Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is creamy, cheesy, and topped with a golden layer of buttery Ritz cracker crumbs that shatter just right under your fork. It's the kind of weeknight dinner that feels like a hug and tastes like you had your life together when you made it (even if you didn't). Packed with shredded chicken, cream cheese, and a scoop of cottage cheese for old-school richness, it comes together fast and disappears even faster

Don't like cottage cheese? Swap in ricotta and move on. The topping's the real star here anyway.

Table of Contents

• 🗝️ What makes this chicken casserole worth every creamy, crunchy bite
• 🧾 Simple ingredients. Big comfort. No weird stuff.
• 📖 Recipe
• 🔪 How to make this creamy million dollar chicken casserole
• 👩‍🍳 You've got questions-I've got answers (and extra crackers)
• 📚 Your next favorite dinner is probably one of these
• 🍽️ What to serve with this creamy masterpiece
• 💬 Comments

🗝️ What makes this chicken casserole worth every creamy, crunchy bite

• Loaded with shredded chicken, cream cheese, and just enough cottage cheese to keep things rich (but not weird)
• Golden, buttery Ritz cracker topping that delivers full crunch satisfaction
• Quick to throw together-no fancy prep, no last-minute grocery runs
• Freezes beautifully and reheats like you meant to meal prep
• Comfort food that actually comforts (not just in theory)
• Picky-eater approved and potluck gold-just try bringing home leftovers

🧾 Simple ingredients. Big comfort. No weird stuff.

This casserole keeps it simple. You've probably got most of this stuff in your kitchen already-shredded chicken, a couple of creamy things, and a sleeve of on-the-edge-of-old Ritz crackers just waiting to be turned into golden magic.

• Cooked chicken: Shredded or chopped-rotisserie works great if you're not in the mood to cook extra.
• Cottage cheese: Gives the filling a creamy texture with a bit of richness. Not your thing? Swap in ricotta.
• Sour cream: Adds tang and smoothness to balance all that cheesy goodness.
• Cream cheese: The MVP of creamy casseroles. It melts into the filling and holds everything together like a boss.
• Butter: Melted and mixed with the crackers-it's what makes that golden topping impossible to resist.
• Green onions: A little bite and a little color. You can leave them out if your crowd prefers bland and beige.
• Cream of chicken soup: This is your shortcut to depth and flavor-don't overthink it, just stir it in.
• Parmesan cheese: Salty, nutty, and adds that extra hit of flavor that makes people go back for "just one more bite."
• Ritz crackers: Crushed on top to make the buttery, crunchy layer that takes this casserole from good to gone.
• Seasoning: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, or whatever else makes it yours. Just don't skip it-bland food is a sin.

Grab the printable million dollar chicken casserole kitchen cheat sheet! Need to know if you can freeze it? Swap the cottage cheese? Reheat without turning it into paste? It's all on this one-page cheat sheet-your quick-reference guide to tips, FAQs, and easy variations. Keep it by the oven like a pro. No scrolling required.

📖 Recipe

🔪 How to make this creamy million dollar chicken casserole

This one's as easy as mix, dump, top, and bake. No fancy steps, no folding anything gently-just real food layered up and baked until golden and bubbly. You've got this.

1. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and cream of chicken soup until smooth and well combined.
2. Stir in the shredded pepper jack, chopped green onions, and cooked chicken until everything's coated and cozy.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and crushed Ritz crackers-this is your golden topping magic.
4. Spread the chicken mixture into a casserole dish, pile on the buttery cracker topping, and bake until hot, bubbly, and perfectly golden brown on top.

👩‍🍳 You've got questions-I've got answers (and extra crackers)

Whether you're swapping ingredients, planning ahead, or just wondering if canned chicken is allowed (it is), these are the most common questions I get about this casserole. No judgment-just real answers for real kitchens. There are more tips, FAQs, and extra info in the printable free kitchen cheat sheet above.

📚 Your next favorite dinner is probably one of these

Looking for something just as creamy, crunchy, or comforting? These tried-and-true dinner recipes bring the same kind of easy magic to the table-minimal effort, maximum praise, and maybe even a clean plate or two.

🍗 Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole: Creamy, cheesy, and packed with tender broccoli and juicy chicken, this one's basically a warm hug disguised as dinner. Topped with crushed crackers or buttery breadcrumbs (your call), it's the casserole you make when you want people to think you tried harder than you did.

🍗 Chicken Cobbler: Fluffy biscuit topping meets rich, creamy chicken filling in this cozy, cobbler-style casserole. It's like pot pie's easier, sassier cousin-the one who shows up late to dinner but still gets all the compliments.

🍗 Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole: A retro Southern classic that never stopped being iconic. Creamy chicken filling, buttery Ritz cracker topping, and just enough poppy seeds to make it feel a little fancy without trying too hard.

🍽️ What to serve with this creamy masterpiece

When I've got a little extra time, I'll throw some Southern Green Beans on the stove, bake a batch of buttery drop biscuits to soak up all that saucy goodness, and pull a lemon icebox pie out of the freezer for dessert.

Not feeling any of those? No worries-I've rounded up 75+ easy side dishes that pair perfectly with chicken chili, but honestly? They work just as well with this Million Dollar Chicken Casserole. Pick a few and call it dinner done.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars!