This Copycat Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Recipe is a family favorite for us and a super easy recipe to whip up. It’s a cross between a casserole and your favorite broccoli cheese soup. It’s pure comfort food!
You can make this copycat recipe for about $14.26. It makes six servings for just $2.38 per serving.
We love adding broccoli into our dishes. Try any of these new recipes, like this One Pan Cheesy Broccoli Chicken, this Ground Beef and Broccoli Teriyaki, and this Chicken and Pepper Stir Fry are just a few of our favorites.
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Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
Making a fabulous copycat recipe at home is so satisfying! You get to eat restaurant-quality food for a fraction of the cost. This Cracker Barrel-style Broccoli Cheddar Chicken is no exception.
The buttered cracker crumbs with the cheesy sauce over the broccoli and tender, juicy white meat chicken is packed with flavor and drool-worthy. A cheesy wonder, a broccoli bake, a broccoli casserole, a crunchy chicken casserole, Cracker Barrel Copycat Cheesy Chicken, or whatever you call it, we call it DELICIOUS!
The next time you are craving delicious comfort food, skip the restaurant and make this restaurant remake instead. This is one of our family favorites that is an easy meal to make. We love making this during the week on busy nights.
It takes just a few minutes of prep time, and then you put it in the oven to bake. Cracker Barrel knows comfort food, and this Broccoli Cheddar Chicken recipe is no exception!
Ingredients & Cost:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts – $5.97
- 2 cans of Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup – $3.16
- 2 ½ cups milk – $0.40
- 24 ounces frozen broccoli – $2.00
- ½ teaspoon salt – $0.01
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers – $0.64
- 8 Tablespooons unsalted butter – $0.80
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese – $1.28
To learn more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
INSTRUCTIONS
- The first thing you will need to do is preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a large oven-proof casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Then, make the cheese sauce by whisking together the prepared soup and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until heated through.
- Next, place chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish. Then season the chicken with salt.
- Cover the chicken with about ¾ of the soup.
- Then, add the broccoli on top of the chicken and soup.
- Melt butter and crush the Ritz crackers before mixing them together.
- Next, sprinkle the Ritz cracker mixture over the broccoli.
- Add the remaining soup mix, and bake for 50-60 minutes. You can use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- After cooking, remove it from the oven sprinkle the top of the casserole with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for another five minutes before serving.
RECIPE VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Use a Ritz style cracker if you cannot find Ritz crackers.
- We recommend using whole milk, 2% or 1% milk. Do not use skim milk.
- Sharp cheddar cheese or cheddar cheese work well for this recipe.
STORAGE TIPS
SERVE: You can keep the Broccoli Cheddar Chicken out for about two hours before it needs to be covered and refrigerated.
STORE: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
FREEZE: We do not recommend freezing this dish. The sauce and broccoli do not freeze, defrost, and reheat well.
COOK’S TOOLS
- 16×11-inch baking dish
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Medium saucepan
RECIPE FAQs
Yes, you can put the uncooked chicken in the baking dish and the other ingredients. The bacteria will be killed once the chicken heats to 165 degrees F.
This is a filling meal, so a simple Caesar Salad and some French Bread easily complete this meal.
GET KIDS INVOLVED
Ages 2-3: Count the chicken breasts with your child as they sprinkle the Ritz cracker and butter crumble over the top of the casserole.
Ages 4-5: Your child will enjoy crushing the sleeve of Ritz crackers for you. Ask them to count the number of crackers in the sleeve before crushing them to work on their counting.
Ages 6-8: Teaching proper stove safety, ask your child to help whisk together the soup and milk mixture.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
BUDGET TIPS
Save money with this meal by not eating out. Instead, you can feed your family of six with this meal for a little more than it costs to purchase one serving of the same meal at Cracker Barrel!
MORE COPYCAT RECIPES
- Panera Mac and Cheese
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
- Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
- Copycat General Tso Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine
- Panda Express Chow Mein
- Homemade Chicken Fingers
- Copycat Chick-Fil-A- Sauce
Copycat Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 16×11-inch baking dish
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 3-3 ½ pounds
FOR THE SAUCE:
CRACKER CRUMBLE:
- 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers crushed
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
TOPPING:
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese shredded, about 2 cups
Instructions
PREP OVEN AND BAKING DISH:
- Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly spray a 16×11-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
MAKE SAUCE:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, prepare the Cheddar Cheese Soup by whisking together the soup and milk until combined and heated through.
ASSEMBLE:
- Place the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish.
- Season the chicken with salt and pour about ¾ of the soup over the chicken.
- Next, add the broccoli on top.
MAKE CRACKER CRUMBLE:
- In a small bowl combine the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter until the crackers are coated in the butter.
FINISH ASSEMBLY:
- Sprinkle the Ritz crackers over the broccoli.
- Add the remaining soup mix.
- Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit with an instant-read thermometer.
TO FINISH:
- Remove the casserole from the oven and top with the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 5 more minutes.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Anjali says
This recipe was total comfort food for my family – everyone loved it!
Tracy says
Thank you for recreating one of our favorites! We love this!! Such a delicious recipe and new family favorite!
Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
This might be the ultimate comfort food meal. This would be great to bring to Easter brunch!
Mahy says
Broccoli? Yes please. Cheddar? Yes please! Chicken? Yes please. I love it all!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
This looks like a perfect family meal that is so easy to do and really tasty.