This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is a creamy, cheesy, and oh-so-satisfying dish that’s sure to become a family favorite! It’s made with tender chicken, a blend of cheeses, and a buttery cracker topping that adds a delightful crunch. It’s easy to make, ready in just 50 minutes, and perfect for a weeknight dinner, a potluck, or any occasion where you want a comforting and delicious meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Creamy and cheesy: The combination of cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and a buttery cracker topping creates a rich and creamy texture that’s simply irresistible.
- Packed with flavor: The chicken and cheese filling is seasoned to perfection with garlic powder and onion powder.
- Easy to make: This casserole is simple to assemble and requires minimal prep work.
- Versatile: You can easily customize the recipe with different types of cheese or crackers.
Ingredients for Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
This recipe uses simple, pantry-friendly ingredients to create a comforting and flavorful casserole. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cooked Chicken: Use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or cook your own chicken breasts.
- Cream Cheese: Adds a creamy texture and tangy flavor.
- Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: Contributes to the creamy texture and savory flavor.
- Cottage Cheese: Adds a slightly tangy flavor and a bit of texture.
- Sour Cream: Adds creaminess and tanginess.
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: Enhance the savory flavors.
- Ritz Crackers: Crushed Ritz crackers create a buttery and crunchy topping.
- Butter: Melted butter adds richness and helps bind the cracker topping.
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Step 2: Make the Filling
In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded or chopped chicken. In a separate bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir until well combined. Add the creamy mixture to the bowl with the chicken and stir until everything is combined.
Step 3: Make the Topping
In a small bowl, combine the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter. Stir with a fork until combined.
Step 4: Assemble and Bake
Pour the creamy chicken mixture into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the cracker topping evenly over the chicken mixture. Bake for 40 minutes, uncovered, or until golden brown and bubbly.
Step 5: Serve and Enjoy!
Garnish with sliced green onions or chopped parsley flakes, if desired. Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips for Making the Recipe
- Ritz crackers: Crush the crackers into larger pieces for a chunkier topping. You can use a ziplock bag and a meat pounder or rolling pin, a food chopper, or simply crush them between your hands.
- Cottage cheese: If you don’t want the texture of cottage cheese in the casserole, you can blend it in a food chopper or processor until smooth.
- Chicken: Use any type of cooked chicken you like, such as rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or canned chicken. You can also cook chicken breasts in a skillet or slow cooker.
How to Serve Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
- Weeknight dinner: This casserole is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
- Potluck or gathering: It’s also a great dish to bring to a potluck or gathering.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the entire casserole in the oven until heated through.
FAQs
Can I use a different type of cracker?
Yes, you can use other types of crackers, such as buttery crackers or even crushed potato chips.
Can I make this casserole ahead of time?
Yes, you can assemble the casserole ahead of time and bake it later. Simply cover the baking dish tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
Can I freeze this casserole?
Yes, you can freeze the assembled casserole before baking. Simply cover the baking dish tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
My casserole is a bit watery, what did I do wrong?
If your casserole is watery, it could be that the chicken or vegetables released some moisture during baking. You can try patting the chicken and vegetables dry before adding them to the casserole.
There you have it! A simple and delicious recipe for Million Dollar Chicken Casserole. I hope you enjoy it!
PrintMillion Dollar Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Casserole, Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is a creamy, cheesy, and flavorful dish that’s sure to become a family favorite. It’s made with tender chicken, a rich and creamy sauce, and topped with a buttery cracker topping.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Buttery Cracker Topping:
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crumbled
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×9 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Combine Ingredients: Put the shredded or chopped chicken into a large mixing bowl. In a separate smaller mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir until combined. Add the creamy mixture into the larger mixing bowl with the chicken. Stir together until everything is combined well.
- Assemble Casserole: Pour the creamy chicken mixture into the prepared baking pan. In a small bowl, combine the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter and stir with a fork until combined. Evenly sprinkle it over the top of the chicken inside the baking pan.
- Bake: Bake for 40 minutes, uncovered, or until golden brown and the creamy chicken mixture is bubbly.
- Serve: Garnish with sliced green onions or chopped parsley flakes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ritz Crackers: Remember that you don’t want them finely crushed like sand. Leave the crackers in large chunks, crumbled pieces instead. Place the crackers into a ziplock bag and smash them gently with a meat pounder or rolling pin. Add the crackers into a small food chopper and pulse only a couple of times. You can also just take the sleeve of crackers and smash them between your hands until it’s in larger crumbled pieces.
- Cottage Cheese: If you don’t want the texture of the cottage cheese in the casserole, try adding it into a food chopper or processor until it’s smooth and combined.
- Chicken: Use rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, leftover chicken, ready-to-use store-bought chopped chicken, cook chicken in a skillet pan, or put 3-4 chicken breasts into the slow cooker with a can of chicken broth and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours – it will be ready to shred when it’s time to make the casserole for dinner.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 500kcal
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
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