With school starting in just a few short weeks and things starting to get busier, an easy dinner idea is always welcome. A recipe that can be tossed together and cooked in less than 30 minutes? I’m in. This Easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is just that and so much more!
This family-friendly dinner dish is cheesy, creamy and delicious. Ranch chicken, homemade alfredo sauce, crispy bacon, cheese and pasta make this a family favorite in my house. If you’d like to throw together a dessert to go with this meal, try these No Bake Desserts, Butterfinger Fudge Cookie Bars, or Drumstick Brownie Dessert.
Can I use pre-cooked chicken in this recipe?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I always use pre-cooked chicken with this dish and I’ve included it in the recipe. It’s just so darn easy and the Purdue Chicken Breast Short Cuts are PERFECT and EASY for saving time. The pre-cooked chicken is good quality chicken pieces (no cutting off the fat here!) and warms up easily after shaking it with the ranch seasoning and olive oil.
Tips for Making This Easy Dinner Recipe Perfect
- Stock up on the Purdue Chicken Breast Short Cuts when they are BOGO. Our local grocery store puts these fully cooked chicken pieces on sale for buy one get one free about once a month. Keep an eye out for the sale and stock up!
- This recipe can EASILY be doubled!
- 8 ounces of pasta is normally half of a regular box of pasta.
- While I do fry up bacon most of the time (which makes a mess!), you can easily swap out the frying mess for the pre-packaged real bacon pieces you find in the salad aisle of your grocer.
- If you need to add more veggies to your meal, feel free to add a cup of cooked broccoli to the dish before putting the casserole in the oven.
Ingredients Needed
- Bacon
- Pre-Cooked Purdue Chicken Breast Short Cuts
- Olive Oil
- Ranch Seasoning
- Rotini Pasta
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Butter
- Garlic
- Heavy Cream
- Grated Parmesan
- Salt & Pepper
How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Cut your bacon slices into pieces.
Cook your bacon until brown and crispy. (This is the easiest way to cook bacon in the oven!) Reserve 1 tablespoon fat and drain the remaining excess fat. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Cook your pasta according to the package directions in a large pot of boiled salted water. Drain well.
While the pasta is cooking, make your homemade alfredo sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic (fresh or jarred) and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Gradually whisk in heavy cream. Cook for about 1-2 minutes while continuing to whisk constantly. Stir in Parmesan cheese and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chop chicken into bite sized pieces.
In a large Ziploc Bag (gallon size), add chopped chicken, 1 tbsp olive oil and ranch dressing seasoning. Shake chicken to coat thoroughly.
Add chicken to the 1 tbsp bacon fat and cook for about 2-3 minutes just to warm the chicken up.
Add pasta to the baking dish and top with chicken and alfredo sauce. Top with cheeses and bacon.
Cook in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes and the casserole is bubbly and heated through. Serve immediately.
More Chicken Recipes
Citrus Balsamic Glazed Chicken
White Peach, Chicken, Walnut and Goat Cheese Salad
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon cut into pieces
- 9 oz Purdue Pre-Cooked Chicken Breast Short Cuts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Ranch seasoning
- 8 oz rotini pasta
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic (or 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook your bacon until brown and crispy. (This is the easiest way to cook baconin the oven!) Reserve 1 tablespoon fat and drain the remaining excess fat. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Cook your pasta according to the package directions in a large pot of boiled salted water. Drain well.
- While the pasta is cooking, make your homemade alfredo sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic (fresh or jarred) and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Gradually whisk in heavy cream. Cook for about 1-2 minutes while continuing to whisk constantly. Stir in Parmesan cheese and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Chop chicken into bite sized pieces.
- In a large Ziploc Bag (gallon size), add chopped chicken, 1tbsp olive oil and ranch dressing seasoning. Shake chicken to coat thoroughly.
- Add chicken to the 1 tbsp bacon fat and cook for about 2-3minutes just to warm the chicken up.
- Add pasta to the baking dish and top with chicken and alfredo sauce. Top with cheeses and bacon.
- Cook in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes and the casserole is bubbly and heated through. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
