Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
This cheesy casserole with chicken, bacon, and ranch is quick and easy to prepare. Made with egg noodles and simple ingredients it is hearty and creamy with toasted parmesan breadcrumbs giving it a bit of crunch. It is a delicious meal the whole family will love.
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This chicken bacon ranch casserole is the perfect meal to whip up at the end of a busy day.
Because it uses pre-cooked chicken and bacon, it means you spend less time preparing dinner. The only thing you need to cook before it goes into the oven is the noodles and you can use that time to prepare the sauce and chop the chicken.
We love this cheesy chicken casserole not only because it is easy to prepare, but the cheesy noodles pair so well with the chunks of chicken and smoky bacon. This dish is nice and creamy, but the panko topping adds a great, crunchy texture.
Ingredients
This casserole is made with simple ingredients. Here are some of the ingredients used in the recipe and some helpful information about them.
- Broad egg noodles – Sometimes called, wide egg noodles, these are the dry, curly noodles you often see used in recipes such as chicken noodle soup. If you don’t have egg noodles, you can use regular pasta instead.
- Condensed cheddar cheese soup – This makes the casserole extra creamy and cheesy. If you can’t find condensed cheese soup, you can replace it with condensed cream of chicken or mushroom soup.
- Sour cream – Adds creaminess and cuts the richness by adding a bit of tang.
- Ranch seasoning – You can use homemade ranch dressing mix, or an envelope of store-bought.
- Cooked chicken – This recipe uses pre-cooked chicken. It’s a great way to use up leftovers or you can pick up a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
- Cooked bacon – I often have cooked bacon in the fridge to use for sandwiches, salads, and dishes like this. If not, diced ham will work, or you can cook a few slices before starting.
- Cheese – I use Monterey Jack for this recipe becasue it melts well, tastes good, and isn’t as oily when it melts as some other cheeses are. But you can use whatever you have on hand.
You will also need:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Frozen peas, or other vegetables.
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Melted butter
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
Begin by boiling and draining the noodles, then in a large bowl mix the sauce ingredients, seasonings, chicken, bacon, cheese, and vegetables.
Pro-Tip: When pre-cooking your noodles, be sure to cook them just until al dente. They will continue to cook when the casserole is baked.
Add the noodles to the bowl and mix until everything is well incorporated then pour it into a greased 9×13 casserole dish.
Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and butter and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and the top is lightly browned.
Pro-Tip: Using a store-bought rotisserie chicken will save you time in the kitchen. Just remove the skin, shred the meat and it’s ready to use.
Substitutions
The great thing about casseroles is that there are usually many ways you can customize them and substitute ingredients to suit your needs. This casserole is no exception.
Some substitutions you can try are:
- Swap the egg noodles for regular pasta such as bow-tie, penne, or rotini.
- Substitute cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup for the cheddar cheese soup.
- Sour cream may be replaced with plain Greek yogurt.
- Milk can be replaced with chicken broth.
- Use any cheese you like in place of the Monterey Jack, or use a combination of cheeses such as cheddar, swiss, or gouda.
- Bacon can be substituted with diced ham.
- Add extra vegetables. You can used frozen mixed vegetables, corn, diced carrots, spinach, or anything else your family enjoys.
- If you don’t like ranch, you can use 1 teaspoon each of onion and garlic powder.
Pro-Tip: While you can use any cheese you like, I do suggest you use freshly shredded instead of pre-shredded. Packaged shredded cheese contains extra anti-caking ingredients that also affect how the cheese melts and the texture.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
We do not recommend freezing this recipe as the noodles tend to get quite soft.
FAQS
Yes, you can. Simple assemble the casserole and then store it in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time if it is going into the oven cold.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 oz broad egg noodles
- 1 (10.5 oz) Can condensed cheddar cheese soup
- 1 Cup sour cream
- 2 Large eggs
- ½ Cup milk
- 1 Tbsp mustard powder
- 2 Tbsp ranch dressing mix store-bought or homemade
- 3 Cups cooked chicken diced or shredded
- 1 Cup cooked Bacon chopped, 5-6 slices
- 2 Cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1 Cup frozen peas
- ½ Cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ Cup butter melted
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350°F
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the egg noodles. Cook for about 6 minutes, then drain. They should still be slightly firm as they will continue to cook in the oven.
- In a large bowl, mix the condensed soup, sour cream, eggs, milk, and spices until smooth. Stir in the chicken, bacon, cheese and peas until combined.
- Stir the noodles into the cheese mixture, then pour into a lightly greased 9×13 pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and melted butter. Then sprinkle on top of the casserole.
- Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
This recipe first appeared on Savory Experiments where I was a contributor.
This was so satisfying and delicious! I love the combination of egg noodles in a creamy, cheesy sauce and the breadcrumb topping was perfect. We’ll definitely be making this again for dinner.
Thank you! We love this as an easy one-dish dinner.