Amazing Million Dollar Chicken Recipe – 5 Minutes Prep!

Life can get busy, and when it comes to putting food on the table the whole family will love, it can be a challenge! When it’s mid week, you want something filling, tasty, and satisfying that doesn’t take too long to make. Is that too much to ask? No, it is not!

This Million Dollar Chicken recipe makes a chicken main dish, rich in flavor with bold combinations that are a match made in heaven! Tender chicken breast is layered with two types of cheese, bacon, and green onions. With minimal preparation, you can set it to bake and then the oven does all of the hard work for you! What’s not to like? 

This is a tried and tested recipe that is easy to make! It is a one-pot dish that is perfect for busy nights when you just want a hearty meal on the table pronto. To put it into perspective it can go from fridge to oven in around 10 minutes. It is also a versatile dish that can be served with a variety of sides. So without further ado, here is everything you need to know to make Million Dollar Chicken.

Ingredients you need for the Million Dollar Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts thinly cut or pounded
• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup crispy bacon, crumbled (about 8 slices)
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped (about 4 onions)
• 1 1/2 cups Colby jack cheese shredded

Garnish

• Crumbled bacon
• Green onions

How to make the Million Dollar Chicken

Now that you have all of the ingredients gathered together, it is time to make the dish. 

This recipe serves 4.

1. First, you will preheat the oven to 350˚. Getting the oven up to temperature will help to cook the chicken breasts evenly. 
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayo, bacon crumbles, green onion, and half of the cheddar cheese until combined. 
3. Place the chicken breasts into a baking dish and spread the cheese mixture over the chicken. Once you have done this you will want to top the chicken with the remaining cheddar cheese.
4. Place the chicken dish into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. (This will give you a reading of 165˚ internal temperature.)
5. Garnish with additional bacon and green onions and serve hot and with your choice of accompaniment or side dishes.

Recipe notes and tips

Here are a few suggestions to ensure that you can get the recipe right the first time.

• Try not to overbake the chicken. Chicken breast is one of those meats that can be dry and bland when not cooked properly. The creamy topping will help keep the meat juicy and tender. Check the chicken at around the 30 minute mark to see it is looks done. If not, use the extra minutes to ensure it is cooked thoroughly. If you can’t tell, you can test by inserting a meat thermometer into the center of the thickest part, and it should read 165˚.
• Get the ingredients ready ahead of time. You can prepare the bacon in advance so that it is ready to go with this dish. 
• The dish will be hot, so be careful if you are bringing it straight from over to the table. Bringing it to the table or serving “buffet style” can be a great way to let your family help themselves and save you a little work, but since it will be hot you might want to portion this one out for younger kids. (Pro tip: If you find that a lot of food is getting wasted every meal, serving the portions yourself can help you prevent waste and save any extra for future meals.)

Variations to try

This recipe doesn’t need to be followed exactly. You can feel free to adjust the recipe to your own taste when it comes to what you add or how you make it, but if you are not very experienced at cooking, it might be best to try it as written the first time. Here are a couple of recommended variations that you might want to try. 

• If you are counting calories, then why not use light cream cheese instead to make this a skinnier version? 
• For added flavor, try adding a tablespoon of ranch seasoning to the cream cheese mixture. 
• You could also add some extra vegetables to this dish. Things like zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, and spinach will all go well with this recipe. Just be sure to mix it all well before adding the extra cheese on top and putting it in the oven to bake. 
• You could use boneless chicken thighs as a nice alternative, Chicken thighs have a little more, flavor, tend to be jucier and are usually less expensive than chicken breasts.
• You could make this a veggie dish if you want to try something different. Start with the cream cheese mixture. Then spread it over a load of vegetables and bake for a nice veggie alternative.

FAQs

Can you make this ahead of time?

You can prepare this dish ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to a day before you bake it if you wish.

You can also prepare this dish and freeze it, so you have something ready to pop in the oven on a night you know you will be busy. Lay out the chicken breast onto the dish and top with the cream cheese mixture. Freeze without baking or adding the additional toppings.

Make sure you thaw out the chicken in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking. If you don’t let the chicken thaw, it will be raw in the middle, so be sure to allow adequate time to thaw.

What should I do with leftovers? 

You can store leftovers in an airtight container for a few days in the refrigerator or you can make any leftovers into another meal the next day. Serve it with potatoes, add a different side dish or even make it into Million Dollar Chicken sandwiches. Get creative and love your leftovers. 

What can I serve with the Million Dollar Chicken?

This dish is so versatile, you can serve it with virtually anything. Here are some side dishes that go well with the million dollar chicken:

• Mashed potatoes
• Fries
• Rice or pasta
• Garlic bread
• Side salad with a ranch dressing 
• Roasted vegetables
• Loaded potato skins
• Frozen vegetables, warmed up in the last 5 minutes of baking. I find this to be a super easy option and I’ll often serve dishes like this with broccoli, mixed vegetables, french cut green beans or some other easy frozen vegetable.

The options are endless and the creamy cheesy goodness works so well with the tender and juicy chicken breast that every time you make this recipe you might want to try something different. 

I hope you enjoy eating this Million Dollar Chicken!