Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is pure, cheesy comfort food that my family absolutely devours. Loaded with creamy chicken, cottage cheese, and a buttery cracker topping, it tastes like a million bucks without the fuss. It’s one of my favorite ways to turn simple ingredients, like leftover shredded chicken, into a quick weeknight dinner.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
- Flavor: Rich, creamy, and savory, loaded with chicken and a golden, crunchy topping.
- Why It’s the Best: This recipe is super easy to make with canned soup and premade ingredients, so there’s no need to make a sauce.
- Time-Saver: Rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken makes prep quick.
- Serving: Pair with green beans and potatoes, rice, noodles, or dinner rolls for the perfect meal.
Total Time: 45 Mins Servings: 6 Cooking Method: Oven-Baked
Ingredients Notes
- Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: I prefer to use cream of chicken soup, but any “cream of” soup can be used, like cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup.
- Cottage Cheese: Small-curd cottage cheese blends in the best, but any cottage cheese will work.
- Cream Cheese: Soften the cream cheese on the counter first so it mixes into the sauce without lumps.
- Sour Cream: Full-fat sour cream gives the creamiest flavor, or swap for plain Greek yogurt for a slightly sharper flavor.
- Cooked Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is the easiest option. But leftover roasted, poached, or baked chicken also works.
- Buttery Crackers: Any brand of buttery-style cracker can be used in this topping. Just be sure to crush them into coarse crumbs for the best results.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Shredding cheese from a block makes it melt smoothly, but shredded cheese from a package works well.
Variations
- Broccoli Chicken: Fold in thawed, well-drained broccoli florets for added color and texture.
- Bacon and Peas: Add cooked bacon and peas to the filling for a smoky variation with pops of color.
- Spicy: Add diced green chiles, Pepper Jack cheese, a small amount of hot sauce, or crushed chili flakes.
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
- Mix the sauce and chicken ingredients together (full recipe below).
- Add the chicken mixture to the baking dish and top with the cracker topping.
- Bake in a preheated oven until golden and bubbly.
Storing Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
- Cool the casserole, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze the chicken filling in a freezer-safe container without the cracker topping for up to 3 months for best quality.
- Thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator. Prepare the cracker topping and add it just before baking.
- Reheat a larger portion in a covered baking dish at 350°F until hot. Remove the cover near the end so the topping can crisp.
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave at reduced power until warmed through.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
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Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Creamy, cheesy chicken is baked beneath buttery Ritz cracker crumbs until hot and golden. Rotisserie chicken makes this cozy casserole quick to prepare.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 stalks green onions sliced, white and green parts seperated
- 1½ teaspoons herb and garlic seasoning *
- 4 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded*
- 24 buttery crackers such as Ritz, crushed
- ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, combine condensed soup, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, the whites of the green onions, and herb & garlic seasoning. Mix well.
- Stir the chicken into the cheese mixture. Spread into a 2-quart baking dish.
- Add the crackers to a large zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the cheddar cheese and melted butter to the crackers and toss to coat. Spread over the chicken mixture.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and crackers turn golden brown.
- Sprinkle with the tops of the green onion before serving.
Notes
Leftover or rotisserie chicken works well in this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 823mg | Potassium: 376mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 870IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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