Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

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Hearty, rich, and absolutely the most filling thing you will ever eat, this casserole is sure to be a hit at family dinners. You will always have some left, but that’s no problem – it tastes even better the next day!

Make sure to make your very own Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce for this recipe. Or maybe try and make this Crock Pot Lazy Pierogi Casserole for dinner instead?

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

This recipe might seem like a hodgepodge of protein, carbs, and creamy sauces – and that’s because it is!

It is one of those recipes that sort of throws a bunch of different ingredients all together and results in a thick, ooey gooey, cheesy and tangy dish that sticks to your stomach and warms you up on cold days.

Make this for a bit potluck or a family dinner and then revel in the number of requests for the recipe.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Ingredients

Make sure you look at the recipe card at the very bottom for the exact amounts so that you know exactly what to buy for this recipe.

• Bacon

• Chicken breasts

• Olive oil

• Ranch Salad Dressing

• Penne pasta

• Mozzarella cheese

• Cheddar cheese

• Parsley

Alfredo Sauce

• Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce

How To Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

• Prepare the penne pasta according to the package directions, strain, and then toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set aside

• Fry the bacon until crispy and easy to crumble, and then remove from the pan and set aside on the paper towel

• Prepare your Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce

• Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray

• Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat

• Slice the chicken breasts into small ½ inch cubes and then place the chicken in the preheated skillet

• Stir the chicken until no pink remains whatsoever, and the pieces are cooked through, usually about 8 to 10 minutes

• In a large mixing bowl, take the cooked chicken and drained penne pasta and add the Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce, the ranch dressing, and ¾ of the crumbled bacon, stirring to combine

• Pour the chicken mixture into the 9×13 pan and spread evenly

• Sprinkle the remaining crumbled bacon over the top, and then add the mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top

• Place into the preheated oven at 350 Fahrenheit and bake until bubbly and heated through, about 15 minutes

• Serve immediately, garnished with parsley to make it pretty   

How To Keep & Reheat Your Leftovers

If there is one universal truth with this recipe, it is that there is going to be some leftovers after attempting to eat all of it.

There are simply so many calories in this dish, and each bite is so filling that you will always end up with leftovers, no matter how many people you serve it to.

To store your leftovers, the easiest thing to do is to let the casserole dish cool completely, and then cover it with plastic wrap and stick the whole thing in the fridge.

Reheat it the next day for another dinner by taking the plastic wrap off and throwing the whole thing in the oven. It will probably taste even better than it did the day before!

You could also bag up or put into sealable containers in individual portions of this casserole, just so long as the container has a really tight seal. This lets you freeze it in the container and then eat it up to two months from now!

Make sure you let it completely defrost before trying to reheat it, though –  if you try and cook it while it is still frozen, all of the fat will leak out and separate, pretty much ruining the texture and flavor of the whole dish.

Could You Use Other Meats For This Recipe?

This recipe’s name is pretty clearly indicative of the meats that probably work best for this type of casserole, but that doesn’t mean you have to be limited to just chicken and bacon.

While this recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken breasts, you could instead substitute it for all kinds of different, similarly flavored meats.

If you find yourself with leftover Turkey from Thanksgiving, or maybe you were lucky enough to wind up with some discount turkeys once the season ends, this recipe would be great for them. Try substituting the chicken breasts for turkey, and maybe even the bacon for something like a fatty cut of duck or another cut of pork.

Plus, you could always play around with the cheeses and flavorings of the sauce. Subbing the cheddar cheese for some Tex Mex-inspired cheeses could yield some really tasty flavors, so long as you reinforce them by adding in some spices like cumin and cayenne pepper to the sauce as well.

Looking for more delicious Casserole recipes? Try these out:

• John Wayne Casserole

• Hamburger Hotdish Tater Tot Casserole

• Classic Chicken Divan

Happy Cooking

Love,

Karlynn

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