Chicken Bacon Ranch
Forget the chicken bacon ranch casseroles that have cream of condensed soups. This one is made with a from-scratch sauce that’s cheesy, smooth, and full of ranch flavor. You’ll never go back to any other version!
Most chicken bacon ranch casserole recipes you’ll come across are packed with cream of condensed soup. This one is not that.
In this recipe, we'll show you how to cook a creamy cheesy ranch alfredo sauce that goes evenly with the chicken and bacon.
This straightforward chicken bacon ranch pasta is family friendly, straightforward to cook, and the kind of recipe your family will request over and over again. Whether you serve it up on its own (because it makes a great full meal), or you serve it alongside a House salad And some Garlic bread, you’ll be so glad you did.
Why you will come back to chicken ranch casserole
Straightforward – This casserole is straightforward to cook. You’ll follow a few plain steps to cook each part of it. We've even listed a few plain shortcuts to make it even easier if needed.
Family friendly – This is the kind of recipe your family devour and request over and over again. Both kids and adults love it. If your family loves the flavor combination, they also might love these Chicken bacon ranch pinwheels.
Comfort food – It’s packed full of pasta in a creamy satisfying sauce that screams pure comfort food. It’s a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal.
Ingredients for ranch chicken casserole
- Bacon
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Kosher salt
- Paprika
- Black pepper
- Penne pasta
- Butter
- Garlic
- All purpose flour
- Ranch seasoning
- Half and half
- Shredded mozzarella
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Substitutions and alterations for chicken bacon ranch bake
Chicken breast – you can substitute boneless skinless thighs or even rotisserie chicken.
Penne – any similarly shaped pasta (cavatappi or rotini) works great.
Half and half – you can use heavy cream for an even richer sauce.
Bacon grease – if you don’t want to use bacon grease to cook the chicken, you can also use a little bit of avocado oil or olive oil.
How to cook chicken bacon ranch alfredo
This chicken bacon ranch alfredo casserole is incredibly straightforward to cook. Everything (except the pasta) is cooked using the same pan.
Start by preheating the oven to 350ºF.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet and add it to a paper towel lined plate.
Drain the bacon grease from the skillet leaving a little to cook the chicken in.
Season the chicken breast with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, and black pepper.
Turn the skillet up to medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook until fully cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside. Turn the skillet down to medium-low.
While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente.
Add the butter to the skillet and let it melt.
Add in the garlic and let it saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add in the all purpose flour and ranch seasoning. Whisk together until smooth.
Slowly pour in the half and half, whisking until smooth.
Add in half the mozzarella cheese, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
Combine the sauce, cooked half, pasta, and chicken of the crumbled bacon.
Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella shredded cheese, cheddar cheese, and remaining bacon.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.
Ranch pasta sauce
The ranch pasta sauce for this casserole is straightforward to cook and packed with flavor. You’ll be making a standard white sauce, but rather than using all-purpose flour, you’ll be adding in some ranch seasoning as well.
The ranch pasta sauce adds a creamy, ranch flavor rather than a basic alfredo.
Kitchen tools to make chicken bacon ranch pasta
9×13 baking dish
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Skillet
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Glass mixing bowls
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Measuring spoons
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Silicone whisk
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Grater
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Top Tip
When making the sauce, be sure the heat is turned down to get a smooth texture.
Shortcuts for chicken bacon ranch alfredo pasta
Sometimes we don’t all have time and need a few shortcuts on a busy weeknight. You can take advantage of each of these if needed!
- Bacon – you can buy pre-cooked bacon or the bagged real bacon pieces.
- Chicken – rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe. Shred it up and add it to the mixing bowl. You can also use leftover chicken.
- Sauce – for the sauce, you can replace it with jarred alfredo sauce and add some ranch seasoning to it. Be sure to use a great tasting alfredo.
FAQs for chicken bacon ranch pasta bake
What to serve with cheesy chicken bacon ranch pasta
The great thing about this casserole is that with the chicken and pasta, it’s a full meal on its own. However, it goes great with a vegetable side.
How to keep chicken bacon and ranch pasta
Allow it to cool completely and then place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze it. Be sure it’s stored in an airtight container. If stored properly, it can last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to reheat chicken bacon ranch pasta
When it’s time to reheat, the oven is your best bet to keep it from being overcooked and dried out.
Place the casserole in a 350ºF oven, covered with foil. Heat about 20 minutes until it’s heated completely through.
You can also reheat it in the microwave in 1-minute increments. It may dry out a bit with this method though.
Prep 20 minutesCook 40 minutesTotal 1 hourMakes 8
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon chopped
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups penne pasta uncooked
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy.
- Remove the bacon from the skillet and add to a paper towel lined plate.
- Drain the bacon from the skillet, leaving a little to cook the chicken in.
- Season the chicken breast with the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, and black pepper.
- Turn the skillet up to medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook until fully cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside. Turn the skillet down to medium-low.
- Add the butter to the skillet and let it melt.
- Add in the garlic and let it saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add in the all purpose flour and ranch seasoning. Whisk together until smooth.
- Slowly pour in the half and half, whisking until smooth.
- Add in half of the mozzarella cheese, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
- Combine the sauce, half, pasta, and chicken of the bacon.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish .
- Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and remaining bacon.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- When making the sauce, be sure the heat is turned down to get a smooth texture.
