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This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is creamy, cheesy, and topped with buttery Ritz crackers. It comes together easily with rotisserie chicken, frozen peas, and a creamy sauce made with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.
I love a good casserole, especially when I can get dinner on the table without much work. This one is a favorite because I can use rotisserie chicken from a Costco run and a few simple ingredients I usually have on hand, but it still feels like a meal everyone will be excited to sit down to.
Recipe Overview
Key Ingredients
Below are the key ingredients to make this casserole. Full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
- Rotisserie Chicken: Using a rotisserie chicken makes this recipe so easy. Simply shred the chicken, and it’s ready to go. You can use leftover cooked chicken instead if you have some in the fridge.
- Cottage Cheese: Blend cottage cheese with the other sauce ingredients until smooth. It gives the casserole a creamy texture without leaving large curds in the finished dish.
- Greek Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt adds creaminess and, with the cottage cheese, forms the base of the sauce.
- Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese: Mozzarella gives the casserole that cheesy, melty texture, while Parmesan adds a little more flavor.
- Frozen Peas: No need to thaw the peas first. Just add them straight from the freezer.
- Ritz Crackers: The buttery Ritz cracker topping is one of my favorite parts. It gets golden and crisp in the oven, adding a nice crunch to the creamy filling.
Tips Before You Start
- Shred the Chicken Into Bite-Size Pieces: Don’t leave the chicken in large chunks. Smaller pieces make it easier to get a little chicken, sauce, and topping in every bite.
- Blend the Sauce Until Smooth: this gives it its creamy texture.
- No Need to Thaw the Peas: You can add the frozen peas straight to the casserole. There’s no need to thaw them first.
- Crush the Ritz Crackers Coarsely: Don’t turn the crackers into fine crumbs. A few larger pieces give the topping a better crunch.
- Let It Rest: Let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes after baking. The filling will settle and thicken slightly, making it easier to serve.
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Make the Creamy Sauce: Add the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, chicken broth, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, black pepper, salt, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice to a blender. Blend for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is completely smooth.
Add the Chicken and Cheese: Pour the blended sauce into a large bowl. Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken, frozen peas, and sliced green onions. Gently fold everything together until the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated.
Assemble the Casserole: Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Add the Ritz Topping: In a small bowl, combine the crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter, Parmesan, and parsley. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the casserole.
Bake: Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the cracker topping is golden and crisp. Let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Variations You Can Try
- Use Leftover Chicken: Don’t have a rotisserie chicken? Use leftover baked, grilled, or roasted chicken instead.
- Add More Vegetables: You can add cooked broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, or diced carrots.
- Try Different Cheese: Swap some of the mozzarella for cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack.
- Make It Without Peas: If peas aren’t your thing, simply leave them out or replace them with another vegetable.
- Add More Seasoning: If you like a little extra flavor, add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, or a little smoked paprika to the sauce.
Can I Make This Casserole Ahead?
Yes. You can assemble the casserole earlier in the day, cover it, and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to bake it.
If the casserole is cold when it goes into the oven, you may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. Add the Ritz topping just before baking so it stays crisp.
Common Questions
Yes. You can use cooked chicken breast, chicken thighs, or a combination of both. Just make sure the chicken is cooked before adding it to the casserole.
Yes. You can use low-fat cottage cheese if that’s what you have. The texture may be slightly different, but the recipe will still work.
Make sure you use the amount of broth called for and blend the sauce with the cornstarch. Also, avoid adding extra liquid from the chicken or vegetables.
Absolutely. You can use panko breadcrumbs, crushed buttery crackers, or even seasoned breadcrumbs for the topping.
Storage and Reheating
- Store leftover casserole in an airtight container or cover the baking dish and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the casserole in the oven until heated through.
- Freezing: Although the Ritz topping may not be quite as crisp after freezing and thawing. For the best texture, prepare the casserole without the cracker topping, freeze it, then add fresh topping before baking.
- Note: The Ritz topping may soften after refrigeration, but you can bake the casserole for a few minutes to crisp it back up.
More Casseroles
You May Also Like
- Greek Ground Beef Meatballs
- Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipes
- Chicken Corn Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
Thank you so much for being here and for cooking along with me. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and ⭐️ rating below.
Million-Dollar Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
Casserole:
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 5 cups)
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 5 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
Creamy Sauce:
- 1½ cups cottage cheese
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Ritz Topping
- 30 Ritz crackers, one sleeve, coarsely crushed
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Add all the creamy sauce ingredients to a blender (1½ cups cottage cheese, ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice). Blend for about 1 minute until completely smooth and silky.
- Transfer the blended mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the 1 cup shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup grated Parmesan until well combined.
- Fold in the shredded 1 rotisserie chicken, 2 cups frozen peas, and 5 green onions until everything is evenly coated in the creamy sauce.
- Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the crushed 30 Ritz crackers, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the topping is deeply golden and crisp.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Serving size: About 1/6 of the casserole
- Use about 5 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.
- There is no need to thaw the frozen peas before adding them.
- Blend the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt mixture until completely smooth.
- Don’t crush the Ritz crackers too finely so the topping stays crisp.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- For freezing, add the Ritz topping after thawing for the best texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
