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Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe

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 Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe

When I think of comfort food I admit my first thoughts are for something that will fill my belly and it's warm right out of the oven with pasta and melted cheese. To take it to the next level it has to have my favourite, versatile protein chicken and topped off with a bit of crispy bacon. That's how this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe became one of my ultimate comfort foods.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole - A Family Classic

This Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole warms me up from head to toe and leaves me feeling full and satisfied. A bowl full of this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is a meal all by itself and oh what a meal. It does not last long in my house, after all, who can resist all the goodness that is this one delicious meal?! My daughter loves to take some in a thermos for her school lunch as it sustains her for the whole day. Plus chicken and bacon with pasta are three of her favourite foods ever.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

What About Leftovers of Chicken Casserole?

Another of many reasons this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is one of my favourite comfort foods is that the leftovers are just as good. Well, that's if there are any leftovers, if there are they don't last long in our house. It's nice to heat up the leftovers quickly in the microwave because you can have this deliciousness all warmed up in two minutes or less in the microwave!

What Do I Need to Make Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole?

One of the best parts of this classic comfort food is that you already have most, if not all, of the ingredients on hand.  Below are the ingredients you'll need - with exact measurements found in the printable recipe card below.

  • Bacon
  • Chicken breasts (or thighs if you prefer - just make sure boneless and skinless)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Ranch seasoning
  • Pasta
  • Mozzarella and Colby Jack cheese
  • Butter
  • Garlic (fresh is best)
  • Heavy cream

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

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Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe

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Yield: 6

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe

This Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is the ultimate comfort food. Amazing flavours and it will fill your belly and warm you up from head to toe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 packet Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix
  • 8 ounces cellentani pasta
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Colby jack cheese

For the cheese sauce

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×9 baking dish and set aside
  2. To make the cheese sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in heavy cream, then continue to cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in mozzarella until just slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more heavy cream as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain excess fat from the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon in the skillet.
  4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, cooking until no longer pink, around 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a gallon Ziploc bag and add the olive oil and ranch seasoning. Close the bag and shake vigorously until the chicken is coated. Set aside.
  5. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions and drain well.
  6. Add pasta to the prepared baking dish and layer with chicken and cheese sauce; sprinkle with cheeses and bacon. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and heated through, about 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

6

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 566Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1591mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 28g

Please note that we can not guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information. They are a best guess calculation.

 Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

How Long is Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Good For?

For safety, I recommend storing leftovers in the refrigerator for no more than 3 to 4 days.  If you don't think you will finish them in time, preemptively portion and freeze for later.

Can I Use This as a Make-Ahead Recipe?

This is a perfect recipe to prep ahead and then freeze for later. Casseroles are a perfect solution to the ever-present question of "What's for dinner?" when you have a busy life.  This can be made, baked, and cut into portions then stored in small freezer containers for up to 3 months.

You can also do most of the prep work and store in the refrigerator before baking for up to 48 hours. If you decide to prepare this in advance, below are a few tips I think work to save time and effort.

  • Season and cook your chicken up to 2 days before baking
  • Fry bacon in large batches then drain and separate into ½ pound increments.  You can do this and freeze the bacon for up to one month in advance.
  • Pasta will only need to be cooked to a "par-done" stage so you don't have a mushy result.

I do recommend, if working in advance, to make the cheese sauce just before assembling the casserole.

Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Chicken Breasts?

If you prefer chicken thighs, they are perfect in this chicken bacon ranch casserole.  Just trim any excess fat off the thighs and cook as directed.

What is the Best Chicken for Making Casseroles?

As with all of my chicken recipes we only buy chicken that has the "Raised by a Canadian Farmer" Logo on it as pictured below.

Why do we only buy chicken Raised by a Canadian Farmer? There's so many reasons why but below I'm sharing our top reasons:

  • Canadian chicken is grain-fed, free of hormones and steroids.
  • Animal Care and Food Safety are among their farmers' top concerns. Canadian chicken is raised here in Canada according to nationally-set, mandatory food safety and animal care standards.
  • You're supporting a Canadian family small business. The majority of these farms are family owned.

If you can't find the Raised by a Canadian Farmer logo in your store ask for it. More info about Chicken Farmers of Canada can be found HERE

Let us know what your favourite comfort foods are! Need some ideas on what to cook tonight? Stop by Chicken.ca for a ton of yummy recipes!  Make sure to add this chicken bacon ranch casserole to your menu soon!

Disclosure: I am participating in the Chicken Farmers of Canada campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

By on November 5th, 2017

About Powered by Mom

I’m Michelle aka Powered by Mom. I’m married with one daughter, my hubby was my high school sweetheart, our two dogs Nyx and Cleo and our cat Oliver. As you can see we’re a family of animal lovers. We love to travel when we can, try different food and activities all over the world and enjoy being together. My passions are writing, travelling, creating new recipes, encouraging people to adopt not shop and just to enjoy life while we can.

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73 thoughts on “Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe”

  1. This looks so good! Your post gave me an AHA! moment....I never would have thought to take a casserole in a thermos! Duh! What a great idea, so much better than those same tired sandwiches every day. It's a great recipe, BTW, thank you!

    Reply
  2. This looks and sounds really tasty. I know my son and grandchildren would love it. My son and grrandchildren don't get home for dinner until fairly late. The kids usually have some activity scheduled after school and during the summer they attend a day camp. I like to make a nice meal for them so my son has a break from cooking when I visit. The kids are incredibly picky eaters because my son's ex is a very poor cook. Her idea of good nutrition seems to be chicken nuggets, fries and chocolate milk or pizza. It's always a challenge to cook for them, but I think this recipe is up to the challenge.

    Reply
  3. Chicken, Bacon, Ranch, AND cheese in one dish--Might be too much excitement for my family to handle. The only thing that I might do differently is to add some sauteed, carmelized onions, and I might substitute bacon grease for the olive oil ('cuz I'm decadent like that).

    Reply
  4. This looks fantastic! Seems like a meal everyone would enjoy, and pretty simple too 🙂 Everyone loves bacon I think 😉 Thank you so much for sharing this!

    Reply
  5. I like discovering new recipes that are easy to make and taste delicious. Chicken is my go-to meat/poultry. Having cheese in the recipe is an added plus.

    Reply
  6. This looks so good and so easy to make. I can't wait for me to make this. I know my family will love it. Thank you for sharing

    Reply
  7. This recipes sounds really easy and tasty. My only concern would be the sodium level of the ranch mix. I have to really watch my sodium so depending on the amount - this may not be a recipe for me.

    Reply
  8. This definitely sounds like a very delicious casserole! I love making casseroles, they make my life so much easier. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
  9. This chicken bacon ranch casserole looks and sounds great. I make a pasta dish with bacon and ranch for the kids and they all love that bacon ranch flavor. Between that, grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese are my go to recipes because kids will always eat those. I have added your recipe to the list. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  10. This sounds delicious! I make a bacon and ranch scalloped potato dish that is yummy and I know adding chicken to the mix would be great!

    Reply
  11. Gosh that sounds and looks good. I think I have everything I need except the cheeses. Guess I will be making a store run today! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  12. My partner's daughter cooks for everyone at thanksgiving. I think this year I'll surprise her with this casserole as a side dish-I know she'll love it.

    Reply
  13. I followed these directions and made this for dinner last night and I have to say this has to be the best thing that I have ever made. My whole family went crazy over it. Thank you so much for this.

    Reply
  14. It looks like it will be really good, I love food that has bacon and ranch its such a great taste. I'm going to try the recipe.

    Reply
  15. This for sure is a wonderful comfort food! Mac and cheese is always top on my list for comfort food. This recipe goes beyond the simple mac and cheese recipe! It Looks so Yummy! I can't wait to try it . I am going shopping tomorrow so it will be made here soon! Thank You for sharing this Delicious recipe..

    Reply
  16. That chicken-bacon-ranch casserole looks awesome. Great pics!! When I make it, I am going to slip in some of our less favorite but hyper-nutritious veggies such as cauliflower and brussels sprouts. The gang will never know there are extra vitamins and fiber hiding among those tastes that knock their socks off!

    Reply
  17. This looks wonderful! Our thanksgiving tradition is to visit family about 4 hrs away. My SIL does the traditional dinner, while I bring desserts and another dinner. I think this would travel well! *pinned

    Reply
  18. This sounds delicious. I am going to make it this weekend for my lunch. I have almost all the ingredients in the pantry already, just need some cheese. I can't wait. Thanks for the recipe that real people can actually afford to make with normal ingredients on hand.

    Reply
  19. This recipe looks delicious! I really like how it’s “comfort food”. I wish I could make it tonight but I’ll have to wait until next week. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  20. Oh my goodness, this looks so good! I love how basic and simple ingredients came together to make an impressive and comforting dish. I will be bringing this to our next family get-together. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  21. This sounds so good. We eat alot of chicken at our house. I enjoy trying different recipes. Thank you so much for sharing this. God Bless

    Reply

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