Poppy Seed Chicken

“And now my beauties, something with poison in it I think, with poison in it… attractive to the eye and soothing to the smell. Poppies, poppies, poppies will put them to sleep, sleep. Now they’ll sleep”

Do you know what famous movie this line is from? I am sure most of you know exactly what movie that is from. If you guessed The Wizard of Oz, ding, ding, ding, you are right!

I can assure you this recipe doesn’t have poison it, just deliciousness. This is another one of my go-to recipes. My entire family loves this one so much that I usually double the recipe. It is also freezer friendly meaning you can assemble, and then freeze before baking. When ready to use, simply thaw and bake according to directions.

Here are a few tips:

This recipe calls for 4 to 6 chicken breasts. I like to use a whole chicken. It is cheaper than boneless skinless chicken breasts and adds more flavor. I like to put the chicken in the crockpot overnight on low, and when I wake up it is done. You can add water if you like, but it is not necessary since the chicken will make its own juices. I just let it cool, and then pull it apart.

This recipe calls for one stick of melted butter. I don’t know about you, but I would rather not take the chance of all that butter going straight to my thighs! So, I cut the butter in thin slices and place on the casserole. It melts and works just as well.

Warning! Poppy seeds can show positive for opium on a drug test. I make half the casserole without seeds since the Navy does random drug testing. It wouldn’t look good if the head pharmacist tests positive for drugs. That is one hassle he would like to avoid.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do! I would love to hear the results.

Buon Appetito!