Marry Me Chicken Casserole (Printable)

A comforting baked dish of tender chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and creamy, cheesy sauce topped with buttery crumbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed (rotisserie or poached)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
03 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

→ Pantry

11 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
12 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
13 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
14 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Topping

16 - 1 1/2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve, crushed)
17 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
18 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté diced onion for 3 minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chopped spinach to the skillet; cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes.
04 - Lower heat and stir in softened cream cheese until melted and smooth.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth. Mix in dried Italian herbs, crushed red pepper flakes if using, salt, and black pepper. Simmer mixture for 2 minutes.
06 - Stir in shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese until fully melted and the sauce is creamy.
07 - Add the cooked chicken to the skillet and mix until the chicken is evenly coated with the sauce. Remove from heat.
08 - Transfer the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
09 - In a separate bowl, combine Ritz cracker crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle evenly over the casserole top.
10 - Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping turns golden brown.
11 - Allow casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Optionally, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but comes together in less than an hour start to finish.
  • The creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach feels fancy without any complicated technique.
  • You can assemble it the night before and just bake it when guests arrive.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Do not skip lowering the heat before adding cream cheese or it will seize up and turn grainy instead of melting smoothly.
  • If your sauce looks too thick, add a splash more broth before baking, it tightens up in the oven.
  • Let the casserole rest after baking or the first scoop will be soupy and slide apart.
03 -
  • Shred your own mozzarella from a block instead of using pre-shredded, it melts smoother and does not have that weird coating.
  • Crush the Ritz crackers in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin for the perfect texture, not too fine and not too chunky.
  • If the top browns too quickly, tent the casserole loosely with foil for the last ten minutes of baking.
Go Back