Fewer than ten simple ingredients come together in a velvety, creamy sauce that elevates this DELICIOUS ‘Chicken on The Ritz’ Casserole, spot on for busy nights. If you have a tender chicken rotisserie on hand, you’re halfway done with this easy recipe!

Rotisserie chicken on hand means multiple meals! See my methods for Homemade Chicken and Dumplings, Ultra Satisfying Chicken Noodle Soup, and this gorgeous One Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup!

For the ultimate creamy chicken casserole recipe the whole family will love, reach for rotisserie chicken, cream cheese, and a sleeve of buttery Ritz crackers. Fewer than ten simple ingredients come together as if destined for one another in the velvety, creamy sauce that bolsters this hands down DELICIOUS casserole, spot on for busy weeknights.

This easy chicken casserole recipe is certainly customizable if you wanted to be creative and add to it. Broccoli florets or fresh green beans, cooked pasta or egg noodles, or even rice for a Ritz chicken casserole with rice. Really, the possibilities to this becoming a family favorite are limited only by your imagination.

Select a pretty 2 1/2-quart (9 by 9-inch) or 3-quart (12 by 9-inch) casserole dish in which to assemble and bake. Aside from the baking dish, all that is additionally required is the use of your food processor or a large mixing bowl and a hand mixer. Easy cleanup!

How to Make This Easy Chicken Casserole Recipe

Before you get started, preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter or spray lightly with cooking spray the casserole dish you will use. Set aside.

Prepare Some Chicken

Begin by readying the main ingredient, a few cups chicken. This can be leftover chicken from a previous night’s meal, drained canned chicken, meat from a large rotisserie chicken, or breasts and thighs you will cook specifically for use in chicken casserole recipes like this one.

You will want the chicken not only shredded, but also in bite-sized pieces. Personally, I like to use a mix of both light and dark meat in this casserole, but feel like you can use either exclusively.

Combine the Supporting Ingredients

In the barrel of a food processor or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, whip the cottage cheese to a smooth consistency, about 1 minute. It’s okay if a few curds remain, but I do this because I find many folks do not enjoy the texture of cottage cheese, hence whipping it.

To the cottage cheese, add in room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, onion and garlic powder, and a scant amount of curry powder. Pulse or beat until well combined, 30 to 45 seconds.

Add the prepared cooked chicken to the soup mixture. If you used a food processor, it may be more helpful to transfer the soup mixture to a large bowl to do this. Stir well to combine everything.

Assemble the Casserole

Melt a good amount of unsalted butter and allow it to cool. I specify unsalted butter because the canned soup, even if using lower sodium, and the crackers will have enough salt to sufficiently flavor the finished dish.

Crush a full sleeve of Ritz or other buttery crackers with a rolling pin or flat side of a meat mallet to where you’ve still got some large pieces. Stir the cracker crumbs together with the melted butter to coat.

Scrape the chicken mixture into the prepared casserole dish and scatter the buttery Ritz cracker topping over the top of the chicken. Place into the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbling and golden.

Pro Tip: If you plan to add a layer of shredded cheddar cheese, do so before you top with the buttered cracker mixture, about 1/3 to 1/2-cup.

If french-fried onions appeal to you, mix 1/4 to 1/2-cup right into the buttered cracker mixture before topping the casserole.

Modifying the Norm to Make It Not Entirely Average

• Use leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas roasted turkey in place of the chicken as an excellent way of using up those holiday leftovers!
• Add cooked, diced ham and a jar of drained and chopped olives with pimentos to this dish for a whole other flavor level altogether.
• Don’t just melt butter, but brown butter to give the top of the casserole crispy topping a nutty flavor and aroma.