Chicken bacon ranch casserole is a cheesy, creamy pasta dish that is loved by everyone. Tender cuts of chicken with a homemade ranch alfredo sauce topped off with melted cheese and a crunchy breadcrumb topping.
Loving chicken bacon ranch casserole is nothing new to me. I wanted to take a slightly different approach and add a crunchy breadcrumb topping with ranch seasoning inside of it. Rotini or penne pasta works just fine for this recipe. I’ve also noticed rice in this recipe but that would require a slightly different cooking method.
What is Chicken Bacon Ranch
The flavors of chicken, bacon and ranch are iconic. You can find it in subs, pizzas, sandwiches and casseroles of course. Simply put, you mix chicken and bacon inside a ranch flavored sauce. Normally, it’s either alfredo style or cream cheese based but the sauce is always white. Then, it’s topped off with a sharp cheddar cheese.
Best Cut Of Chicken To Use
Using boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs is the best option. Great are great and for those that want a bit more juiciness the thighs will be perfect!
Can I Use Rice Or Pasta
This recipe is for pasta only. When making a casserole with rice you can cook the rice in the casserole. A great example of how to do this is in my crack chicken casserole where I use rice. Now, you are welcome to make with rice you cooked prior to placing in the oven but don’t add raw rice to this recipe and expect good results.
How To Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
In this recipe there is pasta. Meaning, you’ll need to boil the pasta ahead of time. I use rotini pasta but any pasta you choose to use will work the exact same.
Now, take boneless skinless chicken breast and cut them into bite sized pieces. Then, season them with salt. I didn’t use pepper simply because the flavor of the pepper fights with the ranch seasoning very strongly. I learned this from my keto chicken bacon ranch casserole recipe.
Next, sear each chicken chunk. Don’t try to cook the chicken all the way through. Just give it a good sear to add flavor in the casserole.
The next step would be to crisp up the bacon for the recipe. Chop up bacon then fry it up in a pan.
Making the creamy ranch alfredo sauce is just as easy to make as the other portions. Toss everything into a pot on medium heat and cook until everything is melted together.
In the casserole dish, add in cooked pasta, seared chicken and pour sauce on top. Mix everything together evenly.
Next, top the casserole off with shredded sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese. In a bowl combine the breadcrumbs with ranch seasoning and butter. Sprinkle the bacon and then the breadcrumbs on top.
Place in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. The cheese will melt, the chicken will cook all the way through and the topping will be browned and crispy. Serve!
Dinner Recipes You’ll Love
- Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms
- Parmesan Crusted Steak
- Crack Chicken Casserole
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cup rotini pasta
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 6 strips bacon
- 1/4 cup sharp shredded cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
Ranch Alfredo Sauce
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 ounce parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoon Hidden Valley ranch seasoning
Breadcrumb Topping (optional)
- 2 tablespoon plain breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tablespoon Hidden Valley ranch seasoning
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- In a pot start boiing water. After water is boiling add 1 tsp salt then place in pasta. Boil pasta for 8-10 minutes. Test for tenderness. You want it to have a bite to it not super soft.
- Cut chicken breast into chunks and season with 1/2 tsp of salt. In a frying pan sear each piece of chicken. Don't try to cook the chicken through simply sear it quickly on a high heat then remove.
- Slice of bacon and fry small pieces of it. Or, fry the whole piece and crumle afterward.
- In a small pot add 3TB of butter and minced garlic. Once garlic is cooking and fragrant add 2TB of all purpose flour and make a roux. Lower heat to medium low and continue to stir to avoid sticking.
- Slowly pour in heavy cream while whisking. Then pour in chicken stock while whisking as well. Next, add in parmesan cheese and ranch seasoning. Remove from heat.
- Mix pasta and chicken togeter and pour sauce on top inside the casserole dish. Evenly coat everything by mixing it all together. Top with shredded cheeses and bacon. If using breadcrumbs, prepare them by the instructions below. Cooking method won't change adding them.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Chicken will cook through in this time. Remove and serve.
Breadcrumb Topping (optional)
- Melt 1 TB of butter and mix butter, breadcrumbs and ranch seasoning together. Spinkle across top of casserole before placing it into the oven