Tasty Tuesday: Bacon Chicken Ranch Casserole

LEXINGTON SC (WOLO) — This week The Manmade Gourmet, Tyler Ryan and Mary Ann Keim from MAK’s Meals decided to put together some of the best things in the world together into one casserole – Picture it…Sicily 1921…then add 100 years to it, and THEN picture it: an amazing kitchen in Lexington – two foodies blending bacon, ranch, chicken, cheese, and pasta into one amazing baked dish.

Here’s What You Need:

• 4 – or MANY MORE – slices bacon
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts* (cleaned and trimmed well and cubed)
• 1 can Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 package Ranch Seasoning
• 1 cup Ranch Salad Dressing
• 8 ounces rotini, penne or bowtie pasta
• 1 1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• One jar ALFREDO SAUCE
• 1 cup heavy cream

Here’s What You Do:

Preheat the Cookin Hole to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9×9 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.

To make the sauce/cheese mixture, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat

Add jar of alfredo. Gradually whisk in heavy cream and can of cheese soup

Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes

Stir in mozzarella until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes

If the mixture is too thick, add a little milk as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside

Heat oven to 400°

Place bacon in pan and bake until crisp – In this case, we used pre-cooked bacon, so we just put it in the microwave for about a minute.  If you are doing it from scratch, after it is cooked, drain excess fat; reserving 1 tablespoon and place in a skillet, and transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate

Remove fat, and dice up the chicken, and put in a pan with medium heat to grill

In a bowl, mix in the ranch dressing, cheese, cream of chicken, and spices, adding the chicken, once it is cooked

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta, and drain

Add pasta to the bowl, mixing everything together, and in a prepared baking dish add mix, topping with cheese and bacon

Put dish into the Cookin Hole lace into oven and bake until bubbly and heated through, about 15-20 minutes

Allow to cool and set for about 10 minutes – trying not to snack on it, serve it up, and hit the Eatin’ Table

AND, don’t forget to feed the crew!

TOO EASY!

NOTES:

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be substituted
Recipe serves 4 full servings or 6 small servings

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tyler Ryan is an award winning television and radio personality, writer, investigative journalist, and professional emcee.  He appears daily on ABC Columbia’s Good Morning Columbia, as well as the radio stations in the iHeart Media Network.  Tyler also regularly appears as a criminal expert and journalist on regional and national crime based programs.  You can contact him directly via EMAIL Or on the socials: Tyler’s Instagram  // Tyler’s Facebook