This post has been sponsored by Hidden Valley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole is an easy-to-make recipe that the entire family will love! It’s loaded with chicken, broccoli, bacon, cheese, and plenty of Ranch flavor.
Naturally low carb and gluten free, this is the perfect recipe for weeknight dinners and meal prep alike!
I feel like quite the casserole queen lately. Seems like you guys are loving them, too!
Most of my casserole recipes have a little heat to them. However, not everyone enjoys spicy food—which is why I decided to make this Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole. There’s no heat, but there is so much flavor!
For this recipe, a layer of chicken, broccoli, and bacon is topped with a cheese mixture flavored with Hidden Valley® Original Ranch.
The ranch dressing adds so much creaminess! It’s absolutely delicious!
Why This Recipe Works
This family-friendly recipe can be made in less than an hour. You can also prep it ahead of time, then bake for 30 minutes when you’re ready for dinner.
The low carb count makes this recipe a great choice for those following a low-carb or keto diet. It’s also a naturally gluten-free recipe.
Leftovers are perfect for lunch the next day or use this recipe for your weekly meal prep.
How to Make Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole
Prep!
Set the cream cheese out about an hour before you begin to allow it time to come to room temperature.
Cook and crumble the bacon if you are not using leftovers.
You will also need to cut the chicken and broccoli into bite-size pieces, mince the garlic, and shred the cheddar cheese.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease the inside of a 9×9-inch square casserole dish with butter. You can also use a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Tip: it is strongly recommended to shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bagged cheese which contains extra starch. Freshly shredded cheese also melts much better.
Create!
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and add to the hot skillet.
Cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 7-9 minutes. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
While the chicken is cooking, bring a medium saucepan filled 2/3rds of the way with water to a boil.
Add the broccoli, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes or until bright green.
Drain and transfer to the casserole dish with the chicken and half of the crumbled bacon.
In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, garlic, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing until well combined.
Spread the mixture evenly over the chicken and broccoli as best as you can. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect, it will melt as it heats up.
Sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese and bacon.
Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Present!
Serve hot right from the casserole dish and enjoy!
Tips and Techniques
- Set the cream cheese out about an hour before you begin to allow it time to come to room temperature.
- It is strongly recommended to shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bagged cheese which contains extra starch. Freshly shredded cheese also melts much better.
- Store leftover casserole in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-4 days.
FAQ’s
Can You Make Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole Ahead Of Time?
Yes. You can prepare the casserole ahead of time and keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator. Cook within 24 hours for best results.
Can You Freeze Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole?
Yes. Prepare the casserole, then cover tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the casserole to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. You can also cook the casserole from frozen but will need to at least double the cook time. Bake until it’s heated through and bubbly on top.
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Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 pounds chicken * cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 6 slices bacon * cooked and crumbled
- 8 ounces cream cheese * at room temperature
- 2 cloves garlic * minced
- 1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese * shredded, divided
- 1/2 cup Hidden Valley® Original Ranch
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Grease the inside of a 9×9-inch square casserole dish or a 9x13-inch casserole dish with butter.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet.
- Cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 7-9 minutes. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a medium saucepan filled 2/3rds of the way with water to a boil. Add the broccoli, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes or until bright green.
- Drain and transfer to the casserole dish with the chicken, along with half of the crumbled bacon.
- In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, garlic, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing until well combined.
- Spread the mixture evenly over the chicken and broccoli as best as you can.
- Sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese and bacon.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
Tips and Techniques for the Best Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole
- Set the cream cheese out about an hour before you begin to allow it time to come to room temperature.
- It is strongly recommended to shred the cheese from a block than using pre-shredded bagged cheese which contains extra starch. Freshly shredded cheese also melts much better.
- Store leftover casserole in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-4 days.
FAQ’s
- Can you make Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole ahead of time? Yes You can prepare the casserole ahead of time and keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator. Cook within 24 hours for best results.
- Can you freeze Ranch Bacon Chicken Casserole? Yes. Prepare the casserole, then cover tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the casserole to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. You can also cook the casserole from frozen but will need to at least double the cook time. Bake until it’s heated through and bubbly on top.
Tracy says
Made this tonight it is delicious.
Lauren Vavala says
Thank you!
Barb c says
Hi! Curious: Have you actually frozen this yourself? I feel like I keep reading all of these warnings about cream cheese-based casseroles separating if you freeze them, so just wanted to check and see if you’ve had luck before I buy all the ingredients and potentially have a meltdown haha.
Lauren Vavala says
Hi Barb! I rarely have leftovers to freeze, but this casserole can be frozen. However, anytime you freeze cream cheese, it’s not going to reheat exactly the same. It may be grainy. If it separates, you can usually stir that back together, but the texture will still be different. You can also prepare all of the parts of this casserole except for the sauce and freeze that in a freezer bag. Then mix the sauce components together right before you want to cook it. Hope this helps 🙂
– Lauren
Keri says
SUPER EASY AND FANTASTIC!!!!!
Velle Mere says
Delicious! Next time, I will double the recipe so everyone can get seconds. It was that good!
Lauren Vavala says
Glad to hear it turned out great!! Thanks for coming back to let me know and for rating <3 Lauren
Susan M. says
I made this the other night for the first time. I have a 26 yr old son who was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease, so I’ve been on the hunt to find gluten free recipes to make. I added about a cup of sour cream to the recipe, and it turned out fantastic!! It was a hit for my son, his brother and myself! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, will be looking for more from you!
Lauren Vavala says
Yay! So glad it was a hit! My fiance is gluten free (most of the time – he takes short breaks once in awhile to indulge in some favorites) so a lot of my recipes are also gluten free. You can find them all in the gluten free section of the recipe index 🙂 Good luck too your son (and to you!) – Lauren
Alma says
How much is a serving? I did not see it anywhere.
Lauren says
Hi Alma. I am not able to give you an exact serving size. I make these recipes in my kitchen, versus a professional kitchen/lab. To be able to calculate nutrition all I can do is enter the approximate amount of each ingredient in the recipe and a national database calculates the information based on dividing the information by the total number of servings. Basically, just divide the total amount that you have into 6 equal portions and that’s a serving.
Sorry, its kind of hard to explain. I hope this helps – Lauren
Eden | Sweet Tea and Thyme says
Love love this casserole! A family favorite, will make again and again.
Jamie says
Such a clever way to use ranch dressing! Looks delicious!
Kristina says
This is one of my faves! So full of flavors and just down right goodness! A crowd pleaser for sure!
Kelly Anthony says
My girls love ranch dressing so this will be a perfect weeknight meal for our family. Simply delicious!
Mindy Fewless says
Adding this to my weekly menu!! Looks so good!!