Million Dollar Ritz Chicken Casserole

million dollar chicken casserole recipe featured image served with green beans

Million Dollar Ritz Chicken Casserole

Million Dollar Chicken Casserole pairs tender, juicy rotisserie chicken with a homemade savory cream sauce (no canned cream of chicken soup here!), and tops it off with buttery crushed Ritz crackers for crunch. Check out the recipe notes for budget-friendly tips to make this meal as economical as possible - and still taste like a million bucks!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken Casserole Recipe with Ritz Crackers, Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers, Million Dollar Chicken, Million Dollar Chicken Casserole, Million Dollar Chicken Casserole Recipe, Ritz Chicken, Ritz Chicken Casserole, Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole, Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 549kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

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