Creamy Cheesy Chicken & Potato Casserole

There are several things we love in our house. Cheese is probably one of the biggest ones. It's pretty much a requirement to love cheese if you want to be in our family. There is cheese in almost every meal, whether it's in the main dish or the side dish. So, this casserole is considered a favorite, and it is very cheesy. It's definitely not healthy, but that's what running is for. It is our cheesy chicken and potato casserole.

Here is what you need:

• 1.5-2 lb of boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (30 oz) bag of frozen hash brown potatoes
• 2 cups of sour cream
• 1 (8 oz) block of softened cream cheese 
• 1 (10.75 oz) can of cream of chicken soup
• 2 1/2 cups of shredded cheese
• We prefer sharp cheddar, but you can really use whatever type you want 
• Salt and pepper to your preference
• 1 1/2 crushed sleeves of Ritz Crackers
• You can use 3-4 cups of Corn Flakes if you would prefer
• 4 Tbsp. of melted butter

Here is what you do:

• Boil your chicken, let it cool, then shred it.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 in baking dish with Pam.
• Beat together the sour cream, cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, salt, and pepper in a large bowl (and I do mean large). 
• You can stir it with a spoon, but it's faster to beat it with a hand mixer.

• Stir in your hash browns. I suggest doing this a little at a time to make it blend more evenly.
• Stir in your shredded chicken until everything is blended evenly.
• Stir in two cups of your cheese.
• Pour the mixture into the dish and spread it out evenly.
• Add the last 1/2 cup of cheese on top- we really love cheese!
• In a medium-sized bowl, melt your butter, then stir in the crushed Ritz Crackers.
• Spread the Ritz mixture over the top of the casserole.
• Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

We LOVE Ritz Crackers, so that's why I used so many to top the casserole with. If you would like less topping, just divide the amount of butter and the amount of Ritz Crackers (or Corn Flakes) you mix together. 

Another thing you can do is throw in some vegetables! I didn't do any this time, but adding about 2 cups of peas or green beans would be a great way to get picky little ones to eat some veggies.

CM went back for seconds, and I wasn't really surprised. So I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!