Aunt Trish's Poppy Seed Chicken

This delicious little nugget is often requested here....I actually haven't made it in about a month though....I ran out of poppy seeds and kept forgetting to get more at the store....yes, sometimes I am scatterbrained....

* Warning* Please don't make this dish if you think there might be drug testing the next day at your place of employment....poppy seeds will cause your test to show a positive for drugs....and I really don't want to be responsible for that....I mean...I want you to like me, not sue me cause you lost your job....

Let's set this thing up shall we...

first the players....

chicken, butter, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, sour cream, 3 sleeves of round crackers, and of course poppy seeds...

the first thing you want to do is boil your chicken....later you will shred it and add it to the rest of the ingredients....I don't have a picture...really, who wants to see boiling chicken??...when it's done, it's time to preheat the oven...350 degrees, if you please...

while your chicken is cooling down....add your 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, 1 16 oz container of sour cream, and 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds together in a bowl...

C offered to stir all that up for me....he likes to help....

since your chicken is still cooling....it's time for some therapy....especially if you've just 1. dropped a empty pickle jar and spent 10 minutes cleaning up the glass...and 2. decided to get a drink of 7up only to have the bottle spew part of it's contents down the front of your shirt...yep, then rinse and repeat....LOL

now, you can do this any way you like...but me...I like the option of taking out my frustrations on defenseless crackers....it's fun...and I get to beat things with my rolling pin :)

I have found that if I do it carefully....I can crush up all the crackers in their little sleeves....sure it might take me an extra minute....but there's no mess and it's fun...also...feel free to pretend it's anyone you please...say, husbands who feel the need to tease all the time....or pesky kiddos who just can't seem to get ready for school in a timely manner...(ok, I know...I know...I don't really do that...I just like bashing the crackers with my rolling pin)

after you've finished beating your crackers into submission...melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter or margarine in the microwave...put crackers into a bowl and pour melted butter over them....stir to combine...

mmm....butter....(the only thing I like better than butter and crushed crackers is butter and crushed cornflakes....but, that's on hashbrown casserole, and I'm not making that today)

Place half of your cracker butter mix in the bottom of your casserole dish....the other half will go on the top later...

lets revisit our chicken shall we....

shred your chicken....I like the 2 forks method, but you can do it however you prefer....then add it to your soup/sour cream/poppy seed mixture...

give it a good stir....

spread the poppy seed chicken mixture in the pan on top of the cracker crumb "crust"....try to smooth it out pretty good....

look down....realize you are being watched....by an ewok...or small wookie maybe....feel a little creeped out...then carry on...LOL

put remaining cracker mixture on top of the poppy seed chicken....pay no attention to the other casserole in the corner....

Pop in the oven (already preheated to 350 degrees) for 35 minutes...

mmm....looks tasty huh....

serve some up to a hungry child....

or just eat it yourself....it's soo good....

Aunt Trish's Poppy Seed Chicken

Ingredients

6 chicken breasts (I've used as little as 4 before and it was fine) stewed, deboned (if there are bones) and shredded

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 16 oz carton of sour cream

2 tablespoons of poppy seeds

1 box (3 sleeves) of round crackers crushed

1 1/2 sticks of butter or margarine melted

Boil your chicken breasts in a pot on the stove. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While your chicken is cooling (wow, I almost put while your breasts are cooling...LOL)...in a bowl combine your soup, sour cream, and poppy seeds and set aside. Crush 3 sleeves of round crackers. Melt your butter and combine with your crackers. Place half of the cracker mixture in the bottom of your casserole dish.  Shred your chicken and add it to the poppy seed mixture, stirring to combine. Pour this over your cracker "crust" spreading out evenly. Top with remaining cracker mixture and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Remove from oven...let cool a bit...and enjoy!