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When you’re craving comfort food, this Crack Chicken Casserole recipe will definitely hit the spot! With tender chicken, crispy bacon, and pasta tossed in a creamy, ranch-seasoned sauce, it’s the kind of dinner that’ll have the whole family coming back for seconds.
Nikki’s Recipe Rundown
- Taste: Creamy, cheesy, and packed with bold ranch flavor, crispy bacon, and juicy chicken. Every bite is loaded with savory goodness that will have everyone coming back for seconds!
- Texture: Tender chicken, al dente pasta, and crunchy bacon in a smooth, creamy sauce. The melted cheese on top makes it extra gooey and delicious.
- Ease: Quick and easy—just mix, bake, and stir! Pretty hands-off once it’s assembled, making it a great make-ahead dish to pop in the oven when you get home. Perfect for weeknights when you need a meal that comes together without much effort..
- Pros: Kid-approved, budget-friendly, and easy to make ahead or freeze for later. Simple ingredients make it flexible to swap or add extras..
- Considerations: It contains dairy, gluten, and bacon, so adjust for dietary needs if necessary.
- Recipe Repeatability: Absolutely! My family craves this one and lets me know it! Since it’s packed with flavor, I think it will quickly become a family favorite of yours too.
This is one of those go-to recipes I just can’t quit! It’s a staple in our house, and I bet it will be in yours, too. Why? Because not only is it ridiculously easy to throw together, but it’s also a crowd-pleaser—even for the pickiest eaters. Trust me, they’ll be scraping their plates clean! It’s cozy, comforting, and just the right kind of addictive. With the creamy cheese filling, zesty ranch seasoning, and crispy bacon, every bite of this casserole feels like a little celebration of flavors.
I love how simple ingredients and fuss-free steps come together in a way that feels special but won’t leave you stressed. Perfect for those busy weeknights when you just need dinner on the table, pronto! And if you’re feeding a hungry bunch—whether it’s family, friends, or a pack of teenagers—this dish will have everyone coming back for seconds.
Ingredients Needed for Crack Chicken Casserole
- Cream Cheese: Make sure to allow it to come to room temperature, to avoid any lumps!
- Sour Cream: Sour cream adds an extra creamy, tangy flavor that goes well with the savory spices.
- Milk: For a bit of extra moisture!
- Spices: You will need a ranch seasoning mix packet along with onion powder, salt, and pepper to season this crack chicken casserole to flavorful perfection.
- Chicken Breasts: I prefer to use raw chicken breast, and I dice it up into small pieces. Cooking the raw chicken in the cream cheese mixture makes it super moist and flavorful!
- Rotini Pasta: Use your favorite short pasta shape, such as rotini, penne, or farfalle.
- Bacon: Prep the bacon first, and make sure it is super crispy!
- Shredded Cheeses: I used a combination of shredded cheddar cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese. If you want it extra melty, I suggest shredded it yourself from a block!
- Green Onions: Sliced green onions add a pop of texture and color on top.
How To Make Crack Chicken Casserole
✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and full recipe instructions!
Step 1 | Prep Cream Cheese Mixture
Preheat oven to 375℉ and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sour cream, milk, and ranch, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and mix until combined.
Step 2 | Add Chicken & Bake
Add the cubed chicken to the mixture.
Then, pour it into the prepared casserole dish.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Step 3 | Add Remaining Ingredients
While the chicken is cooking, cook the noodles until al dente in salted water.
Once removed from the oven, stir the chicken. Add the hot pasta, bacon, and half the cheeses and stir until creamy and melted.
Then top with remaining shredded cheese.
Step 4 | Bake Again & Serve
Bake for about 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted on top.
Garnish with chopped green onions and serve hot.
Recipe Tips for the Best Crack Chicken Casserole
- Don’t overcook the pasta! The pasta will cook more in the oven, so don’t overcook it when boiling. If you like softer pasta, cook until al dente before baking. If you like your pasta al dente, cook a minute shy of al dente.
- If you skip adding salt to your pasta water, you may need to add salt to the casserole. I use about a tablespoon of salt in a big pot of water.
- You get a nice, thick, creamy sauce that coats the noodles and chicken well. However, if you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add a few more tablespoons of milk or some reserved pasta water when you add milk.
- Don’t omit the ranch seasoning! The dry ranch seasoning here is what gives the crack chicken pasta its’ savory, irresistible flavor. So definitely don’t skip it!
Variations and Substitutions
- Chicken Thighs: If you prefer, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast! This will create a richer casserole, since thicken thighs have more fat.
- Rotisserie Chicken: You can also use precooked chicken or rotisserie chicken with this recipe in place of raw chicken. Skip the first chicken bake time, stir in the cooked shredded chicken or chicken pieces with the cream cheese sauce along with bacon & cheese in this mixture, add in cooked pasta, top with remaining cheese and bake the casserole at 375℉ for 20 – 25 minutes, until bubbly and cheeses are melted.
- Noodles: I used classic rotini noodles here, but any short noodle works. You can also opt for your favorite short gluten-free noodles or even egg noodles! Egg noodles get soft quickly, though, so don’t boil them for too long before adding them to the crack chicken casserole and baking.
- Veggies: If you want to sneak in some veggies, you can throw in any veggies that you’d like here. Try peas, carrots, corn, or a simple frozen blend!
Crack Chicken Pasta Bake FAQs
Yes! Since we are baking the chicken first on its own with the cream cheese mixture, and then again with the rest of the casserole, it is perfectly safe to use raw chicken here.
Nope! There is no need to cover this crack chicken casserole while it is baking. Just keep an eye on it to make sure the top layer of cheese doesn’t get too dark!
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Storage
Storage: Cover with foil or plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Freeze: To freeze, wrap the cooled casserole in plastic wrap well, with a layer of foil on top to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven until heated through.
What to Serve with Crack Chicken Casserole
This crack chicken recipe can be served on its own as a complete, satisfying meal! However, if you want something extra on the side, here are some of my favorite things to pair it with:
- Caesar Salad
- Air Fryer Texas Toast Garlic Bread
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
- Garlic Butter Green Beans
- Butter Swim Biscuits
Delicious Dinner Recipes to Try
- Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie
- Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole
- Chicken & Dumplings Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Pizza Pasta Bake
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Crack Chicken Pasta Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 1 oz ranch seasoning mix packet
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ pound rotini pasta
- ½ pound bacon, cooked until crispy and then crumbled
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sour cream, milk, and ranch, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and mix until combined.
- Add the cubed chicken to the mixture and pour into the prepared casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, cook the noodles until al dente in salted water. *see notes
- Once removed from the oven, stir the chicken. Add the hot pasta, bacon, and half the cheeses. and stir until creamy and melted.
- Then top with remaining cheese. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted on top.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and serve hot.
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Soulfully Made.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta! The pasta will cook more in the oven, so don’t overcook it when boiling. If you like softer pasta, cook until al dente before baking. If you like your pasta al dente, cook a minute shy of al dente.
- If you skip adding salt to your pasta water, you may need to add salt to the casserole. I use about a tablespoon of salt in a big pot of water.You get a nice, thick, creamy sauce that coats the noodles and chicken well. However, if you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add a few more tablespoons of milk or some reserved pasta water when you add milk.
- Don’t omit the ranch seasoning! The dry ranch seasoning gives the crack chicken pasta its savory, irresistible flavor.
- Traditionally, crack chicken doesn’t have veggies in it, but if you want to try to “hide” some veggies, thawed green peas work really well in this. Add about ¾ cup when you add the pasta, before adding it to the oven the second time.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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