Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole

Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole is creamy, cheesy, and loaded with tender chicken, bacon, and a buttery Ritz cracker topping.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken casserole recipes, copycat recipes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 548kcal

Author Kathleen

Prep the oven and pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (177ºC). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the chicken (4 cups), cream of chicken soup (1 can), sour cream (1 cup), 1 1/2 cups cheddar, bacon (6 slices), about ⅓ cup of the green onions, ⅓ cup almonds, hot sauce (1 1/2 teaspoons), garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon), onion powder (1/2 teaspoon), and black pepper (1/2 teaspoon). Stir just until evenly combined.
Assemble. Spread the chicken mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar evenly over the filling.
Make the topping. Combine the crushed Ritz crackers (1 1/2 cups) with the melted butter (4 tablespoons). Sprinkle evenly over the cheese, then scatter the remaining 3 tablespoons of slivered almonds over the crackers.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the topping and almonds are golden brown.
Finish and serve. Let stand for 5–10 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining green onions and serve hot.

Don’t automatically add salt. Bacon, cheddar, condensed soup, and Ritz crackers already bring plenty of sodium to the casserole. Taste your ingredients first, especially if you’re using rotisserie chicken.
Homemade chicken gives you the most control. Plain cooked chicken keeps the casserole flavorful without pushing it into overly salty territory.
Use unsalted butter. There’s already plenty of seasoning in the other ingredients, so salted butter isn’t necessary.
Shred your own cheddar. Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly and gives the filling a creamier texture.
Don’t pulverize the crackers. Rough crumbs and a few larger pieces create a much better crunchy topping than cracker dust.
Don’t overbake. Everything in the filling is already cooked. Bake only until the casserole is thoroughly heated, bubbling around the edges, and golden on top.