Ritz Chicken Casserole: Old Fashioned Recipe

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease your 9x13 baking dish with butter or non stick spray. Note: This prevents the rice from sticking to the corners.
2. Combine the creamy base components. In your large bowl, whisk together the 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup, 1 cup sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper until the mixture is completely smooth and streak free.
3. Fold in the chicken and vegetables. Add your 4 cups of shredded chicken and 1 cup of frozen peas to the bowl. Note: Stir gently so you don't break the chicken into a mushy paste.
4. Incorporate the cooked rice. Add the 2 cups of white rice to the mixture and stir until every grain is coated in the sauce.
5. Transfer to the baking dish. Spread the mixture evenly into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with your spatula.
6. Engineer the topping. In a separate small bowl, combine the 2 sleeves of crushed crackers with 0.5 cup of melted butter and the fresh parsley. Mix until it looks like wet sand.
7. Apply the golden layer. Sprinkle the buttered crackers evenly over the chicken mixture, ensuring you cover all the way to the edges.
8. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the topping is a deep golden brown.
9. Monitor the color. If the crackers are browning too fast, loosely tent the top with foil for the last 10 minutes.
10. Rest before serving. Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and the rice absorbs the remaining steam.