The mayonnaise makes the chicken soooo tender and moist

and don’t worry, mayonnaise haters won’t even know it’s there

It also acts as a glue to hold the cheese and cracker coating on

After coating the chicken with mayonnaise,

roll it in the grated cheese and then the seasoned cracker crumbs

Place the pieces side by side in a prepared casserole dish

and top with any remaining coating

You can make the gravy in advance too

Melt butter in a large measuring cup and stir in the soup,

buttermilk, and sour cream

Cut butter into small pieces and distribute over top of chicken

The chicken and gravy can be refrigerated at this point

for baking and heating later if desired

Bake the chicken covered in a 350 oven for 30 minutes

and then uncover and continue baking for 15 minutes

until chicken is cooked through and golden and crispy

You can heat the gravy right in the measuring cup in the microwave,

in minute intervals, stirring, until it is hot

or you can heat it in sauce pan on the stove top if preferred

Top chicken with gravy and serve with rice and green beans

for a hearty and comforting meal

To keep it extra easy I used Ready Rice and frozen green beans

that only take minutes to cook in the microwave

Comfort Chicken and Gravy

Chicken baked with a cheese and cracker crumb coating until crispy then topped with a creamy chicken gravy~ serve it with rice and green beans for an ultimate comfort food meal!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword baked chicken, cheesy cracker chicken, chicken casserole, comfort food, easy dinner, oven fried chicken

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Servings 4

Ingredients

Chicken

2 lbs chicken tenders or boneless breasts cut into tenders
Ritz crackers
Salt and pepper
garlic powder to taste
mayonnaise I recommend Duke's or Hellman's
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
butter for topping

Gravy

1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 T sour cream
2 T butter
1/4 c buttermilk

Instructions

Chicken

Crush crackers and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder
Coat chicken with mayo, then cheese, pressing cheese onto chicken.
Dip in crackers and press to coat.
Grease baking dish and put chicken in pan.
Top with small butter pieces.
Chicken can be refrigerated at this point for cooking later if desired
Bake covered at 350 for 30 min. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and golden.

Gravy

Melt butter and combine with chicken soup, buttermilk and sour cream
Refrigerate at this point if making ahead if desired
Heat gravy at the end of chicken baking time, either in the microwave in one minute intervals, stirring or in a sauce pan on the stove top
Put hot gravy over chicken and serve