Million Dollar Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole – GREAT weeknight chicken casserole. Super easy to make and tastes like a million bucks!! Can make ahead and freeze for a quick meal later! Chicken Rice-A-Roni, cooked chicken, cottage cheese, cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, and french fried onions. Everyone cleaned their plate and went back for seconds!
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Pin This RecipeEasy Chicken & Rice Casserole
This Million Dollar Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole is a new favorite at our house. It is super easy to make and tastes like a million bucks! Chicken, rice-a-roni, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, cream of chicken, parmesan cheese, and french fried onion. All of my favorites in one dish! We ate this for lunch and had the leftovers for dinner on the same day. We just couldn’t get enough of it! Give this a try the next time you need an easy weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy.
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Rice-A-Roni Casserole
This casserole is super easy to make. Start with preparing a box of Chicken Rice-a-Roni according to the package directions. Combine cooked rice with sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and cream of chicken soup. Stir in onion powder, garlic powder, and cooked chicken. Spread the mixture into a baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese and french fried onions and bake.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-chicken-rice-roni/
- I used rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken in this casserole.
- Here is our recipe for Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken: https://www.plainchicken.com/slow-cooker-rotisserie-chicken/
- You want the cream cheese to be very soft so it gets fully incorporated into the rice mixture. Microwave the cream cheese for 15 to 20 seconds if you are short on time.
- Feel free to add some chopped broccoli to the casserole mixture.
- Can Million Dollar Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking the casserole straight from the refrigerator.
- Can Million Dollar Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cover the dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place the dish in the freezer and freeze. The casserole will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To bake the casserole after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed.
What to Serve with Chicken Casserole
This casserole has quickly become a weeknight favorite. It is super easy to make and even easier to eat! Leftovers are equally delicious reheated. We usually serve this with some green beans or broccoli. This is also great with a salad and a roll. Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this easy casserole:
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Million Dollar Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 box chicken flavor Rice-A-Roni
- 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 4 -oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 4 cups cooked chopped chicken
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 (3-oz) can French fried onions
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions. Add soup, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, and chicken. Stir to combine.
- Spread rice mixture into prepared pan. Top rice with parmesan cheese and fried onions.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Notes:
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Chicken Rice-a-Roni: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-chicken-rice-roni/
- I used rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken in this casserole.
- Here is our recipe for Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken: https://www.plainchicken.com/slow-cooker-rotisserie-chicken/
- I suggest using Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup in this dish to control the sodium.
- You can buy it by the case at Amazon: https://amzn.to/49n4uZE
- Need Gluten-free Cream of Chicken Soup? You can buy it here: https://amzn.to/3MtqQ1s
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/
- You want the cream cheese to be very soft so it gets fully incorporated into the rice mixture. Microwave the cream cheese for 15 to 20 seconds if you are short on time.
- Feel free to add some chopped broccoli to the casserole mixture.
- Can Million Dollar Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking the casserole straight from the refrigerator.
- Can Million Dollar Chicken Rice-a-Roni Casserole be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cover the dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place the dish in the freezer and freeze. The casserole will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To bake the casserole after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed.
Steph
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This casserole is delicious & very easy to put together. I love the creamy texture, and no, you can’t taste the cottage cheese (which both my husband & myself don’t like, so if we can’t taste it, that says something 🙂). The only change I made was to use leftover turkey instead of chicken.
This was DELICIOUS! Followed your recipe exactly. I microwaved the rice-a-roni as the box directs. I used name brands (Campbells, Daisy, Philadelphia, store bought rotisserie, Breakstone.) I have to defend cottage cheese. You will not taste it. It just adds moisture in my opinion. This will be made again for company!!
SO glad you enjoyed it!
This looks delicious and I’m excited to try it! Could you use whipped cream cheese or does it need to be the cream cheese bar?
I use the block
What size rice a roni? 6.9oz or family size (13.8)?
regular size
This was soooooo good! I cut up chicken breast, seasoned and browned it in the skillet before making the Rice a Roni, adding it back in at the end. I also mixed in sharp cheddar cheese and mixed the parmesan with crushed tortillas for the topping. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
I made this per the recipe with one change. I didn’t have the French fried onions, so I used crushed cheddar and sour cream potato chips. I served it with peas and carrots. We really liked it and I’ll be making again. Thank you for the recipe!
Sounds yummy!
Can you taste the cottage cheese?
No. It melts into the casserole and gives it a nice creamy texture.
Great recipe! I didn’t have chicken Rice-a-Roni, so I subbed Wild Rice. Very rich and satisfying. Thanks for sharing.
This was very good. We are not a fan of cottage cheese, so we need to find a substitution but will make again. I just need to know the purpose of the cottage cheese before I can sub it out. Is it to help bind, taste, moisture, or something else?
I used ricotta cheese as a sub
What can you use in place of cottage cheese
Any changes and modifications to the recipe would be up to you.
If we’re planning on using your recipe for homemake rice-a-roni, how much would we use in this recipe??
one batch
Super! Thanks very much! I’ve made your homemade rice-a-roni before and it’s fantastic! Can’t wait to try it in this recipe.