Description
Million Dollar Potato Casserole is a creamy, cheesy, and comforting side dish made with hash brown potatoes, a blend of cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta, and cream of chicken soup, baked with a buttery cracker topping for a deliciously crunchy finish. Perfect for family dinners, holidays, or potlucks, this casserole offers rich flavors with a satisfying texture.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 (32-oz.) package frozen diced hash brown potatoes, thawed
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 8 oz.)
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
Topping
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 32 buttery round crackers (such as Ritz), coarsely crushed
Garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Other
- Cooking spray for greasing the baking dish
Instructions
- Prepare oven and baking dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9- x 13-inch or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, cream of chicken soup, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Add hash browns and cheese: Fold the thawed diced hash brown potatoes, shredded Cheddar cheese, and most of the sliced green onions into the mixture, reserving about 2 tablespoons of green onions for garnish.
- Transfer to baking dish: Spoon the combined mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish and spread it out into a smooth, even layer.
- Make cracker topping: In a medium bowl, toss the coarsely crushed buttery crackers with the melted butter until they are thoroughly coated.
- Add topping to casserole: Sprinkle the butter-coated cracker crumbs evenly over the potato mixture in the baking dish.
- Bake casserole: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
- Add garnishes and serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the reserved green onions, chopped fresh parsley, and freshly ground black pepper evenly over the top. Serve warm for a comforting side dish.
Notes
- For a dairy-free variation, substitute cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta with suitable vegan alternatives.
- You can substitute cream of chicken soup with cream of mushroom soup for a milder flavor or to make it vegetarian-friendly.
- If you prefer a crispier topping, broil the casserole for an additional 2-3 minutes but watch carefully to prevent burning.
- This casserole can be assembled the night before and refrigerated; just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if baked cold.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat nicely in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10th of recipe (approx. 1 cup)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
