Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

On a night when you don’t have much time to cook, this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is exactly what you need. We’re talking about a rice casserole that’s not only creamy and cheesy, but also loaded with ranch, chicken, and bacon!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

The final few hours of a hard work day have me fantasizing about creamy, luscious, oozing goodness with cheese pulls that are a mile long. These are the kinds of thoughts that dance through my brain.
On the day that I prepared this casserole, I was aware that I needed something fast and simple, a dish that could be put into a pot and allowed to do its thing while I attended to other matters.
I have to say that I use ranch seasoning as a sneaky taste bomb, and if you’ve never experimented with this ingredient before, this recipe is the perfect way to give it a try. If you’ve never used it before, I recommend you start here.
This is the dish for you if you’re looking for a straightforward option for supper that every member of your household will like. This Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole will undoubtedly become a fan favorite in your household.

What Is Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole?

A chicken bacon ranch casserole is a delicious dish that combines the tastes of chicken, bacon, and ranch dressing all baked together. The chicken, bacon, ranch dressing, and cheese make up the basis of the dish, and after that, it is up to you to select which veggies should be added. The planning is in all seriousness the least difficult thing that has ever existed. It is impossible to get it wrong. If you already have the chicken and bacon cooked, as well as the ranch dressing prepped, then the amount of time necessary to prepare this low-carb chicken casserole is reduced to only five minutes. Utilizing rotisserie chicken, pre-cooked bacon bits, and store-bought ranch are three more ways to cut down on the amount of time needed to prepare this dish.

Ingredients That You’ll Need:

Chicken breast: For this dish, boneless chicken breast that has been chopped into small pieces is recommended. If you don’t have chicken legs on hand, you may certainly use chicken thighs in their place.
Olive oil: This will be tossed with the chicken and ranch dressing to assist the seasoning in adhering to the chicken.
Ranch seasoning: Ranch seasoning has a higher concentration of taste than its liquid equivalent does.
White rice: Before you start cooking the meal, make sure your rice is raw since we want it to be able to take on all of the flavors of the dish as it cooks. For this recipe, I chose to use short grain.
Onion: I picked a little white onion for this recipe since it has a taste that is mellow and just a touch sweet, and it cooks up well.
Garlic: I used fresh garlic that had been minced. The garlic that comes in a bottle may be used successfully; nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that one fresh clove is equivalent to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Bacon: Prepare the bacon ahead of time and cut it very finely.
Chicken broth: Since the ranch dressing and the bacon both include salt, you should choose a broth with a low sodium content or one that has no sodium at all.
Half and a half: The addition of half and a half was the decisive factor in producing our luscious and creamy final product. Milk is a good alternative to use if you are trying to reduce the number of calories you consume.
Cheddar cheese: Use a cheese that melts well, like cheddar. Use a cheese that melts well. Another wonderful alternative is mozzarella, but I wanted my meal to have a little bit more color to it.
Parsley: Plenty and lots of parsley, finely chopped and held back to sprinkle on at the very end of the cooking process.

Can You Put Bacon In A Chicken Casserole?

Start by preheating the oil in a big flameproof casserole dish that also has a cover. Fry the chicken pieces in batches for five minutes on each side, until they are well browned, and then place them on a platter. Cook the bacon in the casserole for a few minutes over medium heat, until it starts to get crispy. After stirring them in, simmer the carrots and onions for five minutes, or until they begin to get softer.

How Long To Cook A Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole?

A casserole should take around an hour and a half, on average, to make from start to finish, including all of the steps involved. In an ideal scenario, you should start by covering your Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole, then bake it uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for 50 minutes (or until heated through and bubbling), and finally remove the cover during the final minutes so that it can crisp up. This will ensure that the casserole turns out perfectly.

If you carry out each of these actions in the correct order, you should have excellent outcomes. Another factor that can affect the total length of time necessary to cook the meal is the thickness of the layers of ingredients that are included inside the casserole dish. These two variables, in addition to the ingredients that are placed within the casserole, may each have an impact on the total amount of time it takes to cook the dish.

How To Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole?

Turn your oven’s temperature up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the chicken in a bowl of medium size, add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the ranch seasoning mix, and toss to combine. Set the bowl aside.
Rice, onion, garlic, half of the bacon, chicken broth, half-and-half, and the remaining tablespoon and a half of ranch seasoning mix should be combined in a casserole dish measuring 9 by 13 inches.
After adding the chicken, be sure to mix everything well.
Add the remaining pieces of bacon and cheddar cheese to the top. Place the casserole dish, which has been covered with aluminum foil, into the oven.
After the first thirty minutes of baking with the lid on, remove the foil and continue baking for another thirty minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.
Serve with some chopped parsley on top.

Recipe Tips

If you want to increase the number of vegetables in the meal, some wonderful options to consider adding include broccoli, green beans, peas, or corn that has been frozen.
In this particular dish, white rice may be replaced with brown rice if desired. To do this, you will need to raise the total amount of liquids in the recipe by a half cup and raise the amount of time the dish spends cooking with the lid on from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. Check the rice one more time before removing the dish from the oven to ensure that it has reached the desired level of doneness.
If you’d rather make a pasta bake instead of a pasta dish, you may follow the instructions in this recipe to do so, but you should still use the items that are stated above.

Recipe Variations

Vegetables may be purchased fresh or frozen, but since there are so many different possibilities for these, I’ve chosen to go ahead and cover them in their area further down.
Change the chicken in the casserole to turkey if you have any leftover cooked turkey from the holidays or if you have any that you want to use up. You may use it instead of the chicken. It is really tasty, and in addition to that, it is an excellent method for making use of any leftovers.
Cheese Made From Mozzarella You may either combine mozzarella and cheddar cheese in a 50/50 ratio, or you can just use mozzarella by itself. It’s a great way to mix things up and try something new!
Parmesan during the last five minutes of cooking sprinkles some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top of the dish. It will become a delicious golden brown hue, and the flavor is out of this world.

Can You Make This Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Ahead?

This Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole may be made in advance without any problems at all. Before placing it in the oven, the casserole may be prepared and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days before being baked. When you know you are going to have a few hectic evenings coming up, this is a fantastic resource to have.

One of the beautiful things about this chicken bacon ranch casserole is that in addition to making it for yourself, you can also prepare it to give as a present to your friends or family. This is a wonderful choice to make if you know someone who has just become a parent or if new residents have moved into your community.
You may bake the casserole ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to serve it. Another option is to reheat the casserole in the microwave. This recipe is a certain hit, no matter how you choose to organize your meals.

What To Serve With Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole?

Completing this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole will allow you to serve it with a straightforward green salad and a loaf of crusty bread. It’s a fast choice that can be made in advance, which is perfect for times when you’re pressed for time!

How To Store Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole In The Fridge?

Before being kept, the Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole needs to be either moved to a container that is airtight or carefully wrapped in plastic wrap or foil. If it is stored properly, this meal may be consumed up to three or four days after it has been prepared. Of course, always use your best judgment.

How To Freeze Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole?

It is possible to freeze this easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole; however, you should be aware that the rice will become much more pliable after freezing; as a result, it is a good idea to char the rice before freezing the casserole. Yes, it is possible to freeze this simple Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole; however, you should be aware that the rice will become much more pliable after freezing.

In Order To Freeze:

Hold off on serving the dish until it has cooled (or freeze before baking).
The casserole should first be carefully wrapped in plastic wrap, and then it should be covered with aluminum foil.
If you give it a label, you may store it in the freezer for up to three months.
Allow the Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole to fully defrost in the refrigerator for a whole day before serving it when you are ready to eat it.
Bake in a covered oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of thirty minutes. Take off the aluminum foil and continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is heated all the way through.

How To Reheat Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole?

There are a few different methods by which the chicken casserole may be reheated. To begin, if you just need one or two portions reheated, you may do it by placing the portion on a plate that is safe for the microwave and heating it for one to two minutes. Since it warms up quickly, the wait shouldn’t be too lengthy. Be careful to mix it often and avoid heating it to a high temperature or the consistency will be off.

You might alternatively preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, lay the casserole inside, and let it cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the temperature is uniformly heated throughout. If necessary, you will need to warm it for a little bit longer. Just be sure to check on it at regular intervals to prevent it from getting too hot and drying out.

What Can Be Substituted For Bacon?

Prosciutto: The quantity of fat and cholesterol in this Italian ham has been reduced, but the salt content has remained the same. If you are out of bacon but still have some prosciutto lingering in the refrigerator, you are free to use it instead. The hog leg that is used to make prosciutto is cured for around three years, after which it is sliced into paper-thin shavings and served raw most of the time. On top of some of your favorite foods, you can, however, make it crispy like bacon by crumbling it or baking it until it becomes crispy.
Beef Bacon: Beef is a popular alternative to bacon for those who are following a ketogenic or zero-carb diet since it contains no carbohydrates. When cooked and eaten in excessive numbers, beef bacon, just like any other meaty bacon alternative, is harmful. But if you’re just searching for something different, beef bacon is a healthier option that also happens to be pretty yummy. Also, we can state that it is “just as delicious as genuine bacon.”
Pancetta: This is the equivalent of bacon in Italian cuisine. Pancetta is not smoked but is strongly cured and is made from pig belly that has been salted and cured. Because it may be used instead of bacon in recipes if you find yourself without any, we decided to include it on the list of recommendations.
Turkey Bacon: This recommendation is likely to irritate you if you have a strong affinity for bacon. Your level of irritation is likely to increase during reading this whole text. We get it. Nevertheless, turkey bacon is a fantastic alternative to consider including in your diet if and when you are required to make dietary adjustments. It is a cleaner alternative, it is white meat, and if it is cured and smoked in the right way, it has a comparable flavor profile.
Capicola: Surely you’re familiar with it by now! It’s “gabagool”, as Tony Soprano says. However, capicola is red-cured meat that is similar to prosciutto in appearance. It is a healthier alternative to bacon and may be used in its stead. Just so you know, it has a higher salt content.

What Kind Of Chicken Do I Need To Use?

As long as the chicken has been cooked and cut into cubes, you may use whatever kind of chicken that you have on hand. Chicken on the rotisserie, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and boneless skinless chicken thighs are some of my favorite cuts of chicken. They are all simple to work with and have excellent compatibility with the flavors. You are welcome to use chicken that still has the bones in it; but, before adding it to the casserole, you will need to separate the flesh from the bones.

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FAQ Section

How Do You Know When Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Is Done?

Utilize a thermometer with a fast reading for the simplest method. Place it in the middle of the Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole that you have prepared. Your Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is ready to serve when the thermometer inserted into the center registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit. it, stick a toothpick into the middle of it, and then remove it from the oven. It’s finished when the toothpick tests clean.

How do you cook bacon in a casserole dish?

Arrange the bacon on the rack so that it doesn’t overlap itself too much, taking care not to do so. Any kind of bacon would suffice, but when I purchase it, I like pieces that are quite thick. Put the casserole dish into an oven that has been warmed and bake it for approximately 15 minutes, adjusting the cooking time according to how crispy you prefer your bacon.

Should chicken be cooked before adding to casserole?

When chicken is asked for in a recipe, it is often expected to be in a cooked state. Cook the chicken first, then assemble the dish. The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA recommends cooking chicken to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.