Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Creamy, cheesy and comforting! Loaded with Ranch chicken, homemade alfredo sauce and bacon. Can be made ahead of time!
Dovetailing tip: Use the bacon and bacon fat that you cooked on day 1.
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
| 4 | slices bacon, diced |
| 2 | boneless, skinless chicken thighs*, cut into 1-inch chunks |
| 1 tablespoon | olive oil |
| 1 tablespoon | ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix , or more, to taste |
| 8 ounces | rotini |
| 1 cup | shredded mozzarella cheese |
| 1/2 cup | shredded Cheddar cheese |
| 2 tablespoons | chopped fresh parsley leaves |
| 2 tablespoons | unsalted butter |
| 3 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 cup | heavy cream , or more, to taste |
| 1/4 cup | freshly grated parmesan |
| kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9×9 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
To make the alfredo sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in heavy cream. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more heavy cream as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fat; reserving 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
In a gallon size Ziploc bag, add chicken, 1 tablespoon olive oil and Ranch Seasoning, shaking to coat thoroughly. Add chicken to the skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes on each side; set aside.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
Add pasta to the prepared baking dish and layer with chicken and alfredo sauce; sprinkle with cheeses and bacon. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and heated through, about 15-20 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Source: damndelicious.net
