Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole with Rice

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is a one-pot wonder that combines your favorite ingredients into an amazing dish. It is super easy to put together and can be made ahead of time. Any leftovers are just as yummy.

Jump to:

• Quick Look at the Recipe
• Ingredients
• Making the Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole - Step-by-Step
• PudgeFactor's Test Kitchen Tips
• In Case You Were Wondering
• Other One-Dish Wonders That Produce Amazing Leftovers
• Recipe

Quick Look at the Recipe

• Ready In: 75 minutes
• Serves: 6
• Ingredients: Chicken, bacon, rice, and Ranch seasoning in a creamy sauce, topped with Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: Yes. Assemble the casserole earlier in the day and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake.

Ingredients

Tender chicken combines with rice, and bacon in a creamy cheesy sauce that's out of this world.

Making the Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole - Step-by-Step

1. Sauté the Onion: Start by sautéing the onion in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until it softens. This should take about 5 minutes.

2. Cook the chicken: Add the chicken and cook it for about 7 minutes, until it is no longer pink. i

3. Add the Ranch mix: Sprinkle on the Ranch dressing mix, then stir to combine.

4. Add the bacon, chicken broth, cream, and uncooked rice, then stir to combine.

5. Transfer and bake: Transfer the mixture to a 2 ½-quart casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. You can cover and refrigerate it now to cook later in the day. When you're ready, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 minutes.

6. Add the cheeses: Remove the foil, top with shredded Cheddar and Mozzarella, and return the uncovered casserole to the oven until the rice is fully cooked, around 25 minutes.

Talk about amazing. The chicken was moist and tender, and the flavors in the Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole complemented each other perfectly. Yum!

PudgeFactor's Test Kitchen Tips

• I like to use low-sodium chicken broth in my cooking. That way, I have more control over the amount of salt in the dish. However, you could also use regular chicken broth here. Just check the seasonings before you add any salt.

• Rice contains a fair amount of starch. Therefore, I always rinse my rice well in a wire mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Then, I let the rice drain well before using it.

• Because the Master Taste Tester prefers a stronger cheese, I generally use extra-sharp Cheddar cheese in my dishes. However, you can use sharp or regular Cheddar instead of extra-sharp Cheddar. You could also use Colby, Pepper Jack, or Colby Jack cheese instead of Cheddar.

• I like the subtle taste difference that Mozzarella cheese produces. However, you could use a single type of cheese.
• The Ranch dressing mix is pretty salty, so taste the liquid before adding any salt or pepper and before cooking the casserole. I added about ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Also, don't confuse the Ranch dressing mix (0.4 ounces) with Ranch Seasoning (1 ounce).
• Sometimes, I assemble the casserole earlier in the day and refrigerate it, covered, until I'm ready to put it in the oven. When I refrigerate the casserole before cooking, I increase the first cooking time from 30 minutes to 35 minutes.

In Case You Were Wondering

Can leftover chicken be used in this recipe?

Absolutely! Leftover or rotisserie chicken works perfectly in this recipe, making it even quicker to prepare.

What about leftovers?

The leftovers are delicious. I generally reheat the leftovers in the microwave.

Other One-Dish Wonders That Produce Amazing Leftovers

If you're interested in recipes for other one-dish wonders that produce amazing leftovers, check out these:

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