Million Dollar Chicken Casserole – This is our go-to chicken casserole! SO easy to make and tastes like a million bucks! Chicken, cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, onion, garlic, cream of chicken soup, topped with crushed Ritz crackers and butter. Can make this casserole in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. #chicken #casserole #chickencasserole #ritzcrackers
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Chicken casseroles are a weeknight staple at our house. I am always thinking of ways to change them up so we don’t get bored with the same old thing. This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is a kicked-up version of the classic Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole I ate growing up with cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream. This casserole is super simple to make and tastes like a million bucks! Serve the casserole with some green beans and crusty bread and dinner is done!!
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
This chicken casserole is super easy to make. Start with a rotisserie chicken. Remove the skin and pull the meat off the bones. Next simply combine the chicken, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, and onion powder. Spread the chicken mixture into a baking dish, top with crushed Ritz crackers and bake.
Can this Casserole be Frozen?
This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole makes a great make-ahead meal and freezer meal. I usually double the recipe when I make this. I bake one and freeze one for later. You can freeze the casserole baked or unbaked. To bake the casserole after freezing, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed below. To reheat the casserole after freezing, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover the casserole with foil and bake at 350ºF for 30 to 40 minutes.
What to Serve with the Best Chicken Casserole
This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is a family favorite. We make this at least once a month. We like to serve this with some green beans, asparagus or broccoli. Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this easy chicken casserole:
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Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 4½ cups chopped cooked chicken
- 4- oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp dried onion powder
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
- 5 Tbsp butter, melted
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine chicken, cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and cream of chicken soup. Spread into prepared pan.
- Combine crushed crackers and butter, sprinkle over chicken mixture..
- Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes.
Notes:
- Use a rotisserie chicken for quick prep of the cooked chicken.
- You want the cream cheese to be very soft so it gets fully incorporated into the casserole. Microwave the cream cheese for 15 to 20 seconds if you are short on time.
- Can prepare through step 3 and refrigerate or freeze for later.
- To bake after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed above.
- For a gluten-free dish, use gluten-free Cream of Chicken soup and crushed pork rinds instead of Ritz crackers.
- I suggest using Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup in this dish to control the sodium.
- You can buy it by the case at Amazon:Â https://amzn.to/49n4uZE
- Need Gluten-free Cream of Chicken Soup? You can buy it here:Â https://amzn.to/3MtqQ1s
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup:Â https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/
Steph
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I added finely chopped onion and thin sliced squash to it and it was so good!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you so very much for this recipe!
Our new favorite recipe! So easy and delicious. It was shared to me by my daughter, whose family loves it. I have made for and shared the recipe with my daughter-in -law, whose family loves it. I made no changes and only added some poppy seeds. Thanks.
How many pounds of chicken? I did it by cups last time and it wasn’t enough.
It would still be the same amount – just add more chicken next time until it reaches your preferred amount.
Does the cream cheese need to be mixed in completely ? Or is it assembled in chunks? I watched the video, and I am still confused.
I mixed the cream cheese in completely, but you can have some small chunks if you prefer.
How do you think diced Ortega chili’s would do in this recipe?
sure!
I absolutely loved this recipe! It was perfect for what I was trying to do which was make a casserole to bring to a potluck. It was quick it was easy and it actually surprised me a lot because I’m not a huge fan of cottage cheese but it’s a texture thing so in this recipe was completely fine.
SO glad you enjoyed it!
I want to freeze one of the casseroles so do I bake it first or wait till it thaws out?
There are directions on freezing and baking the casserole in the post. Scroll up
I don’t like cottage cheese. Can you taste it in recipe or substitute ingredient?
Here is a comment that might help you: “I made this the other night and it’s yummy! I put the cottage cheese in and trust me you can not tell it’s in there. It all melts together. I am 68 and wish we had had the sources for recipes like today!!”
I don’t care for the texture of cottage cheese. I put the cottage cheese in the food processor first.
I also added some penne noodles, fresh basil and parmesan cheese. I baked it in a 13×9 dish.
This was so good! Do you sprinkle the dried parsley on top of the crackers before baking?
I sprinkled it with dried parsley after it baked. It is just for color in the photos. It isn’t necessary.
Fabulous dish and super easy !!! Get a Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store cut down the time very easy delicious dish
or you could add a little chicken broth to thin it out
They sell gluten-free soup and chicken is gluten-free.
Followed the recipe exactly as written and it turned out more liquidy than expected. Any suggestions? Other than that, it tasted wonderful….even my 5 and 4yo ate it!
Maybe drain the cottage cheese some or try a different brand? I’m not sure what would have made it too liquidy.
I added sautéed onions and celery to mine. Also added 1/4 mayonnaise. Used Panko crumbs. It was delicious. Definitely will make this recipe again. Thanks!
Lol so you basically changed the whole recipe 🙄
I bet you did the same thing I did, and tried to serve it immediately! Mine was very runny! I let it set and cool down for about 10 minutes, and it had set up well! I served mine over wide egg noodles. Will probably add veggies to it next time. Was even better the next day!
Can you add al little raw onion for taste?
sure
Any changes and substitutions to the recipe are completely up to you. I do not know you and do not know what you like to eat. This is how I made the recipe and we enjoyed it. I do not eat cottage cheese out of the container, but I enjoy it in baked casseroles. I have not tested this recipe with any other ingredients.
Having made this recipe multiple times I can tell you that the cottage cheese adds creaminess to the recipe. As written the ingredients in this dish meld nicely providing great flavor!
Do you use a 9X13 pan?
9×9
I served mine with pasta. A big hit!
If I double the recipe in one casserole dish, how long do I need to bake it for?
Check it at the time listed to see if it is warm and bubbly, If not, bake it 10 to 15 minutes longer.
So do you cover it or no? The first half of the blog says cover with foil but the recipe part says to leave uncovered
Well, I covered it to refrigerate it overnight and baked it uncovered. I don’t suggest leaving a casserole dish in the refrigerator uncovered.
Can I use a 9×13 dish
sure – you won’t have to cook it as long as the casserole won’t be as deep.
I just made this for the family,I am joining the fan club….. lol
Welcome to the club! 😊