Get the Secret to Our Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

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By
Lauryn Bodden
headshot for associate food editor Lauryn Bodden
Lauryn Bodden
Lauryn is Food Editor for The Spruce Eats, creating recipes and cooking guides for all palates and expertise.
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Published on 07/7/23
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 52 mins
Cooling Time: 10 mins
Total: 72 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

We don’t throw around the words “million dollar” lightly, and that rings especially true when it comes to our recipes. But this recipe really has it all. It’s fast, budget-friendly, packed with some of our favorite things (hello, bacon), and a mighty chicken dinner that everyone will love. 

What Ingredients Are in Million Dollar Chicken Casserole?

Even more, this recipe is an ode to my favorite southern staple: pimento cheese. Much like the beloved dip, each bite of the casserole combines the creaminess, cheesiness, spice, peppers, and even the crackers you eat it with. 

The standout ingredient you can’t sleep on is Sweet Baby Ray’s Secret Sauce. If you’re a fan of Outback’s Bloomin’ Onion Sauce, then you’ll want to go ahead and hit that “subscribe and save” button when you go to bulk order this premade sauce. The blend of horseradish and spices adds an irresistible bite that marries the party of flavors in this dish.

How To Make Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

To make this million dollar chicken casserole, I start off by crisping up bacon for my Ritz cracker topping. While the bacon cooks, I remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken and shred the meat. Next, I stir together the cheeses, soup, sauce, red pepper flake, and chopped jarred peppers until evenly combined, then fold in the chicken. 

I smash together the crackers and bacon in a large bowl, then I stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, a little fresh pepper to balance the saltiness, and bacon drippings to bind everything. Sprinkle the topping all over top and bake until golden brown.

What To Serve With Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

Serve this casserole with a crisp salad, snappy green beans, roasted broccoli, or another veggie to round out the meal. 

Tips for Making Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

  • The cream cheese should be at room temperature — Otherwise it will be too hard to mix with the other ingredients, making the sauce chunky. If you forget to take the cream cheese out ahead of time, just place it in the large bowl to thaw while you cook the bacon—it should take 10 to 15 minutes to get to the right temperature.
  • Don’t skip the cottage cheese — The cottage cheese is crucial for making this really creamy.
  • Substitute for rotisserie chicken — If you’d rather not buy a rotisserie chicken for this recipe, you can poach chicken breasts and shred them instead.

"The "million dollar" chicken casserole was extremely easy, and it had tons of flavor. I especially liked the bacon and drippings in the crushed cracker topping. I didn't have quite enough drippings, so I added melted butter to make 1/4 cup. It was a winner with my family!" —Diana Rattray

Million Dollar Chicken Casserole/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces bacon (4 to 5 slices)

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1/2 cup large-curd cottage cheese

  • 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

  • 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Secret Sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1/2 cup chopped jarred pimento peppers or roasted red peppers

  • 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 4 cups)

  • 1 sleeve Ritz crackers

  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

  • A few grinds fresh black pepper

  • Sliced scallions, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F.

    Ingredients to make million dollar chicken casserole

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Place the bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until crisp, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon drippings, plus an additional 2 tablespoons for the baking dish.

    A paper-towel lined plated with bacon and a small bowl of bacon grease

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Combine the cream cheese, cottage cheese, cream of chicken soup, Secret Sauce, red pepper flakes, and pimento peppers in a large bowl. Mix well until combined.

    A bowl of cream cheese, cottage cheese, cream of chicken soup, Secret Sauce, red pepper flakes, and pimento peppers

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Stir the chicken into the mixture. Brush a 9-inch square baking dish with the reserved 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings.

    Chicken folded into the cream cheese mixture, and a square baking dish brushed with bacon grease

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Place the crackers and cooled bacon in a large bowl, then use the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup to crush together into small pieces. Stir in the shredded cheese, a few grinds of black pepper, and the reserved 1/4 cup bacon drippings to combine.

    A bowl of crushed crackers, bacon pieces, cheese, black pepper, and bacon grease

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Sprinkle the cracker-bacon topping evenly over the chicken mixture in the baking dish. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

    A Million Dollar Chicken Casserole topped with bacon-cracker crumble

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve garnished with scallions.

    A Million Dollar Chicken Casserole garnished with scallions

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

How To Store

  • You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Make the casserole without the bacon-ritz topping and freeze in the baking dish, tightly covered, for up to 4 months. Make the topping and add right before baking. Bake the casserole from frozen, covered with foil. A frozen casserole will take twice as long to bake. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking to allow the top to brown.

Recipe Variations

  • Add veggies: You can bulk this up with vegetables by adding frozen or raw chopped spinach, a 10-ounce bag of frozen vegetables, chopped mushrooms, or anything you might have on hand. 
  • Carb it up: Add 1 cup cooked rice or noodles to make this dish even heartier.
  • Change up the flavors: Leave out the jarred peppers if you’re not feeling them or swap in another pantry staple like capers, olives, pickled jalapeños, beans, and more.
  • Swap the sauce: You can use any pre-made sauce in place of Sweet Baby Ray’s like pesto, vodka sauce, teriyaki sauce, chipotle sauce, or Buffalo sauce.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
551 Calories
38g Fat
13g Carbs
39g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 551
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 49%
Saturated Fat 13g 63%
Cholesterol 187mg 62%
Sodium 1225mg 53%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 15mg 76%
Calcium 207mg 16%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 480mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)