Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

This Million Dollar Chicken Casserole takes just 10 minutes of prep time and is on your table in 30 minutes. Using pre-cooked ingredients like rice and shredded chicken makes it simple to make and has a satisfying crunchy topping that the whole family will love. You can also make this creamy chicken and rice bake in advance and refrigerate or freeze it for later, making it the perfect weeknight dinner. 

Jump to:

• ℹ️ Recipe Overview
• 🛒 Ingredients
• 📷 How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
• 👩‍🍳 Recipe Tips
• 🥗 Serving Suggestions
• 💡Variations
• 🫙 Storage Tips
• 📖 Recipe
• Recipe FAQs

ℹ️ Recipe Overview

A "Million Dollar Chicken Casserole" is a popular dish made with chicken, cheese, and a variety of other ingredients. While it's not actually worth a million dollars, it's often referred to as such because of its rich and indulgent flavors. 

The exact ingredients and preparation can vary between recipes and this is our variation of this popular dish. 

What makes our recipe different? 

We add pre-cooked rice to the bottom of the casserole, which turns it into a complete meal and saves on having to serve two separate dishes. Rice and chicken can be pre-cooked ahead of time (or you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken and a few cooked rice packets), making your dinner prep super easy!

You’ll love how creamy and cheesy this casserole recipe is. By using cottage cheese, cream cheese, and cream of chicken soup, you’ll have a comforting dish with a crunchy topping that is out of this world. 

Because this million-dollar chicken casserole is loaded with rice and shredded chicken, it makes a super-filling meal that will satisfy everyone at the dinner table. It’s also very budget-friendly, using simple ingredients that won’t break the bank. 

As far as chicken rice casserole recipes go, this is a goodie! Let us show you how to make it.

🛒 Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need for this creamy chicken and rice casserole bake.

• Cooked rice- This will form the bottom layer of your casserole. Feel free to cook your own rice ahead of time or use store-bought pre-cooked rice.
• Shredded chicken- Use leftover chicken or buy pre-shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken to speed the process along.
• Cream cheese- Divide your cream cheese between the rice and chicken layers for a rich flavor throughout your casserole.
• Cottage cheese- You’ll also divide this between the rice and chicken layers to add to the creamy texture. 
• Cream of chicken soup- This is added to the chicken layer because we all know chicken casserole with cream of chicken soup is the best. 
• Minced garlic- Garlic will enhance the flavor of the whole casserole.
• Minced onion- Add minced onion to your casserole to bring all the flavors together and add a little sharpness.
• Butter - Melted butter is combined with Ritz crackers to create the perfect crunchy topping. 
• Ritz crackers- Crushed Ritz crackers will balance the texture of this casserole by adding a crunchy layer on top of all the creamy goodness. You can also add herbs and garlic powder into the Ritz cracker mix for extra flavor.

📷 How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

The full recipe card with nutrition info is below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make this chicken and rice casserole. We used a 9x13-inch dish.

• Step 1. Preheat the oven to 355 F. Prepare 2 bowls, one with rice and one with shredded chicken.

• Step 2. Add half of the cream cheese and cottage cheese to the rice bowl. Combine and spread in a greased baking dish. 
• Step 3. Add the remaining cream cheese and cottage cheese and all of the cream of chicken soup, minced garlic, and minced onion to the chicken bowl. Combine and spread on top of the rice layer. 
• Step 4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, uncovered. 
• Step 5. Combine Ritz crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the casserole and return to the oven for 5 minutes. 

👩‍🍳 Recipe Tips

• Use rotisserie chicken and store-bought pre-cooked rice to make this recipe quick and easy. 
• Allow time for the cream cheese to soften at room temperature before combining with other ingredients. 
• Swap the cottage cheese for ricotta cheese if you prefer. 
• Add garlic powder and dried herbs to the buttery Ritz cracker crumbs for extra flavor. 
• You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 24 hours. Don't store for longer than that as cooked rice doesn't keep long.

🥗 Serving Suggestions

This recipe becomes an easy weeknight meal by adding a vegetable side dish. 

Because the casserole is creamy and rich, you're best to make something light and refreshing like a crisp green salad with a tangy dressing, a garden salad or a Greek salad. 

Simple boiled or steamed green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts or asparagus drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice would complement this hearty dish. 

If you're feeling a little more decadent, try our creamy green beans. 

💡Variations

• Switch out the shredded chicken for shredded beef to give this casserole a totally different twist. 
• Add vegetables to make this a healthier option! We love adding broccoli to the chicken and rice bake. 
• Add your favorite flavored crackers instead of plain Ritz to give it a special touch. 
• Try topping with potato chips or corn chips instead of crackers for flair. 
• Add a layer of shredded cheese to the casserole before topping with crackers to add even more richness. 
• Switch the rice in this dish with pasta or quinoa for a carb twist.
• Stir in some marinara sauce to give it a more tomatoey flavor.

🫙 Storage Tips

• To store: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 
• To freeze: Make ahead of time and freeze before baking or adding the cracker layer. Thaw completely and then bake according to instructions, adding cracker layer as directed. 
• To reheat: Reheat in a microwave with medium heat. 

📖 Recipe

More Dinner Recipes

Recipe FAQs