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 - 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.
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
Make sure to check out our other yummy recipes like the ones below!
- Chicken Spring Roll Recipe
- Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma
- Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry Soup
- Recipe for Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
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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
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
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×9 baking dish and set aside
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions and drain well.
- 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:
6Serving Size:
6Amount 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.
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.
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!
This looks really good. My family would love this.
This recipe look easy and yummy. I would love to try it.
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.
Yum! This looks amazing! I love anything bacon.
This looks like it could feed a crowd but easy for the cook!
Looks good. I love casseroles and bacon makes everything better.
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).
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!
This looks so good! A hearty, comfort food type dish that would be perfect for this time of year!
Oh that looks good!!! I like recipes that come in one big casserole dish!!
Mishelle
This looks delicious!! All my favourites in one dish. I will have to save that one!
YEAH now my tummys growling for sure...gonna try this on the weekend and see if I can make it look as good as yours
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.
This is a perfect recipe for winter. It warms your insides and is very hearty.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It looks so delicious. This would be something that my family would just eat it all up.
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
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.
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!
I love looking for tasty ways to cook up chicken and especially like slow cooker recipes This one is a winner!
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!
My older daughter would love this.
I saw this on your insta. Glad to find the recipe here!
This looks delicious. I've already added it to my Pinterest recipe board.
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!
Going to save this recipe for sure. Looks yummy ?
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!
This sounds delicious and I think my whole family would like it.
This is definitely one for my favorites. A must try for my new comfort food!
This looks like a nice and tasty recipe that would be good for a Sunday night for watching football.
If bacon is in it, it's gotta be good!
I'm sending this to my husband. He's a great cook and I'm loving this recipe.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It looks delicious and I could eat this anytime of the day.
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.
With Thanksgiving coming so soon, I might try to use my turkey leftovers in this instead of chicken!
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.
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.
This id is something i can make and eat eat everyday.
I can't wait to try the chicken bacon ranch recipe! There are so many yummy sounding ones to try.
This looks so good. I really doubt there would be any leftovers at my house!
THIS SOUNDS SO GOOD I HAVE TO TRY IT, THANK YOU.
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..
I don't eat meat anymore, but this recipe looks easy to change to a vegan one with limited fuss. Thank you for sharing!
This casserole would certainly comfort me. Yummy flavors.
looks and sounds delicious so will try this one soon...and hide some for the next day 😉
I am going to make this, this weekend! So yummy!
I always have ranch mix in my cupboard, anything with bacon and ranch comforts. Thanks for recipe!
This tastes delicious I love bacon ranch flavor on lots of different foods.
Oh my that sounds and looks delicious!
This recipe looks simple my hubby would love this one thanks
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!
So simple and so good. You can totally get away with making this with Havarti instead, as it happens.
I plan to make this for my family one night it looks amazing!
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
This dish sounds amazing, I think I'm making this tonight, my kids will love it.
Wow, looks delicious! Everyone knows bacon makes everything better! I'm pinning this so I can try it out!
This looks delicious and easy to make. It has chicken,bacon, and cheese - what's not to love?
OMG, THIS DISH SOUNDS AMAZING AND EASY TO MAKE, THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIEPE MUST MAKE TONIGHT.
Wow!! This looks seriously amazing!! What a perfect comfort food dinner!
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.
This dish takes comfort to the max! Thank you sharing.
This looks delicious! I love anything Ranch flavored! 🙂
Wow that casserole looks delicious and ranch dressing makes just about everything taste great. Pinning this now 🙂
I like this for breakfast and potluck too.
Chicken, cheese and noodles, yummy. Now this is my kind of recipe and one my whole family would enjoy.
Loving this looks good and tasty
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 🙂
Looks do delicious and definitely will have to make this!
Sounds delicious! My entire family would like this recipe. I might be tempted to add more than 4 strips of bacon though!
That looks so tasty and colorful!
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!
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
This food looks absolutely delicious. I am saving this to make later for my family.