This million-dollar chicken casserole is a rich, satisfying chicken dinner that's simple enough to prepare on any busy weeknight! Shredded chicken is combined with cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream of chicken, and seasonings for a delightfully creamy texture. Then, the casserole filling is topped off with a buttery Ritz cracker crust for the perfect creamy-crunchy ratio!
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Easy Creamy Ritz Chicken Casserole
If you are a fan of savory and flavorful casseroles, you can prepare in minutes, this million-dollar chicken casserole is a must-try! It's a hearty meal full of creamy chicken that's topped with buttery Ritz cracker crumbs and melted butter.
All you have to do is make a creamy cheese mixture, add shredded chicken, and transfer the filling to a 9x9 baking dish. Sprinkle the cracker crust on top, and you will have a satisfying casserole that's sure to be a hit!
If you want more great, easy-to-make, flavorful chicken dinners, check out my full collection of chicken casseroles!
🥘 Ingredients
This incredibly easy chicken dinner only requires 11 simple ingredients! You might even have some of them already in your kitchen; if not, they're easy to find at your local grocery store!
- Chicken - 1½ pounds of chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or chopped). Use chicken thighs if you'd prefer.
- Cream Cheese - 4 ounces of cream cheese softened at room temperature. You can also use a cream cheese substitute.
- Cottage Cheese - 1 cup of cottage cheese.
- Sour Cream - ½ cup of sour cream or a sour cream substitute.
- Cream Of Chicken - 1 10.5-ounce can of cream of chicken condensed soup. Do not add milk or water.
- Garlic Powder - ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Onion Powder - ½ teaspoon of onion powder or use an onion powder substitute.
- Black Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Ritz Crackers - 32 Ritz crackers (*see notes).
- Butter - 5 tablespoons of salted butter, melted, or use one of my butter substitutes.
- Fresh Parsley (optional) - 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley for garnish, or use a fresh parsley substitute.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
This recipe will be a breeze if you have leftover chicken on hand! Grab a chef's knife, a cutting board, measuring spoons, measuring cups, a mixing bowl, a silicone spatula set, and a 9x9 pan to get started.
This recipe will yield approximately 6 servings! You can always double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 baking dish to serve a larger crowd if needed.
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and shred or chop 1½ pounds of cooked chicken.
- Combine. Place the softened 4 ounces of cream cheese into a large mixing bowl and mash to soften. Add 1 cup of cottage cheese, ½ cup of sour cream, 10.5 ounces of cream of chicken condensed soup, and seasoning (½ teaspoon of both garlic powder and onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper). Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Mix. Add the chicken to the cheese mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Transfer into a 9x9 baking dish.
- Ritz topping. Crush the 32-39 Ritz crackers and add them to a small mixing bowl. Pour the 5 tablespoons melted butter in with the crackers and stir to coat the cracker topping.
- Bake. Sprinkle the topping over the chicken casserole and bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes.
- Serve. Remove the casserole from the oven when done, garnish with chopped parsley if desired, and serve immediately.
This mouthwatering casserole is a filling main course, but you can whip a few sides to go with it if you'd like! Try my sauteed green beans and a toasty slice of garlic bread. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- A 9x9 baking pan is equivalent to 2.5 quarts. You can use a casserole dish that is at least 2.5-3 quarts in size.
- You will need between 4-5 cups or 1½-2 pounds of chopped, cooked chicken. Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, leftover chicken, or rotisserie chicken in bite-sized pieces.
- The standard sleeve of Ritz crackers has 32 crackers; the fresh stacks have 13 crackers. I used 3 fresh packs (as there's no such thing as too many crispy Ritz crackers in your topping).
- This million-dollar chicken casserole recipe is ideal for doubling and baking in a 9x13 baking dish to feed a crowd. Add a few minutes to the cooking time until the mixture bubbles around the edges. Cover with a square of aluminum foil to keep the topping from browning too much if needed.
- Setting the cream cheese out for 30 minutes while you start dinner is usually long enough to soften. You do want the cream cheese really soft for even distribution in the casserole, so if needed, you can microwave it in short 10-15 second increments to soften it.
- To make this dish in advance, assemble the filling and freeze it for later (in a dish or a freezer storage bag). Allow the chicken filling to thaw overnight in the fridge, add the topping, and bake as directed.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Transfer your completely cooled million-dollar chicken casserole to an airtight container and store it in your fridge. Enjoy within 3-4 days.
Freezing
Tightly wrap individual pieces of your leftover casserole with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Place them in a heavy-duty freezer bag, write the date on the bag, and enjoy within 3-4 months. Thaw in your refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can freeze this casserole before you cook it if you leave off the cracker topping!
Reheating
To reheat, turn your oven on and set it to 350°F (175°C). Transfer your casserole to a baking pan. Then, cover the pan loosely with foil and bake it for 20-30 minutes, or heat it until it is warmed to your liking.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
I used cooked and shredded chicken breasts for this recipe. However, you can use chicken thighs too. If you're in a rush, pick up a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store! Just make sure you have 4-5 cups or 1½-2 pounds of chopped or shredded chicken for the casserole.
Absolutely! This million-dollar chicken casserole is already incredibly flavorful as-is. However, you can add some vegetables like peas, broccoli, or carrots. Some shredded cheddar cheese or French-fried onions would be extra delicious, too.
Yes! This recipe is a wonderful meal to make in advance because it stores very well in the freezer. You can prepare it and freeze it before you bake or after you bake it. Store in an airtight container and enjoy within 3 to 4 months.
🐔 More Tasty Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Chorizo Paella - A heart meal featuring chicken, smoky chorizo, vegetables, and rice!
- Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs - Tender and juicy chicken thighs cooked perfectly in the oven in just 30 minutes!
- Baked Panko Chicken - A chicken dinner full of incredible flavor, yet easy enough to make on busy weeknights!
- Chicken Taquitos - These flavorful taquitos are filled with perfectly seasoned chicken, garlic, and green chiles!
- Honey Sesame Chicken - This honey sesame chicken is so delicious and easy to make at home!
- Instant Pot Chicken Soup - A tasty and comforting one-pot meal made effortlessly in your pressure cooker!
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📖 Recipe Card
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs chicken breasts (or thighs, cooked and shredded or chopped)
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened, at room temperature)
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 10.5 oz cream of chicken condensed soup (do not add milk or water)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 32 Ritz crackers (*see notes)
- 5 tablespoon butter (salted, melted)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (optional, chopped for garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and shred or chop your cooked 1½ lbs chicken breasts.
- Place the softened 4 oz cream cheese into a large mixing bowl and mash to soften. Add the 1 cup cottage cheese, ½ cup sour cream, 10.5 oz cream of chicken condensed soup, and seasoning (½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper). Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add the chicken to the cheese mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Transfer into a 9x9 baking dish.
- Crush the 32 Ritz crackers and add them to a small mixing bowl. Pour the melted 5 tablespoon butter in with the crackers and stir to coat the cracker topping.
- Sprinkle the topping over the chicken casserole and bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) for 40 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven when done, garnish with chopped 1 tablespoon fresh parsley if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- A 9x9 baking pan is equivalent to 2.5 quarts. You can use a casserole dish that is at least 2.5-3 quarts in size.
- You will need between 4-5 cups or 1.5-2 pounds chopped, cooked chicken. Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, leftover chicken, or rotisserie chicken in bite-sized pieces.
- The standard sleeve of Ritz crackers has 32 crackers, the fresh stacks have 13 crackers. I used 3 fresh packs (as there's no such thing as too many crispy Ritz crackers in your topping).
- This million-dollar chicken casserole recipe is ideal for doubling and baking in a 9x13 baking dish to feed a crowd. Add a few minutes to the cooking time, until the mixture is bubbling around the edges. Cover with a square of aluminum foil to keep the topping from browning too much if needed.
- Setting the cream cheese out for 30 minutes while you start dinner is usually long enough for it to soften. You do want the cream cheese really soft for evenly distributing in the casserole, so if needed you can microwave it in short 10-15 second increments to soften last minute.
- To make this dish in advance, assemble the filling and freeze it for later (in a dish or in a freezer storage bag). Allow the chicken filling to thaw overnight in the fridge, add the topping, and bake as directed.
- To store: Transfer your completely cooled million-dollar chicken casserole to an airtight container and store it in your fridge. Enjoy within 3-4 days.
- To freeze: Tightly wrap individual pieces of your leftover casserole with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Place them in a heavy-duty freezer bag, write the date on the bag, and enjoy within 3-4 months. Thaw in your refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can freeze this casserole before you cook it if you leave off the cracker topping.
- To reheat: To reheat, turn your oven on and set it to 350°F (175°C). Transfer your casserole to a baking pan. Then cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or heat until it is warmed through to your liking.
Anonymous says
This was so easy to make and everyone loved it, a great dinner. Thanks for sharing.
Joy says
What can I use instead of cottage cheese..?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Ricotta cheese would be my first choice, but it will depend on what you have on hand. Take a look at my ricotta cheese substitutes for more ideas that will work for replacing the cottage cheese too.