Description
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole features tender rotisserie chicken, crispy bacon, broccoli, and pasta in a creamy homemade ranch cheese sauce, baked to bubbly perfection. It’s a comforting, crowd-pleasing dish perfect for an easy dinner or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Vegetables
- 1 pound cavatappi, ritoni or penne pasta
- 3 cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 onion, diced (or ½ teaspoon onion powder)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Meat
- 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken
Cheese and Dairy
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream (optional for extra creamy)
- 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
Liquids and Seasonings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups half and half (or substitute with milk whisked with 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch)
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (1 oz.) packet dry ranch dressing seasoning mix (2 tablespoons) or use DIY below
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
DIY Ranch Seasoning (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook Broccoli: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Remove using a slotted spoon, rinse with cold water, strain, and set aside on a plate.
- Cook Pasta: In the same boiling water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside without overcooking.
- Sauté Vegetables: Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onions and sauté for 4 minutes until soft. Add bell peppers (if using) and garlic, sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
- Make Roux: Sprinkle flour into the pan and cook while stirring for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Add Liquids and Seasonings: Lower heat. Gradually whisk in half and half, chicken broth, ranch seasoning, salt, dried basil, ground mustard, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens but is not too thick.
- Add Cheese and Cream: Reduce heat to low. Whisk in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese followed by 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese until melted and smooth. Stir in sour cream until blended for extra creaminess.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir in shredded chicken, broccoli, and half of the crumbled bacon until evenly coated. Then fold in the cooked pasta. If your pan is small, transfer everything to a large pot to combine.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste the mixture and adjust salt, pepper, or cayenne if desired.
- Assemble Casserole: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining bacon over the top.
- Finish Baking: Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes until casserole is hot and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes before serving to set.
Notes
- Ranch seasoning mix should be added dry to the sauce, not prepared as directed on the packet.
- To make half and half, combine 1 ½ cups milk with 1 ½ cups heavy cream.
- Substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour if needed.
- Sour cream can be replaced with full-fat plain Greek yogurt; nonfat Greek yogurt may separate when baked.
- If sauce thickens too much, thin with a bit of milk or chicken broth to desired consistency, especially important for meal prep.
- Oven bacon: Bake on a foil-lined rimmed sheet at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes (30 minutes for thick-cut) until crispy.
- To halve the recipe, use an 8×8-inch casserole dish and reduce ingredients accordingly.
- For meal prep, assemble casserole unbaked and refrigerate up to one day; bring to room temperature 30 minutes before baking.
- Store leftovers covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days; reheat in microwave or oven until warmed through.
- Freeze unbaked casserole wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months; bake from frozen with covered and uncovered stages as per instructions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 490 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 610 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
