Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is rich and creamy, packed with tender chicken and a buttery Ritz cracker topping that everyone loves.
Ingredients
- 4-5 cups shredded chicken whole rotisserie chicken or your choice of chicken breasts or thighs
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup sour cream full fat or low fat
- ½ cup cottage cheese full fat or low fat
- 4 ounces cream cheese full fat or low fat - softened
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 24 ritz crackers or club crackers or saltines
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt to a small bowl. Mix the seasonngs until well combined and set aside until needed.
- Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cream cheese, and cottage cheese to a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add the pulled chicken, ¾ of the dry seasoning (about 1 tablespoon), and chopped parsley to the wet ingredients. Fold together until all the chicken has been mixed in and well coated.Set aside the remaining dry seasonings until needed.
- Add the ritz crackers to a large ziplock bag and seal the bag.
- Crush the crackers using a rolling pin, meat mallet, or your hands. You can also use a food processor, but be careful not to overprocess them; they should be chunky.
- Add the broken crackers to a mixing bowl. Pour half of the melted butter over the crackers, then sprinkle the remaining dry seasoning over them, and stir to combine.
- Add the remaining melted butter and stir to coat all of the broken crackers with the butter.
- Add the chicken mixture to the bottom of a lightly greased casserole pan, spreading it into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle the cracker mixture over the top of the cheese.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbly and the crackers are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Can I prep this ahead of time for a party or weeknight dinner?
Absolutely. You can assemble everything up to a day in advance, cover it with plastic wrap or foil, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
Can I make this casserole without using canned soup?
Yes! If you prefer homemade, try using a quick homemade cream of chicken soup or a thickened chicken broth with cream.
What’s the best way to shred chicken quickly?
Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer on low—it works like a charm and takes 30 seconds flat.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 25gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 721mgPotassium: 273mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 906IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 157mgIron: 2mg
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