The Best Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
This ridiculously heavy million dollar chicken casserole completely saves your chaotic weeknights! Thick chunks of tender chicken bake fiercely inside a wildly rich, bubbling cream cheese sauce topped with a ridiculously crispy buttery cracker crust.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken breast (approx. 500g)
- 1 block, 8-ounce full-fat cream cheese completely softened (approx. 225g)
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream approx. 240g
- 1 can 10.5-ounce condensed cream of chicken soup (approx. 298g)
- 1.5 cups freshly grated sharp yellow cheddar cheese approx. 150g
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse onion powder
- 1 sleeve buttery round crackers like Ritz, heavily crushed (approx. 32 crackers)
- 1/2 cup salted butter fully melted (approx. 113g)
Instructions
- Prep the Baking Dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously coat the entire inside of a heavy 9x13-inch ceramic baking dish with a rich non-stick cooking spray to completely prevent the cheese from burning onto the walls.
- Mix the Heavy Dairy Base: Drop your completely softened cream cheese, tangy sour cream, condensed cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, and onion powder directly into a massive glass bowl. Use a sturdy metal whisk to vigorously stir the highly aromatic mixture until completely smooth.
- Fold in the Poultry: Aggressively dump your dry, heavily shredded chicken and freshly grated sharp cheddar entirely into the wet dairy mixture. Vigorously toss the heavy mixture until every single piece of meat is completely smothered in the rich white gravy.
- Build the Buttery Crust: Scrape the heavy, completely coated chicken mixture entirely into your prepared ceramic baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. In a small bowl, fiercely mix your shattered buttery crackers with the hot melted butter, then aggressively scatter the wet crumbs across the entire top of the casserole.
- Bake Until Bubbling: Place the heavy dish firmly onto the center rack of your hot oven. Let the casserole bake completely undisturbed for exactly 30 minutes until the edges fiercely bubble and the cracker crust turns deeply golden brown. Serve hot!
Notes
Dairy Warning: You absolutely must use completely full-fat cream cheese and sour cream. Using thin, watery low-fat substitutes will cause the entire hot pan to violently curdle and separate in the oven.
Cheese Warning: Always grate your cheddar directly from a solid cold block. Pre-shredded cheese contains potato starch that ruins the beautifully smooth sauce texture.
Storage: Let the bubbling ceramic dish completely cool to room temperature. Store leftovers in tightly sealed glass containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a hot oven to keep the crust crispy. If using a microwave, the buttery crackers will unfortunately lose their crunch and become soft.