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This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole Recipe with ritz crackers is packed with flavor; juicy rotisserie chicken in a homemade savory cream sauce with a buttery crushed Ritz cracker topping! You can serve it with a vegetable side dish, and I also give instructions on how to add veggies and/or rice to the casserole if you like. If you’re looking for budget-friendly dinner ideas, check out the helpful tips to make this meal economical!
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.)
This hearty 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 to 16-ounce bag of frozen vegetables (such as green beans or broccoli) that’s thawed and drained. Also add 2 to 3 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 cans buy one get one free at the grocery store, which makes them an economical option.
With any (or all) of these options, dinner will still taste like a million bucks!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Crunchy Buttered Ritz Cracker Topping Ingredients
- Ritz crackers – These famously crisp, buttery crackers add great contrasting texture on top of a creamy casserole.
- Butter – Adds richness and helps toast the cracker topping.
- Scallion – For mild onion flavor; you can also use chives here.
- Seasoned salt – Or use a blend of 1/8 teaspoon of each of the following: salt, black pepper, granulated white sugar, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Ingredients
- Butter – You won’t find any canned cream soup here! For this recipe, we make a quick homemade cream of chicken soup that comes together in just minutes. We thicken it with roux, which is melted butter that’s mixed with flour.
- Flour – Together with the butter, flour forms roux to thicken our soup, which we use as the sauce for this casserole.
- Milk – We add milk and cream cheese to our homemade cream of chicken soup to bring the creamy factor.
- Chicken broth – Use a good-quality homemade or store-bought chicken broth for rich flavor.
- Dried minced onion – This pantry-staple adds great onion flavor without having to take the time to chop an onion. If you don’t have dried minced onion on hand, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon onion powder.
- Salt and black pepper – To season our cream soup.
- Garlic powder – For garlic flavor. If you prefer, you can use 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced fresh garlic and add it along with the butter.
- Cream cheese – Cream cheese not only makes this sauce thick and creamy, but it also adds a touch of tangy flavor for balance.
Filling Ingredients
- Cooked chopped chicken – Rotisserie chicken works well and is a huge time-saver. You can also use leftover homemade roast chicken, or canned chicken.
- Shredded mozzarella – Mozzarella cheese is optional here, but bumps up the cheesy factor a ton! If you want to get a cheese pull (as shown in the photo at the top), use the mozzarella.
- Cottage cheese – Adds creamy texture and bumps up the protein.
- Sour cream – For creamy texture and a touch of tangy flavor. You can substitute with plain unsweetened Greek yogurt if you like.
- Scallion – Adds mild onion flavor.
Optional Garnish
- Fresh parsley – This optional garnish adds pops of bright green color and fresh flavor.
How to Make the Best Million Dollar Chicken Casserole Recipe
- 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. (Note that it’s supposed to be thick! Think of it as a replacement for canned cream of chicken soup or canned cream of mushroom soup.)
- 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 & Reheating
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.
Freezing
This dish freezes well for up to 3 months. You can make the recipe and freeze it in individual servings for meal prep. Or once it’s assembled, you can freeze the entire casserole (either before or after its baked), which means this is a great meal train recipe for someone who needs a little extra care.
When you want to eat it, thaw the casserole to room temperature, cover with foil, and reheat at 350F until warm throughout. Note that if you’re reheating the entire casserole, it can take up to 1 hour, but make sure to start checking it around 30 minutes.
Expert 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 add vegetables to the casserole. Stir in 3 cups of steamed broccoli or 1 (12 to 16-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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
This 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.
Yes! Adding rice or noodles is an economical way to stretch this meal.
To add rice to this creamy chicken casserole, stir 2 to 3 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.
If you want to add noodles, cook 8 ounces of egg noodles according to the package directions, and then rinse and drain them. Stir the cooked noodles in with the other filling components, and use a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish.
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
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Ingredients
Topping:
- 28 Ritz crackers coarsely crushed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup sliced scallion
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 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
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 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 homemade cream of chicken soup 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
Notes
- 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 cans buy-one-get-one-free at the grocery store, 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 to 16-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 to 3 cups of cooked rice or 8 ounces of cooked noodles in with the other filling components. Use a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish instead of a 9 by 9-inch dish.
- 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.
- Freezing: This dish freezes well for up to 3 months. You can make the recipe and freeze it in individual servings for meal prep. Or once it’s assembled, you can freeze the entire casserole (either before or after it’s baked), which means this is a great meal train recipe for someone who needs a little extra care. When you want to eat it, thaw the casserole to room temperature, cover with foil, and reheat at 350F until warm throughout. Note that if you’re reheating the entire casserole, it can take up to 1 hour, but make sure to start checking it around 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on August 23, 2022 and updated on September 20, 2024.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
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!!
Yummy. I froze half for another quick meal.
Looks so scrumptious and easy! Will have to make this one night.