Poppyseed Chicken- With A Twist

I've never been to a potluck where there wasn't one or five casserole dishes filled with poppy-seed chicken. It is comfort food at it's finest in my opinion.
This dish reminds me of growing up in church and attending countless potlucks after church and running and playing with my friends while our parents chatted it up over this dish, chicken tetrazzini, corn casserole, KFC (you know there was always KFC at the potluck- served on a fancy dish no less to fool you into thinking it was homemade), and all the desserts you could imagine.
I love this recipe.

The thing about poppy-seed chicken is that it isn't filled with tons of flavor- which is probably it's a kid pleaser.
My husband prefers foods with flavor so we add a few extra things to give this dish the right amount of kick while keeping it true to it's origin. We also use chicken tenders instead of cubes of chicken as we like the consistency better.

My Aunt Debra actually introduced me into how to make it this way.

Here is what you'll need:
-1 frozen package (the big bag you find in the freezer section) of chicken tenders
-1 16 oz. container sour cream (I sometimes use light)
-2 cans cream of chicken soup
-thyme
-paprika
-1 roll of Ritz crackers (I used whole wheat this time)
-1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
-poppy seeds

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350. Place all of the chicken tenders (it's a lot) in the casserole dish. If they are frozen, place them in the casserole dish and then defrost in the microwave for just a few minutes. They don't have to be completely thawed. In a medium size bowl, combine the sour cream with the cream of chicken soup. In a large Ziploc bag crush the crackers and pour the melted butter. Zip it up and crush with your hands. Sprinkle the chicken with the thyme and paprika to your preference.
Pour the sour cream/chicken soup mixture on top of the chicken and then sprinkle the cracker crumbs on top. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and the crackers are golden brown.

Perfection.
Serve it over rice with a green veggie on the side and pat yourself on the back :)