My “Million Dollar Chicken" Is the Easy Dinner That Won't Even Last 10 Minutes
The magic of comforting foods is that they provide a small respite at the dinner table from the swirl of busyness. What’s better than sitting down to a cozy casserole after a long day? This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole strikes the perfect balance of textures with a creamy sauce, tender chicken, and crisp, buttery crackers. There’s enough to feed a crowd (or to sustain a steady round of “seconds”), and you won’t be left with many dishes to clean, as it’s made in a single pan. Try this easy recipe tonight and don’t be surprised when everyone raves that it tastes like a million bucks.
Why You’ll Love It
Every bite is so comforting and filling. With a creamy sauce, hearty bites of chicken, and buttery cracker topping, what’s not to love? And, don’t be surprised if you find yourself going back for seconds.
It’s incredibly easy to make. Simply stir together a few creamy ingredients, add some seasoning, and fold in cooked chicken. That’s it.
Key Ingredients in Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Shredded cooked chicken: Use leftover cooked chicken breasts or chicken thighs, or shred a rotisserie chicken. You’ll need 1 pound, or about 4 cups, cooked chicken for this recipe.
Cream of chicken soup: This soup is essentially just a very thick cream sauce. Using this store-bought ingredient helps keep the ingredient list and prep time short.
Dairy trio: Cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream work together to make the creamy sauce. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so that it incorporates easily.
Scallions: Adds a mild onion flavor to the casserole and can be used without cooking it first.
Ritz crackers: Crush the crackers, then coat in melted butter for a crunchy, buttery topping.
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Make the filling: Stir the softened cream cheese, condensed soup, cottage cheese, sour cream, and seasonings together until combined. Mix in the white parts of the scallions and shredded cooked chicken. Transfer to a baking dish and spread into an even layer.
Top with buttered crackers: Mix crushed Ritz crackers and melted unsalted butter together until coated, then scatter evenly over the casserole.
Bake: Bake until the filling bubbles around the edges and the crackers smell toasted and develop a golden-brown color.
Helpful Swaps
Condensed cream of chicken soup is the classic choice, but you can substitute other flavors, like cream of mushroom or cream of onion. If you prefer to go the homemade route, make your own condensed creamy soup base with butter, all-purpose flour, chicken broth, and milk.
The buttery cracker topping is arguably the best part of the casserole. You can swap out the Ritz crackers for other brands, such as Townhouse or Club crackers. Crushed Saltines work well too.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
On busy weeknights, this creamy chicken casserole earns every penny of its name because of how easy it is to make ahead. The best way to prepare a bubbling, golden casserole up to two days in advance is to assemble the casserole (without the cracker topping) in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate.
Once you are ready to cook the casserole, let it sit at room temperature while you finish up the buttery cracker topping. Scatter the crackers over top and bake until the edges are bubbling and the topping has darkened in color. If you find yourself with leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days.
What to Serve with Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole Recipe
This creamy chicken casserole tastes like — you guessed it — a million bucks.
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes to 35 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium scallions
1 pound cooked and shredded boneless, skinless chicken (about 4 cups)
45 Ritz crackers (about 1 1/2 sleeves)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 350°F.
Stir 4 ounces room temperature cream cheese, 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper together in a large bowl until the cream cheese is incorporated.
Thinly slice 2 medium scallions, keeping the dark green parts separate from the light green and white parts. Stir the light green and white scallion parts and 1 pound shredded chicken into the cream cheese mixture until combined.
Transfer to a 9x9-inch square or 2 1/2-quart baking dish and spread into an even layer. Wipe the now-empty bowl clean.
Place 45 Ritz crackers in a large zip-top plastic bag and seal the bag. Use your hands or a rolling pin to crush into coarse crumbs (about 2 cups). Stir the crackers and 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter together in the empty bowl until the crumbs are evenly coated. Evenly sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the casserole.
Bake until the edges are bubbling and the top is golden-brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish with the dark green scallion parts, and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Cracker substitution: Townhouse butter crackers can be used in place of the Ritz, you will need about 50 crackers (about 1 2/3 sleeves) to yield 2 cups coarse crumbs.
Make ahead: The casserole can be assembled without the cracker topping, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days ahead. Let the casserole sit at room temperature and make the cracker topping while the oven heats. Bake uncovered as directed; you may need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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