Description
This Amazing 25-Minute Crack Chicken Casserole is a creamy, cheesy, and flavorful comfort food dish perfect for busy weeknights. Combining shredded chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, ranch seasoning, and bacon, this casserole bakes up bubbly and golden in under 30 minutes, making it an easy and delicious family-friendly meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Mixture
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch seasoning mix
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking the casserole.
- Mix Creamy Base: In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and ranch seasoning mix. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and fully combined, ensuring even flavor distribution.
- Add Chicken and Cheese: Stir in the cooked shredded chicken and half of the shredded cheddar cheese into the creamy mixture, folding gently to incorporate everything evenly.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Spread the chicken and cream cheese mixture evenly into a 9×13 inch baking dish, smoothing out the surface for uniform baking.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese evenly over the top, followed by the crumbled cooked bacon for extra flavor and texture.
- Bake: Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly, the cheese is fully melted, and the top is lightly browned.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped green onions if desired. Serve warm and enjoy your comforting crack chicken casserole.
Notes
- For extra creaminess, use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream.
- You can substitute the cooked chicken with rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- If you want a spicier version, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or diced jalapeños to the cream cheese mixture.
- This casserole freezes well; store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To make this dish gluten-free, ensure the ranch seasoning mix is certified gluten-free.
- Green onions are optional but add a fresh flavor and color when garnished on top.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of casserole (approximately 1 cup)
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
Keywords: crack chicken casserole, easy chicken casserole, cheesy chicken bake, ranch chicken casserole, quick dinner recipe, comfort food
