Description
This Crack Chicken Casserole turns ordinary weeknight dinners into something extraordinary. Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with bacon, it’s so good you’ll want to make a double batch right from the start.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed (about 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts)
- 8 oz medium pasta shells, cooked al dente
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup ranch dressing (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, plus ½ cup for topping
- 8 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled, divided
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- Optional: ¼ tsp red pepper flakes for heat
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions, drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese and ranch dressing with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add shredded chicken, garlic, dill, onion powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the cream cheese mixture. Fold until chicken is evenly coated.
- Gently fold in cooked pasta, 1 cup cheddar cheese, two-thirds of the bacon, and half of the green onions.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and edges are starting to brown.
- Remove from oven and top with remaining bacon crumbles and green onions. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.