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    Home » Recipes » Casseroles

    Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

    Updated Sep 13, 2020

    615 shares
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    "...these are a few of my favorite things..." This casserole recipe has it all: tender chunks of chicken, crisp-salty bacon, classic ranch flavor plus swirly pasta. Oh, and cheddar cheese. Because cheese. Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is great for dinner, and everyone in the family is sure to love it.

    LOOK FOR: Check out our spring blue pot holder / dish cloth from Springdale Designs.

    Pasta casserole with chicken, bacon and ranch topped with cheddar cheese.

    Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

    This recipe started from a serious craving for pasta. I've been doing without pasta for a while, trying to cut back on the carbs. But you know, every once in a while, a girl has to have her carbs.

    Problem? My husband is not a big fan of pasta-loaded dishes. Yes, he is an alien from Planet Meat + Potatoes.

    Chunks of cooked chicken, bacon, and rotini pasta in a baking dish part of recipe preparation.
    This is just one layer.

    This Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is loaded, y'all. We used 4 chicken breasts and 8 strips of bacon so my hubs wouldn't mind a little rotini. Casserole compromise.

    Ingredients Needed:

    • Chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into half-inch chunks.
    • Hickory-smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
    • Salt + pepper
    • Butter
    • All-purpose flour
    • Milk
    • Ranch seasoning packet
    • Rotini pasta, cooked al dente and drained (do not rinse)
    • Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
    • Green onions, chopped for optional garnish

    We opted to start with fresh chicken breasts cut into pieces. We seasoned the pieces and cooked them in butter. If you want to skip this step, you can use any type of cooked chicken and adjust the amount of salt and pepper in the recipe to your personal taste. Next time, I'm going to try this chicken bacon ranch casserole using rotisserie chicken. Yum!

    Overhead shot of ingredients for Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole including a sauce pan of homemade ranch white sauce.
    Check out my gorgeous pot holder / dish cloth from Springdale Knits!

    How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8x11 baking dish. Set aside.
    2. If using fresh chicken, cut the chicken breasts into half-inch size pieces. Season them lightly with salt and pepper. NOTE: You can use any type of pre-cooked chicken if you want to skip this step.
    3. Heat butter in a skillet to medium high. Working in batches, cook the chicken pieces for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring to cook evenly. Transfer to a dish and keep warm while you cook all the chicken.
    4. While the chicken is cooking, boil the pasta to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside (do not rinse).
    5. Next, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter on low. Whisk in the flour and cook and stir until smooth and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
    6. Gradually whisk in the milk and stir until smooth. Add the packet of ranch seasoning and whisk until well blended.
    7. Increase heat to medium high and bring the ranch sauce mixture to a low boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and stir until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
    8. In the baking dish, build layers of pasta, chicken, bacon, sauce. Top each layer with a portion of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers and finish with cheese.
    9. Then cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
    10. Serve hot sprinkled with fresh, chopped green onions.

    More Pasta Dishes to Try:

    Spinach Alfredo Baked Ziti

    Cheesy Chicken Rotel Spaghetti

    Mexican Chicken Spaghetti

    Brown Butter + Sage Chicken Penne Pasta

    Spicy Cajun Pasta

    Layers of pasta, chicken, bacon and cheese in a casserole dish.

    Alternate Skillet Instructions:

    If you are pressed for time and want to skip the layering and casserole baking, you can easily prepare this in a skillet.

    Once your ingredients are prepared to the directions (full recipe at the bottom of this post), simply stir everything together in a skillet until the cheese is melted and the ingredients are heated through. The textures will be slightly different because of the cooking method but the taste will be so yummy either way.

    Casserole Recipe

    Doesn't this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole look delicious? So good. Great for weeknight dinners. Plus it makes 8 servings, so you will have leftovers for work lunch.

    This is my kind of pasta recipe. Full of flavor and every bite has savory bacon and tender chicken. The sauce is just right, not too heavy or salty, with the classic flavor of ranch. Be sure to sprinkle with green onions for a fresh element.

    TIP: Serve this casserole with a tossed green salad for a well balanced dinner.

    A casserole dish with cheesy pasta and chicken

    Tips + Ideas to make the best Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Casserole:

    • Go lightly with the salt in this recipe, if you use it at all. There is salt in the bacon, the ranch seasoning, and the cheese. You may find this turns out perfectly seasoned with zero effort.
    • Swap out regular pasta for gluten-free or whole-wheat pasta to suit your lifestyle.
    • Try this chicken bacon ranch casserole with Monterrey Jack cheese instead of cheddar.
    • Spice it up with chopped green chiles or jalapenos and top with fresh cilantro.
    • Don't overcook the pasta or it will be mushy. I like to cook mine al dente, which is usually 1 minute shy of package cooking directions.
    • Make it your own by stirring in chopped tomatoes or drained corn.

    Love this pot holder / dish cloth? So do we. Learn more and shop Springdale Designs on Etsy.

    Now the only question is when are you going to make this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole? I think your crew will love it. If not, you can send me the leftovers. I'm sure I'll have another pasta craving soon. 🙂

    A bowl of pasta casserole.
    Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole | Buy This Cook That

    Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

    Loaded with tender chicken, savory bacon, rotini pasta and more this casserole recipe is sure to be a hit with the family. Homemade ranch sauce and cheddar cheese add to the delicious flavor.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Email Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course, Pasta
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 712 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cut into half-inch sized pieces
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 5 tablespoons butter divided
    • 16 ounces rotini pasta cooked al dente to package directions, drained
    • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 1 ounce ranch seasoning mix 1 packet
    • 4 ½ cups milk
    • 8 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
    • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
    • 2 green onions chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8x11 baking dish. Set aside.
      If using fresh chicken, cut the chicken breasts into half-inch size pieces. Season them lightly with salt and pepper. NOTE: You can use any type of pre-cooked chicken if you want to skip this step.
    • Heat butter in a skillet to medium high. Working in batches, cook the chicken pieces for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring to cook evenly. Transfer to a dish and keep warm while you cook all the chicken.
    • While the chicken is cooking, boil the pasta to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside (do not rinse).
    • Next, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter on low. Whisk in the flour and cook and stir until smooth and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
    • Gradually whisk in the milk and stir until smooth. Add the packet of ranch seasoning and whisk until well blended.
      Increase heat to medium high and bring the ranch sauce mixture to a low boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and stir until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
    • In the baking dish, build layers of pasta, chicken, bacon, sauce. Top each layer with a portion of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers and finish with cheese.
    • Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot with the chopped green onions

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serving (About 1.5 cups)Calories: 712kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 45gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 916mgPotassium: 805mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 795IUVitamin C: 1.9mgCalcium: 381mgIron: 1.7mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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