Poppy Seed Chicken

Not everyone is a fan of casseroles. Our family happens to love them so I do make them quite often. I found this recipe in a Cooking with Paula Deen magazine and thought that it sounded good. It was the mushrooms that caught my eye. I am a huge fan of mushrooms so almost anything with that ingredient sounds good to me. You might notice that something is missing from my version of this. I left out the poppy seeds, only because I didn't have any. I'm not sure that it would have changed the flavor any but I will assure you that it was very good without them. Next time I make it I will add them and see if there is a difference. Now I know Paula Deen is famous for her unhealthy obsession with butter, lots and lots of butter. I don't share that same obsession with her. I wish I could have the same care free attitude but I take my health and my families health to seriously. This recipe has a total of 4 Tbsp of butter in it which actually isn't that bad, for our friend Paula. I was able to cut down the amount of butter that is mixed with the cracker topping without compromising on taste. You can follow suit or be a little more care free like Paula and use the whole amount. The recipe below is the original. You can cut it in half if you don't have a lot of people to feed. I hope you enjoy!

Poppy Seed Chicken
Cooking with Paula Deen

1 Tbsp butter
2 (8oz) packages sliced portobella mushrooms
7 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream (I used light)
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
3 Tbsp butter, melted
2 cups crushed butter-flavored crackers like Ritz Crackers
Hot cooked white or brown rice

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat; add mushrooms and saute for 7-8 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine mushrooms, chicken, chicken soup, sour cream, almonds, and poppy seeds. Pour chicken mixture into prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter and crackers; sprinkle over chicken mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer until bubbly. Serve over rice.