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!
1tablespoonfresh parsley(optional, chopped for garnish)
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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.
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Course Casseroles, Chicken Dishes, Dinner Recipes, Main Course