This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole earns its name with a rich blend of tender chicken, a velvety cream cheese sauce, and a buttery cracker topping that’s hard to resist. It’s the perfect recipe that uses just a handful of simple ingredients for busy weeknight meals or when you just want to treat your family to something special.
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Key Ingredients
- Chicken
- Crackers (I use Ritz)
- Cream Cheese
- Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt
- Cream of Chicken Soup (I make my own using simple ingredients, see below for the details!)
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder
- Cottage Cheese (I did not add cottage cheese, but feel free since many recipes use it!)
What it is and How it Tastes
This casserole is a rich and creamy baked dish that’s beloved for its combination of simple ingredients that deliver a “luxurious” flavor, earning it the name. The “million dollar” part of the name implies that it’s so delicious and indulgent, it tastes like a million bucks!
What may shock you is how simple it is to make and that the ingredients are not complex. This dish is filled with pantry staples. That’s why I call it million dollar! I’ve also heard people say any recipe that uses cream cheese and tastes good is labeled, “million dollar.” And I can’t deny the truth in that statement! So funny.
What Type of Chicken to Use
If you want to keep things easy, use pre-cooked chicken. Using a store-bought rotisserie chicken is a great option because it’s already cooked, flavorful, and easy to shred. Remove the skin and shred the breast and thigh meat. One medium-sized rotisserie chicken usually yields about 3-4 cups of shredded chicken.
You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts. I used skinless chicken thighs. Thighs have more fat content, which makes them juicier and more flavorful.
Cream of Chicken Soup
I prefer to make my own Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup because it’s easy to do and requires simple pantry staple ingredients I already have on hand. You can use store-bought canned soup if you wish.
Store-bought cream of chicken soup often contains preservatives, artificial flavorings, and ingredients like monosodium glutamate (MSG) that some people prefer to avoid. Despite what you might think, homemade cream of chicken soup is quick to prepare—usually taking less than 15 minutes from start to finish.
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- If you’re using raw chicken you will need to cook it first. Add chicken to a pan on the stove at medium high heat. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.
- If you’re using pre-cooked chicken add it to the pan/baking dish here along with the spices. Add the cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, sour cream or Greek yogurt and stir until fully combined.
- Sprinkle crushed crackers throughout the pan over the mixture.
- Bake.
Substitutions and Add-ins Ideas
- Italian Seasoning
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Peas
- Carrots
- Basil
- Parsley
- Bacon
- Ham
- Cajun Seasoning
- Ranch Seasoning
- Cheddar Cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese
What to Pair With It
This is often served with rice, pasta, or alongside steamed vegetables and a side salad. You will love these, too:
Roasted Ranch Potatoes
No Boil Slow Cooker Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
Fried Sweet Potatoes
Southern Soul Food Fried Potatoes
How to Store
If storing in the same dish, cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or an airtight lid. You can also transfer the casserole to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
If you want to keep that crunchy topping intact you should use the oven or air fryer. Reheat at 350 degrees until the casserole is warm and the topping is crisp. You can also reheat it in the microwave, but this will soften the crunchy topping.
Freezer Tips
You can freeze it tightly covered and sealed for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
More Popular Recipes
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Ground Beef Lo Mein
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs Diced into 1/2-1 inch chunks or 3-4 cups cooked/shredded/diced chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 oz cream cheese Softened.
- 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 10 1/2 ounces cream of chicken soup I used homemade and this was 1 3/4 cup.
- 3.5 oz Ritz crackers Crumbled. This was one full sleeve of crackers.
- cooking oil spray I use olive oil.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- If you're using raw chicken you will need to cook it first. I use a cast iron skillet (10 or 12inch), that way I can cook the chicken and bake the casserole in the same dish. A 9×13 baking dish also works.Add the chicken to a pan on the stove at medium heat. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the chicken is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat or liquid from the pan to prevent a watery casserole.1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- If you're using pre-cooked chicken add it to the pan/baking dish here along with the spices (Skip the step on cooking the chicken). Add the cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, sour cream or Greek yogurt and stir until fully combined. Taste the dish repeatedly and adjust the spices if necessary to suit your taste.4 oz cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, 10 1/2 ounces cream of chicken soup
- Sprinkle the crushed crackers throughout the pan over the mixture. Spray the top of the mixture with cooking oil spray.3.5 oz Ritz crackers
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the mixture is bubbling.For a browned top crust, after the casserole has baked, adjust the oven to Broil and broil for 2-3 minutes until the topping has browned.
- Cool before serving.
