Million Greenback Hen Casserole will get its title as a result of it’s wealthy, creamy, indulgent, and tastes like 1,000,000 bucks, however this one prices underneath $10 to make! I make mine with tender hen, browned mushrooms, inexperienced onions, and a buttery cracker topping, all baked collectively in a straightforward, creamy, tacky from-scratch sauce (no condensed soup right here!). This million greenback hen casserole turns easy substances right into a golden-topped dinner I can have on the desk in simply over an hour, and I’ll fortunately make it for household dinners, meal prep, or dropping off to somebody who may use a home made meal.
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Creamy Million Greenback Hen Casserole
A number of million greenback hen casserole recipes use canned cream soup, however I wished this model to style more energizing whereas nonetheless preserving it straightforward and inexpensive. The sauce begins proper within the skillet with butter, browned mushrooms, inexperienced onions, garlic, flour, broth, and milk, then I stir in cottage cheese, bitter cream, and sharp cheddar for the creamy “million greenback” end. Making the sauce from scratch lets me management the salt, seasoning, and substances, and it solely provides a number of further minutes! Plus, searing the hen and browning the mushrooms first offers the entire casserole a deeper, cozier taste earlier than it bakes up bubbly underneath these buttery cracker crumbs. 😋
- Use leftover hen if you happen to’ve acquired it. Cooked diced, shredded, or rotisserie hen all work right here as a shortcut! Use about 3½-4 cups cooked hen rather than the 1½ lbs. uncooked hen, skip the searing step, and stir it into the sauce with the inexperienced onion tops.
- Cook dinner the flour for 1-2 minutes. After sprinkling the flour over the mushrooms and inexperienced onions, let it cook dinner briefly to take away the uncooked flour style and assist create a smoother sauce for this straightforward million greenback hen casserole.
- Let the sauce thicken earlier than baking. I gently simmer the broth and milk till the sauce evenly coats the again of a spoon. The butter and flour want a bit of warmth to thicken the sauce correctly and assist the casserole bake up creamy as a substitute of free.
- Prep it forward of time. Assemble the casserole as much as the baking step, cowl, and refrigerate for as much as 24 hours. Wait so as to add the cracker topping till simply earlier than baking, so it stays crisp. Add a number of further minutes to the bake time if ranging from chilly.
- Maintain the concentrate on the creamy sauce. This million greenback hen casserole is all in regards to the creamy from-scratch sauce and buttery cracker topping. I prefer to serve it with rice on the aspect. If you would like a hen casserole with rice baked proper in, attempt our hen vegetable and rice casserole as a substitute!
Million Greenback Hen Casserole
Price $9.91 recipe / $1.65 serving
This Million Greenback Hen Casserole recipe is made with tender hen, mushrooms, a creamy home made sauce, and crisp topping. No canned soup right here!
For the Creamy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp butter (14g, $0.11)
- 8 oz. mushrooms (sliced, $1.76)
- 4 inexperienced onions (thinly sliced, (whites and greens separated) $0.48)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced, $0.21)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (16g, $0.02)
- 2 cups hen broth (16 oz., $0.26**)
- 1 cup entire milk (8 oz., $0.27)
- ¼ cup full-fat cottage cheese (60g, $0.25)
- ¼ cup bitter cream (60g, $0.33)
- ¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded, (85g) $0.70***)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.04)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.04)
- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- ½ tsp onion powder ($0.02)
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Collect and prep substances, and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
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Warmth oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a big skillet over medium warmth. Add cubed hen, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and sear for 4-5 minutes till evenly golden (it does not must be totally cooked), and switch to a plate and put aside.
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In the identical skillet, soften 1 Tbsp butter and add sliced mushrooms, whites of inexperienced onions, and garlic, and cook dinner for 6-8 minutes till softened and evenly browned.
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Sprinkle flour over the greens and stir for 1-2 minutes to cook dinner out the uncooked flour style and kind a roux.
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Slowly whisk in hen broth and milk. Simmer for 2-3 minutes till barely thickened.
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Stir in cottage cheese, bitter cream, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and remaining ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Stir till melted and easy.
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Return the hen to the skillet in addition to the inexperienced elements of the onions. Stir till every thing is coated.
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Pour the hen and mushroom combination into your ready casserole dish.
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Crush the crackers in a zip-top bag utilizing a rolling pin or related software. Toss with 1 Tbsp melted butter, then sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
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Cowl the casserole dish loosely with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Take away foil and bake a further 10-Quarter-hour till bubbly and golden.
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Let it sit for 5-10 minutes earlier than serving to permit the sauce to set barely. Get pleasure from served sprinkled with further inexperienced onion and over rice if desired.
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**This recipe is examined and value out utilizing Higher Than Bouillon. If utilizing a unique broth or inventory, seasoning ranges might fluctuate. Style earlier than serving and regulate salt as wanted.
***Sharp cheddar offers the sauce a bolder, cheesier taste without having a ton of additional cheese. I like to recommend shredding it your self if you happen to can. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking brokers to stop clumping and doesn’t soften fairly as easily into the sauce.
****You may use any buttery cracker you want, comparable to Ritz or the grocery retailer model, just like the Nice Worth buttery rounds from Walmart.
Make-Forward Observe: You may put together the casserole filling and refrigerate it, coated, for as much as 24 hours. Add the cracker topping proper earlier than baking. You could must bake a couple of minutes longer if it’s going into the oven chilly!
Serving: 1serving (about 2 cups)Energy: 387kcal (19%)Carbohydrates: 14g (5%)Protein: 33g (66%)Fats: 22g (34%)Sodium: 1085mg (47%)Fiber: 1g (4%)
tips on how to make Million Greenback Hen Casserole step-by-step pictures
Collect your whole substances, then preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Additionally evenly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish and set it apart.
Sear the hen: Warmth 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a big skillet over medium warmth. Add 1½ lbs. cubed hen breasts, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Cook dinner for 4-5 minutes, stirring sometimes, till the hen is evenly golden on the surface. It doesn’t must be cooked by means of but, because it’ll end baking within the casserole. Switch the hen to a plate and set it apart.
Cook dinner the mushrooms and aromatics: In the identical skillet, soften 1 Tbsp butter. Add 8 oz. sliced mushrooms, the white elements of 4 thinly sliced inexperienced onions, and three minced garlic cloves. Cook dinner for 6-8 minutes, stirring sometimes, till the mushrooms soften, launch their moisture, and begin to brown. These browned bits within the skillet add a lot further taste to the sauce.
Add the flour: Sprinkle 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour over the mushroom combination and stir effectively so every thing is evenly coated. Cook dinner for 1-2 minutes to take away the uncooked flour style and assist construct the bottom for a easy, creamy sauce.
Make the sauce: Slowly whisk in 2 cups hen broth, adopted by 1 cup entire milk. Maintain whisking as you pour so the sauce stays easy. Let it gently simmer for 2-3 minutes, or till it thickens barely and evenly coats the again of a spoon.
Make it creamy and tacky: Stir in ¼ cup full-fat cottage cheese, ¼ cup bitter cream, ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, the remaining ½ tsp salt, and the remaining ¼ tsp black pepper. Stir till the cheese melts and the sauce seems to be creamy and effectively mixed.
Add the hen again in: Return the seared hen to the skillet, together with the inexperienced elements of the sliced inexperienced onions. Stir till the hen is coated within the sauce and every thing is evenly blended.
Switch to the baking dish: Spoon the hen and mushroom combination into the ready 9×13-inch casserole dish and unfold it into an excellent layer. Ensure the hen is tucked into the sauce so it finishes cooking evenly.
Make the cracker topping: Add 1 sleeve buttery crackers (128g) to a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin till you’ve got coarse crumbs (about 1 cup crushed).
Then pour 1 Tbsp melted butter into the bag with the crushed crackers.
Bake: Evenly sprinkle the cracker topping excessive of the casserole. Cowl the dish loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Take away the foil and bake for one more 10-Quarter-hour, or till the sauce is effervescent across the edges and the cracker topping is golden.
Let it relaxation earlier than serving: Permit the casserole to sit down for 5-10 minutes earlier than serving. This provides the sauce a couple of minutes to settle so it scoops extra neatly. I like to complete it with further inexperienced onion and serve it over rice, however that is non-compulsory. Serve and luxuriate in!
What Else Can I Add?
I really like this million greenback casserole as written, in fact! However you’ll be able to add no matter veggies you want, want to make use of up, discovered on sale, or have in season. Listed below are some scrumptious veggie add-ins to attempt:
- Peas: Stir frozen peas straight into the sauce if you add the hen again to the skillet. They heat by means of shortly and add a pop of sweetness.
- Spinach: Sauté recent spinach with the mushrooms till wilted, or stir thawed frozen spinach into the sauce after squeezing out as a lot liquid as potential.
- Broccoli: Blanch recent broccoli florets first, then stir them into the filling earlier than transferring every thing to the casserole dish. Broccoli makes the casserole really feel a bit of extra veggie-forward and provides good texture.
- Carrots: Blanch small diced or thinly sliced carrots earlier than including them to the filling so that they soften sufficient within the oven.
- Bell peppers: Cube them small and sauté them with the mushrooms, inexperienced onion whites, and garlic. They add a brighter taste and a further shade, particularly if you happen to use crimson, yellow, or orange peppers!
This recipe for million greenback hen casserole makes 6 servings (about 2 cups every), so spooning it over rice or egg noodles is a straightforward solution to make it much more filling for a midweek dinner or meal prepping!
A easy salad is a very easy aspect to throw collectively whereas the casserole bakes and provides the plate a lighter distinction. I additionally love these balsamic roasted greens as a result of they add a deeper roasted taste alongside the casserole. Some sautéed greens (no matter is in season), are a fast stovetop possibility for one thing colourful and straightforward. End every serving with further sliced inexperienced onions or a bit of extra cheddar if you would like much more taste.
Storage & Reheating
Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days. Reheat particular person parts within the microwave, or heat a bigger portion in a 325°F oven till heated by means of. If the cracker topping softens after storing, pop the casserole underneath the broiler for a couple of minutes to deliver again a few of that buttery crunch. It’s also possible to freeze this casserole for as much as 2 months, however I like to recommend freezing it with out the cracker topping for the perfect texture. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
