Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is made with shredded chicken, cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and other ingredients topped with a buttery Ritz cracker topping. It’s a quick and easy casserole (just 10 minutes of prep!) that’s perfect for busy weeknights and kid-approved!
Easy Million Dollar Chicken Casserole Recipe
If you’ve never tried million dollar chicken casserole, you are in for a true treat. This is one of those dishes you’ll find yourself making again and again. It’s cozy and comforting and quick and easy to prepare – what more could you want?
This has quickly become a family favorite and it’s always one of those casseroles (like funeral potatoes or lasagna) that’s perfect for giving.
Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Once you make this casserole, you’ll see why it’s called a million dollar casserole!
- Perfect for busy weeknights. The hands-on prep for the recipe is minimal – all you need to do is combine the ingredients, add the topping, and pop the casserole in the oven. Less than an hour later, you have dinner ready to go.
- Family-friendly. With ingredients like Ritz crackers, chicken, and cream cheese, this casserole is a hit with everyone. Kids love it, adults love it.
- Buttery Ritz topping. My personal favorite thing about this chicken casserole is the Ritz topping. It adds just the right amount of crunchy texture and tastes so buttery!
What Is Million Dollar Chicken Casserole?
Million dollar chicken casserole is an easy chicken casserole made with shredded chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta (or cottage cheese), and cream of chicken soup. It’s finished with a buttery Ritz cracker topping and baked to creamy, golden brown perfection.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need just a handful of ingredients for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for specific measurements.
- Chicken – You can cook and shred your own chicken or use rotisserie chicken for ease.
- Cream cheese – Be sure it’s softened so it’s easier to mix.
- Ricotta cheese – You can use cottage cheese in place of the ricotta if desired.
- Sour cream – Adds a slight tang to the creamy mixture.
- Cream of chicken soup – Just the can of soup, you won’t need to dilute it as directed on the can.
- Seasonings – Garlic powder and onion powder season the chicken.
- Ritz crackers – For the crunchy topping.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted for this recipe since the crackers are quite salty already.
- Fresh parsley – An optional garnish.
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
This casserole comes together in just a few quick and easy steps. Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Combine the ingredients. Stir together the cream cheese, ricotta, sour cream, soup, and seasonings until thoroughly combined. Add the shredded chicken and stir to coat. Spread evenly in the casserole dish.
- Make the topping. Combine the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole baking dish.
- Bake. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. The topping should be golden brown and bubbly around the edges.
- Enjoy. Let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!
Tips & Variations
Million dollar chicken casserole is pretty straightforward to make but here are a few tips to make it even easier, as well as a few ways to customize the recipe.
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- Use rotisserie chicken. While you can absolutely boil and shred a chicken breast or two for this recipe, I love to use rotisserie chicken. It cuts down on the prep time and keeps things quick and easy.
- Add some veggies. You can enhance this dish by adding diced onion, bell peppers or mushrooms to the chicken mixture.
- Add some heat. For a touch of spice, add diced jalapenos or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the chicken mixture.
- Other Variations. Instead of cream of chicken soup, feel free to use cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup. If you are a cheese over, sprinkle shredded cheese cheese, colby jack or mozzarella cheese on top before you add the cracker crumbs. Include a cup of crispy bacon crumbles for a twist.
- Let sit before serving. Give this casserole 10 to 15 minutes to rest before serving, to allow the creamy sauce to thicken and cool just a bit. It’ll make serving easier (and prevent burnt tongues!).
- Double the recipe. You can easily double this recipe for enjoying one for dinner and freezing the other one for later.
Serving Suggestions
Million dollar chicken casserole makes a great dinner on its own, though I do like to add a side of veggies to balance it out. You could easily serve this with a simple side salad or any vegetable of your choice.
I’m a fan of roasted broccoli or asparagus and these air fryer brussels sprouts.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Freeze. This chicken casserole makes a great freezer meal. Place in the freezer in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap with another layer of aluminum foil.
- Fridge. Leftover million dollar chicken casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat. To reheat from the refrigerator, simply place individual portions in the microwave or heat in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through. To reheat the casserole after freezing, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover the top of the casserole with foil and bake as directed.
More Easy Chicken Casseroles
- KFC Bowl Casserole
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Easy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken Shredded or 4 Cups Cooked and Shredded Chicken
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese Softened
- 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 10.75 Ounce Can Condensed Cream Of Chicken Soup
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 1/2 Cups Crushed Ritz Crackers
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter Melted
- Fresh Parsley For Garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to (175°C) 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- To the same large bowl, add the shredded chicken and stir to coat.
- Add the chicken mixture to the prepared casserole dish and spread evenly, set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, add the crushed ritz crackers and melted butter, stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the ritz crackers over the casserole and spread evenly.
- Bake the casserole uncovered for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly around the edges.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
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5 comments on “Million Dollar Chicken Casserole”
Very easy . Love this recipe
Thank you Hobbie!
can i make this without the ricotta
Hi Denise. Yes, you can omit the Ricotta without making any other changes.
I am going to try this it looks good