A forkful of this Million Dollar Chicken Casserole will will have you sold on the name with its creamy, rich filling full of tender chicken and topped with melty cheese and crispy bacon. This casserole is a quick and easy family dinner recipe perfect for weeknights, and kids will love it! Serve over rice or pasta and with a vegetable for a full, well-rounded family meal.
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole Recipe – The EASY Way!
This chicken casserole recipe is ultra comforting and has the best flavors with rich and creamy bases blending for the ultimate Million Dollar taste. Great for the family with easy steps and simple ingredients, this is one to add to your weeknight meal plan.
We have a collection of Million Dollar Recipes that are some of the MOST popular recipes on our site. Make sure to check out our Million Dollar Chicken bake, Million Dollar Bacon, Million Dollar Dip, and Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti for more tried and true favorites!
Why I LOVE this casserole recipe!
- The Million Dollar FLAVOR! We’re matching flavors to our super popular recipes, Million Dollar Chicken and Million Dollar Pork Chops. It’s comforting, creamy, cheesy, and so delicious and hits the mark for an extension of the famous Neiman Marcus Million Dollar Dip.
- The BEST creamy filling. A delicious base to this million dollar casserole is its rich, creamy filling made with cream cheese, sour cream, chicken base, and cream of chicken.
- Family-friendly recipe. This recipe is easy to make and comes together quickly with just a few steps making it perfect for a busy weeknight. Use leftover chicken chopped into chunks or shredded to toss into the filling and top with some favorite flavors, cheese, and bacon!
- A fantastic base recipe. Start with a classic casserole base and build an abundance of recipe ideas by adding different ingredients and changing the flavor. Pick a carb like rice, pasta, or potatoes and pair it with your favorite veggies such as green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, or peas. It’s basically a limitless base casserole recipe that can fit any need.
- Perfect for using leftover chicken. If you need a leftover chicken recipe, this one is perfect for any cooked chicken. Just shred or cut it up to add to the creamy filling.
What to Serve with this Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Since this dish has the classic flavors of the well-known Million Dollar dip rolled into a casserole recipe with chicken, it will pair well with many of your favorite vegetable and carb side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Cooked rice
- Pasta: egg noodles, elbow macaroni, or penne
- Ranch Smashed Potatoes
- Brown Butter Broccoli
- Sauteed Spinach
- Pan fried Green Beans
- Garlic Butter Corn on the Cob
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Recipe Notes
This easy chicken casserole recipe is as simple as promised! Just 50 minutes for a family-friendly meal.
In this section, I will go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Chicken – Use any leftover chicken you may have in the fridge, such as a rotisserie, boiled chicken, or baked chicken. Then, just shred or cut into chunks and stir into the filling.
- Cream cheese – A key ingredient to the Million Dollar flavor! Ricotta could also be used though it will add a grainy texture.
- Sour cream – This adds body and a rich taste to this delicious casserole without thinning out the filling. You could substitute sour cream for Greek yogurt as it has a similar flavor and texture.
- Cream of chicken – This canned soup increases your casserole flavor and enriches it with the best chicken taste.
- Chicken base – Just like the cream of chicken soup, using chicken base elevates the flavor of your casserole with delicious flavor. You can use Better Than Boullion chicken base or Zoup Soup base to really up the flavor. It’s like adding broth without the additional liquid to keep your casserole super thick and creamy.
- Green onions – Scallions or chives would also work.
- Shredded cheese – I love a nice melty cheese like Colby Jack, but you could also use a Mexican blend or shredded cheddar cheese. Take a step further with crumbled feta mixed with shredded cheese for the ultimate cheesy chicken casserole.
- Crispy bacon – The extra little crunchy savory bacon on top of a wholesome chicken casserole rounds out all the flavors for an irresistible bite.
Tips for Making a Million Dollar Recipe
- Make sure the cream cheese is soft. Use softened cream cheese to meld with the other ingredients easily; otherwise, there will be clumps that only partially incorporate. If it was too cold when mixed in, allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and smooth together.
- Add a filler. This recipe is perfect for adding a carb to round out the dish. Add cooked rice or pasta such as egg noodles, penne, or potato chunks. It adds volume to the casserole and incorporates a side for a one-dish dinner.
- Extra bacon, extra deliciousness. I like to reserve the chopped bacon for the topping so it stays crisp and crunchy. If you want to incorporate it into the filling, double the amount of bacon the recipe calls for and stir half into the mix and the remaining for the top.
- Make it nutritious with veggies. There are so many vegetable options that you can add to this thick and creamy chicken casserole. Some of my family favorites are cooked broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and green beans. You could even do a medley of veggies to make it like a chicken pot pie filling with the Million Dollar flare.
- Change up the flavor. Stir in a packet of ranch mix for a Ranch Million Dollar Chicken Casserole recipe. You could also add in red pepper flakes or jalapeno slices to add a little heat and for a Jalepeno Popper chicken casserole flavor.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Use precooked chicken – My favorite part of this casserole recipe is using leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Less hassle than making chicken, especially for this dish, and you can just cut up or shred the cooked chicken for an easy dinner recipe.
- Keep bacon crumbles on hand – To save you an extra step when making this chicken casserole, prebake bacon and keep it stored in the freezer to use whenever you need it. Sprinkle it on top from frozen and it will crisp up by the time the casserole is done.
- Make ahead recipe – If you’re expecting a busy day, whip up this casserole the day before and store it covered in the fridge. When ready to bake, add cheese and bacon on top and add just a few extra minutes to heat thoroughly.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Million Dollar Chicken Casserole With Noodles – Stir in cooked noodles to the creamy filling before baking.
- Million Dollar Chicken And Rice Casserole – Cook rice and add to make a hearty chicken and rice casserole.
- Million Dollar Chicken Casserole With Broccoli – Add cooked broccoli or another vegetable to your chicken casserole for a wholesome dish.
Chicken Casserole Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making Million Dollar Chicken Casserole, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
More Chicken Casserole Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy casserole recipes here, or see a few of our reader’s favorite recipes below.
- Viral Chicken Cobbler
- Buffalo Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Loaded Chicken Baked Potato Casserole
- Pesto Chicken Pasta Casserole
- Chicken and Stuffing Veggie Casserole
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded or diced chicken
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup, (1 can)
- 1 tablespoon chicken base
- 6 green onions, diced
- 8 oz colby jack cheese
- 1/4 cup crispy crumbled bacon, or more (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Combine the shredded chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, chicken base and green onions in a large bowl and mix completely.
- Transfer to 2 quart casserole dish and top with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.
- Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until the edges are bubbling and the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
- Garnish with additional green onions and serve warm.
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