Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

by HomeCooking
Prep: 30m
Cook: 20m
poultry, pork
Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole - Image

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Ingredients
Servings:8
16ozspiral pasta
1 1/2cupmilk
1/2cupranch dressing
1ranch dressing mix
8ozcream cheese
2cupcooked chicken
8ozbacon
2cupColby cheese
green onions
Nutrition Facts

Per serving

Calculating nutrition...

Instructions
  1. 1

    Boil the pasta

    Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cook the spiral pasta in a big pot of salted water according to the package directions, until it's just tender. Drain it well, then dump it into a large bowl. If you think of it, save a couple tablespoons of the pasta water for the sauce.

  1. 2

    Stir up the ranch sauce

    In that same warm pot, whisk together the milk, ranch dressing, and the packet of ranch dressing mix until it's nice and smooth. Cube up the cream cheese and stir it in, cooking over medium heat until it melts down into a creamy sauce. Pour that right over your pasta.

  2. 3

    Fold in the good stuff

    Cut the cooked chicken into bite-size cubes and cook and crumble the bacon. Stir the chicken, bacon, and 1 cup of the shredded Colby into the saucy pasta until every noodle is coated.

  3. 4

    Top it and bake

    Spread everything into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish and scatter the remaining 1 cup of Colby over the top. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until it's hot all the way through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Shower a little sliced green onion over the top before you dish it up.

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Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

Created by: HomeCooking

Prep Time: 30m
Cook Time: 20m
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 16 oz spiral pasta
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup ranch dressing
  • 1 ranch dressing mix
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 2 cup cooked chicken
  • 8 oz bacon
  • 2 cup Colby cheese
  • green onions

Instructions

  1. Boil the pastaPreheat your oven to 400°F. Cook the spiral pasta in a big pot of salted water according to the package directions, until it's just tender. Drain it well, then dump it into a large bowl. If you think of it, save a couple tablespoons of the pasta water for the sauce.
  2. Stir up the ranch sauceIn that same warm pot, whisk together the milk, ranch dressing, and the packet of ranch dressing mix until it's nice and smooth. Cube up the cream cheese and stir it in, cooking over medium heat until it melts down into a creamy sauce. Pour that right over your pasta.
  3. Fold in the good stuffCut the cooked chicken into bite-size cubes and cook and crumble the bacon. Stir the chicken, bacon, and 1 cup of the shredded Colby into the saucy pasta until every noodle is coated.
  4. Top it and bakeSpread everything into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish and scatter the remaining 1 cup of Colby over the top. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until it's hot all the way through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Shower a little sliced green onion over the top before you dish it up.

Notes & Tips

This is the kind of supper that makes everybody come running to the table. It's mac and cheese all grown up with ranch, smoky bacon, and tender chicken folded right in. I lean on rotisserie chicken most weeknights to keep it quick, and spiral noodles are the way to go here since all those little curls hold onto the sauce. Want to sneak in some veggies? Stir a couple cups of cooked broccoli or peas in with the chicken and nobody will complain. It reheats beautifully too, so don't be shy about making the whole 13x9 even if it's just a couple of you.