Swiss Cheese Chicken
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Swiss Cheese Chicken is Swiss cheese topped chicken baked in a delicious, creamy sauce and topped with buttery cracker crumbs.
January 2nd is Swiss Cheese Day! It’s easy enough to pick up some Swiss cheese to enjoy in a sandwich or with some crackers. But making this Swiss Cheese Chicken casserole is so much more satisfying and delicious!
Share the Swiss cheese love on social media today using the hashtags #SwissCheeseDay and #RecipesForHolidays.
Be sure to follow my January Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of January!
“Swiss cheese is a rip-off. It’s the only cheese I can bite into and miss.”
-Mitch Hedberg
The History of Swiss Cheese:
The first cheese similar to modern Swiss cheese was produced in the Emmental region around 1300. The Emmental people kept the cheese a secret for a long time. Swiss cheese became popular outside of the Emmental region in the early 1800s.
The first cheese dairies were established in the 1800s, and the first factory for industrial cheese production opened in Switzerland in 1815.
Swiss immigrants brought their cheesemaking techniques to Wisconsin in the late 1800s, where the cheese evolved into emmentaler, swiss, and baby swiss. Factory-made cheese became the norm in the World War II era.
Swiss cheese is known for its unique holes, or “eyes”, which are caused by a specific bacteria in the cheese-making process. The holes were originally considered a fault, but in the 19th century, makers of Emmental began to encourage them as a marketing strategy.
Ingredients Needed:
- skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- garlic powder and onion powder
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- sliced Swiss cheese
- canned cream of chicken soup
- sour cream
- milk
- Ritz crackers
- butter
How to make Swiss cheese chicken:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 13×9-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Place the chicken into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, onion powder and salt/pepper. Top each with a slice of Swiss cheese.
- In a medium bowl, combine the soup, sour cream and milk. Pour it over the chicken in the pan. Sprinkle the Ritz crumbs over the chicken. Spoon the butter evenly over the cracker crumbs on the chicken.
- Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reaches 165℉., about 30 minutes.
Tips and Substitutions:
Turn this Swiss cheese chicken into another flavor. Make it white cheddar, havarti or gouda chicken!
What I Love About This Recipe:
- It’s an easy dinner recipe.
- I love that it’s super cheesy.
- The buttery crunch of the Ritz crackers on top turns a good chicken recipe into great!
Fun Facts About Swiss Cheese:
- The holes in Swiss cheese are called eyes, and the cheese without holes is called blind.
- “Sister cheese” gruyère is often paired with Swiss cheese in dishes like fondue or gratin.
- Swiss cheese is more popular in France than in Switzerland.
- Swiss cheese contains protein and calcium, which can help keep bones strong and healthy
- Baby Swiss is the American version of Swiss cheese. It has smaller holes, a milder taste, and less fermentation.
Swiss Cheese Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 halves skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices deli Swiss cheese
- One 10.5-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- ⅔ cup crushed Ritz crackers (about 12 crackers)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 13×9-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Place the chicken into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, onion powder and salt/pepper. Top each with a slice of Swiss cheese.
- In a medium bowl, combine the soup, sour cream and milk. Pour it over the chicken in the pan. Sprinkle the Ritz crumbs over the chicken. Spoon the butter evenly over the cracker crumbs on the chicken.
- Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reaches 165℉., about 30 minutes.
