Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

Recipe Ingredients

For a casserole with this much flavor, it takes surprisingly few ingredients to make.

Chicken: You can use any leftover chicken you have on hand for this chicken ranch bake. If you don’t have any leftover, rotisserie chicken is an easy alternative.

Bacon: Just cook 6 slices of bacon, and chop it up. If you’re short on time, precooked bacon will work well, too.

Ranch Dressing: Ranch is an important flavor in this chicken bacon ranch casserole recipe. It’s typically made with buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, herbs, like dill and parsley, and black pepper.

Pasta: This recipe calls for penne, but you can use any short-form pasta you like. Other options include ziti, rigatoni, cavatappi, and bowtie.

Cheese: Mozzarella cheese is used for its mild flavor and how well it melts.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Jarred Alfredo sauce and fresh parsley.

Cookware You’ll Need

You only need a few pieces of kitchen equipment to make this simple chicken bacon ranch pasta bake.

Large Pot: The pot works double duty both for cooking the pasta and for mixing the ingredients together before spreading them out into the baking dish, making cleanup a breeze!

Baking Dish: A 13x9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish is just the right size for this casserole. We like using ceramic or glass here, because it disperses the heat evenly and is less likely to burn in the baking process.

Other Cookware You’ll Need: Large spoon, knife, and cutting board.

How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

Chicken bacon ranch casserole can be thrown together in minutes in just a few easy steps.

Cook Pasta and Bacon

Although the recipe doesn’t have a step to cook both the pasta and the bacon, it does call for them both to be cooked in the ingredient section. Have them both ready when you start mixing the ingredients together.

Mix the Casserole Ingredients

For easy cleanup, use the pot you cooked the pasta in to mix the ingredients before baking.

Add Mixture to Baking Dish and Bake

Pour the pasta mixture into the baking dish and spread out into an even layer. Bake until golden brown and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes to cool off a little. If you prefer, you can sprinkle some chopped parsley over the top for a little color.

Possible Variations

We don’t have to tell you how simple it is to create variations for a dish this easy. You’ve given us and other users all kinds of ideas in your many reviews of our chicken bacon ranch casserole. Readers are adding mushrooms or peas or swapping out mozzarella for Colby Jack or Swiss cheese. No time to cook bacon? Users sprinkle in real bacon bits instead.

There’s no such thing as too many cooks in the kitchen when they have ideas this good! If you want to expand your casserole skills, we’ve created a list of some of our favorites.

Serving Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

While our chicken ranch casserole is definitely hearty, there will still be room for a side dish or two, especially if they are veggies, like our roasted Brussels sprouts or our popular lemon pepper asparagus.

Of course, there is always room for bread on our dinner table. We like to pair this pasta dish with our fun and flavorful garlic Parmesan monkey bread.

Storing and Reheating

Got leftover chicken bacon ranch casserole? No problem. Here’s how to store and reheat.

Fridge

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezer

Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Reheating

• From the Fridge: Place your chicken bacon ranch pasta in an oven-safe baking dish, cover it with foil, and bake at 350? until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Or reheat in single servings in the microwave at 70% power for 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

• From the Freezer: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, proceed to reheat as instructed above for refrigerator storage.

Why Pillsbury Users Love This Recipe

With almost 500 reviews, our chicken bacon ranch casserole recipe is a huge hit with our community. Users say they love how quick and easy this pasta bake comes together, making it a go-to meal for any night of the week. Our users also appreciate how versatile the recipe is, allowing them to use whatever pasta or cheese they have on hand.

Of course, what they comment on the most is how much their families love the taste and how often they get requests to make it again, which is what every cook loves to hear.