Dinner & Meal Ideas

You won't have to call the family twice when this chicken casserole is on the table! All the creamy, cheesy, and bacon aromas while it's baking will draw them to the kitchen. The best part? It doesn't just taste good—it includes veggies too. Thanks in part to the kid-favorite ranch dressing, even the pickiest eaters will eat every last bite.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Ingredients

This chicken bacon ranch casserole has ingredients that you probably already have in your freezer or pantry—cooked chicken, frozen broccoli, dry ranch salad mix, and rotini pasta. To spice things up, add a dash of crushed red pepper, crumbled crisp bacon, cheese, chopped veggies, and mayonnaise. In less than an hour, you’ll have a hearty casserole recipe for the whole family, leftovers included!

How to Cook Chicken for Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

To prepare chicken: Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil. Drizzle three 6-oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves with olive oil and place in a cold oven. Set oven temperature to 450°F and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken hits 165°F. (Because ovens and the size of chicken breasts vary, temperature is the best way to test for doneness). Cool and chop chicken. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days.

How to Cook Bacon for Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

To prepare bacon: Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil. Place a cooling rack over pan. Lay bacon slices on rack and bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes or bacon is browned and crisp. Cool and crumble bacon. Place in a airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

How to Customize Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

This casserole is so easy to customize to your liking. Our chicken bacon ranch casserole is perfect for special diets and meal-prep. You can easily make substitutes for high fat or high calorie ingredients by swapping the mayonnaise for non-fat Greek yogurt; or regular pasta for a gluten-free one, for example. You can even bake individual portions and fill those with extra veggies or protein for a variety of weekly meals. The ranch dressing will give everything you put into this casserole strong flavor.

There are many options in the market to make it vegan or vegetarian-friendly. Swap the chicken for tofu or any meat substitute; dairy ingredients for almond or soy milk, cheese, and yogurt (if going that route instead of using ranch); and even the pork or turkey bacon for tempeh strips. Since this meal is loaded with other ingredients like pasta and vegetables, it's unlikely your family will even notice the difference.