Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole is a creamy baked chicken casserole loaded with the good stuff: tender cooked chicken in a sour cream and cream of chicken sauce with two cups of sharp cheddar, crisp bacon, green onions and slivered almonds, all under a buttery Ritz cracker topping. It bakes uncovered at 350°F until golden and bubbling, and it serves 6.
How to make it: Toss crushed Ritz crackers with melted butter. Stir the chicken, soup, sour cream, garlic and onion powder, cheddar, green onions, almonds and bacon together, spread it in a 9×13 dish, top with the crumbs, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Mix and bake: no pre-cooking beyond the bacon; everything stirs together in one bowl.
- Rotisserie friendly: four cups of store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken is all you need.
- Creamy and crunchy: a rich, cheesy filling under a golden cracker crust, with almonds for extra crunch.
- Good for company: easy enough for a weeknight, and it can be made ahead for potlucks and holidays.
Ingredient Notes
Cooked chicken: Four cups, diced. Rotisserie chicken works great, and leftover chicken or turkey does too.
Cream of chicken soup and sour cream: One 10.5-ounce can of condensed soup and a cup of sour cream make the creamy base. Greek yogurt can replace some or all of the sour cream.
Sharp cheddar: Two cups, shredded. Shred your own or use a bag of pre-shredded cheese.
Bacon: Six slices, cooked crisp and crumbled, plus a little extra for the top. Pre-cooked bacon is a shortcut.
Green onions and almonds: Three sliced green onions and half a cup of slivered almonds. The almonds are optional.
Ritz crackers and butter: One sleeve, about 32 crackers, crushed and tossed with half a stick of melted butter, salted or unsalted.
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, about 32, crushed
- 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), melted
- 4 cups cooked chicken, diced; rotisserie works
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup (1 can)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, optional
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, plus more for topping
How to Make Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Butter the crackers. Stir the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter together in a bowl and set aside.
3. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, cheddar, green onions, almonds and bacon.
4. Fill the dish. Spread the chicken mixture evenly in the baking dish and level it with a spatula.
5. Top. Sprinkle the buttery cracker crumbs evenly over the top.
6. Bake. Bake uncovered on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is golden, the casserole is bubbling and the center reaches 165°F. Cool for 5 minutes, then garnish with extra bacon and green onions and serve.
What Makes It a Neiman Marcus Casserole?
Start with a classic Ritz chicken casserole, meaning chicken, cream of chicken soup and sour cream under buttered crackers, and add four things. Those four are what set this one apart.
Sharp cheddar. Two cups go right into the filling. For an extra cheesy top, hold back half a cup and sprinkle it over the filling before the crackers go on.
Crisp bacon. Six slices, crumbled into the filling, with a little more scattered over the top after baking. Use up to eight if you love bacon.
Green onions. Stirred in and sprinkled on at the end.
Slivered almonds. Half a cup in the filling, or up to three-quarters of a cup. A few more scattered over the crackers toast golden in the oven.
A splash of hot sauce, 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons, balances the richness.
| Casserole | Creamy base | Mix-ins |
|---|---|---|
| Neiman Marcus (this recipe) | Condensed soup with sour cream | Cheddar, bacon, green onions, almonds |
| Ritz cracker chicken casserole | Condensed soup with sour cream | Green onions |
| Million dollar chicken casserole | Cream cheese and cottage cheese | Soup and sour cream |
Why the name? It is believed to be one of the recipes associated with the Neiman Marcus department store and the comforting dishes of its cafes. It may not be their exact recipe; the link comes through tradition and years of recipe swapping.
Tips for Success
What if the top browns too fast?
Lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish for the rest of the bake. It can take 30 to 35 minutes before the edges bubble.
How do I keep the chicken from turning mushy?
Fold the filling gently once the chicken goes in, just until everything is combined.
Should it rest?
Yes. Five to 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven lets the filling settle before you scoop it.
Variations
- With hot sauce: stir 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of hot sauce into the filling.
- Cream cheese version: beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup mayonnaise, then fold in 3 cups chicken, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, 1 cup mozzarella, almonds and green onions. Top with 1 1/2 cups buttered cracker crumbs and bake 25 to 30 minutes, then add the last 1/2 cup of cheddar for 5 minutes more.
- Lighter: use Greek yogurt for part or all of the sour cream.
- Turkey: use leftover turkey in place of the chicken.
- No almonds: leave them out; the casserole still has the crunchy cracker top.
Storage & Reheating
To make it ahead, assemble the casserole and keep it in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days before baking, or freeze it and bake it later. For leftovers, USDA FSIS says to refrigerate within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Cream sauces don’t freeze well, so the filling may look a little different after thawing. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat until it reaches 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Add a green side like smothered green beans and, for a holiday table, an easy creamy corn casserole. If you like this one, compare it with the simpler Ritz cracker chicken casserole or the extra-rich million dollar chicken casserole. For more chicken bakes, try the chicken bacon ranch casserole with potatoes or a broccoli rice cheese and chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in Neiman Marcus chicken casserole?
Cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, garlic and onion powder, sharp cheddar, green onions, slivered almonds and crumbled bacon, under crushed Ritz crackers tossed with melted butter.
Why do they call it Neiman Marcus chicken casserole?
It is believed to be linked to the Neiman Marcus department store and its cafes. It may not be the store’s exact recipe; the name has been passed along through tradition and recipe exchanges.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Assemble it and refrigerate for 1 to 3 days before baking, or freeze it and bake it later.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes. One store-bought rotisserie chicken gives about the 4 cups of shredded or diced chicken you need.
Can I freeze Neiman Marcus chicken casserole?
Yes. Freeze it assembled and bake it later, or freeze baked leftovers for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator, never on the counter, and bake or reheat until the center reaches 165°F. The creamy sauce may look slightly different after freezing.
Is it the same as Ritz cracker chicken casserole?
Close, but no. Both start with chicken, condensed soup and sour cream under buttered Ritz crumbs. This one adds two cups of sharp cheddar, crumbled bacon, green onions and slivered almonds.
Final Notes
Crumble a little extra bacon for the top so every serving gets some. If you make this, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers about 32, crushed
- 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 stick, melted
- 4 cups cooked chicken diced; rotisserie works
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds optional
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Stir the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter together in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, cheddar, green onions, almonds and bacon.
- Spread the chicken mixture evenly in the baking dish and level it with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the buttery cracker crumbs evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is golden, the casserole is bubbling and the center reaches 165°F. Cool for 5 minutes, then garnish with extra bacon and green onions and serve.
