This Million Dollar Ritz Chicken Casserole recipe is packed with flavor; rotisserie chicken in a savory creamy sauce with a buttery crushed Ritz cracker topping! You can serve it with a vegetable on the side, and I also give instructions on how to add veggies and/or rice to the casserole if you like. And I have a ton of helpful tips to make this meal budget-friendly!
Back-to-school is the time of year when I always start to think about casseroles again. Summer is more about grilling, salads, and quick and easy meals. But by late August/early September I’m ready for something a little more substantial. Casseroles are perfect!
If you’re on the lookout for an amazing chicken casserole that’s kid and adult-friendly, bookmark this one. It’s pure comfort food, and it whips up in just an hour! (Plus I share some time-saving tips to make it come together even quicker.)
Million Dollar Ritz Chicken Casserole combines chicken with a creamy, cheesy savory sauce. The flavors aren’t anything crazy (and you probably have all the spices and seasonings on hand), but they come together beautifully for a really flavorful dish. And let’s not forget the deliciously crunchy buttery Ritz cracker topping!
How to Make This Recipe Economical
Here are a few tips on how to make this dish budget-friendly without sacrificing flavor:
- Make it stretch. You can add vegetables and rice to the casserole filling! Add a 12-ounce bag of frozen vegetables (such as green beans or broccoli) that’s thawed and drained. Also add 2 cups of cooked rice. Stir them in along with the other filling components and bake the casserole in a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish instead of a 9 by 9-inch dish. With these additions, this casserole will easily serve 8 to 10 people.
- Take a little help from the store. I like to make my own Cream of Chicken Soup for this casserole because it bumps up the flavor, and it uses ingredients that I always have in my kitchen anyway. However, if you don’t keep these items on hand it may be cheaper to buy a can of Cream of Chicken Soup than to buy all the components to make it from scratch.
- Skip what you can skip. The mozzarella cheese makes this recipe extra cheesy, but is completely optional. Also, the fresh parsley is just for a little color! Feel free to omit it or use dried parsley if you have some on hand.
- Instead of rotisserie chicken. Rotisserie chicken is a huge time-saver, but it’s definitely not the most economical chicken option! Chicken leg quarters (thigh + drumstick) are usually very inexpensive. Roast them at 400F for 35 to 40 minutes, let them cool until they’re not too hot to touch, and then chop up the meat. Alternatively, check out canned chicken! You can sometimes find them buy one get one free, which makes them an economical option.
With any (or all) of these options, dinner will still taste like a million bucks!
The Best Million Dollar Ritz Chicken Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
Topping:
- Ritz crackers
- Butter
- Scallion
- Seasoned salt
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup:
- Butter
- Flour
- Milk
- Chicken broth
- Dried minced onion
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Cream cheese
Filling:
- Cooked chopped chicken (rotisserie chicken works well)
- Shredded mozzarella (optional)
- Cottage cheese
- Sour cream
- Scallion
Garnish:
- Fresh parsley
Step-by-Step Instructions
- For the topping, stir together all ingredients in a bowl.
- For the homemade Cream of Chicken Soup, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk, chicken broth, dried minced onions, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, and bring to a boil. Let it boil until thickened, stirring constantly. Whisk in the cream cheese and remove from the heat.
- Add the chicken, mozzarella, cottage cheese, sour cream, scallion, and sauce to a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Pour the filling into a 9 by 9-inch baking dish (or equivalent) sprayed with olive oil spray, and spread it out. Sprinkle the Ritz mixture evenly on top of the filling. Bake uncovered until the casserole is golden on top and bubbling, about 20 minutes at 375F.
Storage
This casserole keeps well for up to 4 days stored covered in the fridge. You can reheat it in a 350F oven covered with foil until warm.
Cooks Tips
- If you’re running short on time, you can use store-bought Cream of Chicken Soup instead of making your own! Use 1 (10.5 ounce) can of soup + 4 ounces cream cheese.
- Rotisserie chicken works well for this recipe, and is a big time-saver. However, you can also roast your own chicken for this recipe. Or use canned chicken!
- I like to serve this casserole with a vegetable on the side. However, if you want to make this a one-dish meal you can stir in 3 cups of steamed broccoli or 1 (12 ounce) package of frozen vegetables (thawed and drained) along with the other filling components. Use a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish instead of a 9 by 9-inch dish.
Million Dollar Ritz Chicken Casserole FAQs
What is Ritz Chicken?
Ritz Chicken is also called Ritz Cracker Chicken, Ritzy Chicken, and Butter Chicken!
It is similar to regular breaded chicken, but is coated in a mixture of crushed Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs.
This recipe sort of marries Ritz Chicken and Million Dollar Chicken Casserole.
What is Million Dollar Chicken Casserole?
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is a classic casserole with chicken in a creamy sauce consisting of cream of chicken soup, cream cheese, sour cream, and spices. It’s baked in a casserole dish topped with a crushed Ritz cracker topping.
Some recipes for this casserole also include bacon, so feel free to add a couple slices of cooked, crumbled bacon if you like.
For this recipe, we make a quick homemade Cream of Chicken Soup to really bump up the flavor.
Can I Add Rice to Million Dollar Chicken Casserole?
Yes! Adding rice is an economical way to stretch this meal.
To add rice to this creamy chicken casserole, stir 2 cups of cooked rice in with the other filling components. Use a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish instead of a 9 by 9-inch dish.
What Goes Well with Chicken Casserole?
I like to pair this with a simply-prepared green vegetable, such as steamed green beans, broccoli, or asparagus. Or mixed salad greens with cherry tomatoes and vinaigrette is perfect (try my favorite salad dressing recipe)!
More Casserole Recipes to Make
- Quick Lasagna Casserole (aka Lazy Lasagna)
- Vegetable Beef Guinness Casserole
- Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole
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Million Dollar Ritz Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
Topping:
- 28 Ritz crackers coarsely crushed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup sliced scallion
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
Filling:
- 3 cups cooked chopped chicken rotisserie chicken works well
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella optional, for super cheesiness
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup sliced scallion
Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
For the Topping:
- Stir together all ingredients in a bowl.
For the Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Whisk in the milk, chicken broth, dried minced onions, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, and bring to a boil. Let it boil until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Whisk in the cream cheese until fully incorporated. Remove from the heat.
To Assemble:
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray the inside of a 9 by 9-inch baking dish (or another oven-safe dish with an equivalent capacity) with olive oil cooking spray.
- Add the chicken, mozzarella, cottage cheese, sour cream, scallion, and sauce to a large bowl and mix to combine.
To Bake:
- Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish and spread it out.
- Sprinkle the Ritz mixture evenly on top of the filling.
- Bake uncovered until the casserole is golden on top and bubbling, about 20 minutes.
- Serve warm garnished with minced parsley.
Video
Faith's Tips
- Use Store-Bought Cream of Chicken Soup to Save Time: If you’re running short on time, you can use store-bought Cream of Chicken Soup instead of making your own! Use 1 (10.5 ounce) can of soup + 4 ounces cream cheese.
- Rotisserie Chicken Alternatives: For a more economical option, you can roast chicken leg quarters at 400F for 35 to 40 minutes, let them cool until they’re not too hot to touch, and then chop up the meat. Alternatively, check out canned chicken! You can sometimes find them buy one get one free, which makes them a budget-friendly option. Or if you already have cooked chicken on hand, feel free to use that instead.
- To Add a Vegetable to This Casserole: I like to serve this casserole with a vegetable on the side. However, if you want to make this a one-dish meal you can stir in 3 cups of steamed broccoli or 1 (12 ounce) package of frozen vegetables (thawed and drained) along with the other filling components. Use a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish instead of a 9 by 9-inch dish.
- To Add Rice to This Casserole: Stir 2 cups of cooked rice in with the other filling components. Use a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish instead of a 9 by 9-inch dish.
Nutrition
Jean says
Gave this a try but with a few changes. I'm not a fan of cottage cheese, so I used some feta instead. Also added some leftover broccoli. Delicious!!
If I were to make it again this way, I would cut back on the amount of salt, since feta cheese is quite salty.
Thanks for the great recipe!!
Cheryl Gotschall says
Yummy. I froze half for another quick meal.
Robin says
Looks so scrumptious and easy! Will have to make this one night.