Description

This Million Dollar Potato Casserole is a creamy, cheesy, and comforting side dish perfect for family meals and gatherings. Featuring thawed hash browns mixed with a rich blend of cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta, and cream of chicken soup, topped with a buttery, crunchy cracker crust, it bakes to golden perfection and is garnished with fresh green onions and parsley for a burst of flavor.

Ingredients

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Main Ingredients

Cooking spray (for greasing)
1 (32-oz.) pkg. 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 (reserve 2 tbsp for garnish)

Topping

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
32 buttery round crackers (such as Ritz), coarsely crushed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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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 and ensure easy cleanup.
Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, whole-milk ricotta cheese, cream of chicken soup, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder until smooth and well combined.
Add hash browns: Gently fold the thawed hash brown potatoes, shredded Cheddar cheese, and most of the sliced green onions into the creamy mixture, reserving about 2 tablespoons of onions for garnish later.
Add to baking dish: Spoon this combined mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out to form a uniform layer.
Make cracker topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the melted unsalted butter and coarsely crushed buttery crackers until the crackers are fully coated with butter.
Apply topping and bake casserole: Sprinkle the butter-coated cracker crumbs evenly over the potato mixture in the baking dish. Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until it is bubbly around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
Add garnishes and serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and immediately sprinkle the reserved green onions, chopped fresh parsley, and freshly ground black pepper evenly over the top. Serve warm and enjoy this rich, comforting casserole.

Notes

Make sure the hash browns are fully thawed to ensure even cooking and a creamy texture.
Using whole-milk ricotta cheese adds extra creaminess, but part-skim ricotta can be used as a lighter alternative.
For a vegetarian version, substitute cream of chicken soup with a cream of mushroom or vegetable-based soup.
The buttery cracker topping adds a delicious crispy texture—avoid skipping it!
Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in the oven for best texture retention.
You can add extra shredded cheese on top before baking for an even cheesier casserole.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/12 of casserole (approx. 1 cup)
Calories: 320
Sugar: 2g
Sodium: 450mg
Fat: 21g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Unsaturated Fat: 8g
Trans Fat: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 23g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 8g
Cholesterol: 55mg