Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

This million dollar chicken casserole is smothered in creamy cheesy sauce, studded with bacon, and topped with buttery Ritz crackers! A true comfort food.

Course Chicken Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword casserole recipes, chicken bake recipes, Chicken Casserole, Million Dollar Chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 650kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Casserole:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup low sodium
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
4 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

Topping:

30 Ritz crackers usually 1 sleeve
4 tablespoons butter melted
2 tablespoons green onions, sliced
2 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 8X8 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Add cream cheese (4 ounces) to a large bowl, and whip with an electric mixer. Add remaining casserole ingredients and stir to combine. Spread in prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix the Ritz crackers (30) with melted butter (4 tablespoons) until evenly coated. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken mixture.
Bake uncovered, about 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with 2 tablespoons green onions, 2 slices of crumbled bacon, and 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve

Notes

Cream Cheese: This is the magic ingredient.
Cottage Cheese: Okay. Okay. I know a lot of people aren't fans of this ingredient. But trust me on this one! When it's mixed with the other cheeses and baked until it's ooey-gooey and absolutely delicious! Yes, you can substitute it with ricotta, but it won't be as creamy.
Mozzarella: I know we're all looking for shortcuts to get dinner on the table quicker, but using the pre-grated kind of cheese is one to skip if you can. It’s coated with cellulose (wood pulp!). No judgment if you use it, I do in some recipes.
Cream of Chicken Soup: Don’t skip the cream of chicken! This canned soup wonder is what brings that creamy, chicken flavor punch to your final dish.
Poultry Seasoning: I love this seasoning mix. It's a special blend of spices, typically sage, thyme, and marjoram, that most successfully enhances the flavor of the chicken.
Bacon: I generally use uncured bacon because it doesn’t contain nitrates. It cost more but it's worth it to me because of the concern associated with nitrates about their potential cancer-causing effects.
Cooked Chicken: I generally use rotisserie chicken if I don't happen to have any leftover chicken in my fridge.
- If you want to start with uncooked chicken, simply simmer chicken breasts or thighs, chop or shred it, then it’s all ready to use in the casserole.
Ritz Crackers: No Ritz crackers? No problem! Crush up pretzels, chips, or use panko bread crumbs.
This recipe is made in an 8x8 inch baking dish. If you want to feed a larger group, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Lower the Carbs: Skip the Ritz cracker topping and use crushed pork rinds instead.
Italian Flavor: Use pancetta instead of bacon, and use Italian seasoning instead of the poultry seasoning.
Make it Spicy: Add your favorite hot sauce to the cream cheese mixture.

Nutrition