Name: Dolly Parton's 5-Ingredient Casserole
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 cups cooked shredded chicken; 10.5 oz cream of chicken soup (1 can); 1 cup sour cream; 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (grated); 1 sleeve butter crackers (such as Ritz, crushed)

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There’s something about Dolly Parton that just makes you trust her in the kitchen. I don’t know when I first made one of her recipes — sometime around 2019 maybe, or maybe it was the year before, it all blurs together — but I do know that once I tried her green beans, I started paying attention every time her name showed up next to a recipe title. The woman has been quietly iconic in ways that go way beyond the rhinestones and the songs, and honestly? Her casseroles might be the best-kept secret of all of it.

Thirty-five minutes later (give or take — I let mine go a little longer because I like the crackers extra brown), I was eating one of the most satisfying casseroles I’ve made in years. Which is saying something. I’ve made a lot of casseroles.

Why You’ll Love It

It genuinely is just five ingredients. No sneaky “oh but you’ll also need these six pantry staples” situation. Chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheddar, Ritz crackers. Done.
The cracker topping is everything. I know it sounds basic, but that buttery, golden crunch on top of bubbling cheesy chicken is… just trust me.
It’s one of those dishes that disappears fast. My neighbor Linda stopped by while it was still in the oven and ended up staying for dinner. She had two helpings.
Perfect for leftover rotisserie chicken. Which honestly might be its highest calling. You know you’ve got chicken sitting in that fridge.

About These Ingredients

The chicken situation is flexible, and I think that’s part of why I reach for this recipe when I’m low on energy. Rotisserie is easiest — you get about three cups of shredded meat off one bird, which is exactly what you need. But I’ve also made this with leftover baked chicken from earlier in the week and it worked just as well. Some people use canned chicken and I won’t judge, but the texture’s a little different — it comes out slightly softer, a little less satisfying to fork through.

The cream of chicken soup is non-negotiable in my opinion. I’ve seen variations that try to make a homemade sauce instead and while I’m sure that’s lovely, it kind of defeats the purpose. This is a humble weeknight casserole. It wants the can.

Sour cream does a lot of quiet work here — adds this gentle tang that keeps the whole thing from feeling too heavy. I’ve used full-fat and I’ve used light. Both are fine. I keep telling myself to try it with Greek yogurt sometime and I never do.

For the cheese, I grate my own cheddar. I know that’s extra, pre-shredded is fine, but the bagged stuff has that anti-caking coating that makes it not melt quite as beautifully. Sharp cheddar is my preference — the flavor holds up better when everything else is so mild and creamy.

And the crackers. Ritz, always Ritz. I’ve used the generic butter crackers and they’re okay. But Ritz has that slightly sweeter, buttery richness that makes the topping feel intentional, not like an afterthought.

How to Make It

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square baking dish — I use nonstick spray, takes two seconds.

Shred your chicken. This is honestly the most work the whole recipe asks of you. If you’re using rotisserie, the meat pulls apart easily with two forks, though I usually just use my hands once it’s cooled down enough. You want about three cups.

Mix the chicken with the full can of cream of chicken soup and the sour cream. Stir it together until everything’s coated and combined — it’ll be thick and creamy-looking, a little unglamorous. That’s fine.

Spread half of that mixture into your greased baking dish. Top it with half the cheddar. Then layer the rest of the chicken mixture over that, followed by the rest of the cheese. The crackers go on last — crush a sleeve of them and sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes. You’re looking for bubbly edges and a golden brown topping. I give mine 33 minutes because my oven runs slightly cool and I’ve learned to account for that — yours might be different, just keep an eye on it the last five minutes.

Let it rest for five minutes before serving. I know it’s hard to wait. Do it anyway. It’ll cut cleaner and you won’t burn the roof of your mouth.

I’ve served this over rice and I’ve served it over egg noodles and both are solid. My son likes it with nothing, just scooped straight out of the dish onto his plate like a man who has given up on sides entirely.

A Note on Variations

My neighbor Linda — she asked if she could add a can of diced green chiles next time. I told her I didn’t see why not. A little heat would be interesting in there. I’ve been thinking about a version with a pinch of smoked paprika stirred into the chicken mixture, just to add some depth, but I haven’t tried it yet.

If you want more vegetables, frozen peas stirred into the chicken layer work well. Broccoli florets, too, though I’d steam them a bit first so they’re not crunchy.

Leftovers

Keeps in the fridge for three or four days, covered. Reheat in the oven at 325 if you have the time — the crackers crisp back up a little. Microwave works too, though the topping goes soft. It’s still good. The whole thing reheats well, which isn’t always true of casseroles.

I keep this recipe saved in three different places because I’ve accidentally closed the tab one too many times in a hurry. That’s maybe the highest compliment I can give a recipe — that I went out of my way to make sure I never lost it. Dolly really does do it all. And now so can you, on a Tuesday night, with five ingredients and thirty minutes to spare.