Chicken and Bacon Ranch-A-Roni falls into the category of family pleasing meals at our house. This dish features, macaroni and cheese mixed with rotisserie chicken and bacon, then smothered in a Ranch dressing infused sauce. It's lip smacking good.

Chicken and Bacon Ranch-A-Roni

This delicious dish was inspired by my macaroni and cheese lovin' son. You know how it is with little ones, they'll eat almost anything if they have something on the side for dipping. I'm certain I spent the first few years of their lives wondering if it was the food or the dip they liked the most. Honey mustard and ranch dressing are the top two favorites and have been since my sons were tiny. See this recipe for homemade honey mustard from The Novice Chef.

chicken bacon and ranch dressing macaroni

Chicken Bacon and Macaroni and Cheese

One night while we were eating dinner, my son asked if he could put ranch dressing on his macaroni and cheese. It was probably the only thing left that he hadn't tried dipping in ranch. So, after a good laugh and a lengthy conversation about why that wouldn't be a very good idea, he finally relented. Not wanting to give up completely he went on to ask if next time I made macaroni and cheese I could figure out a way to include ranch dressing in his. Honestly, the thought had never crossed my mind but, after some thought I came up with this dish. He gave it two thumbs up.

Tips for Making Ranch-A-Roni

This dish can be fully assembled in advance, covered and chilled until baking.
When doing so, wait to add the french fried onion until just before baking.
I used Fresh Gourmet brand french fried onions in this recipe. In my local market, they're usually located in the Produce department. You can use any brand that you enjoy.

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Chicken And Bacon Ranch-A-Roni

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken-bacon-ranchoroni, easy-chicken-recipes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 606kcal

Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

1 8 oz box uncooked elbow macaroni
1 10 ¾ oz can cream of onion soup
½ cup melted butter or light butter
1 8 oz container sour cream
½ cup real mayonnaise
¾ cup milk
1 0.4 oz packet dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix
black pepper to taste
3 cups chopped roasted chicken
⅔ cup frozen petite peas
4 green onions chopped
½ lb bacon cooked & crumbled
2 cups shredded sharp white or yellow cheddar cheese divided
1 cup garlic-pepper french fried onions i.e. Fresh Gourmet or similar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Cook macaroni in salted water per the instructions on the package, until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together soup, butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, milk and dressing mix. Season to taste with black pepper. To the mixing bowl add chicken, peas, green onions and crumbled bacon.
Drain the pasta well then add to mixing bowl. Stir until evenly coated. Add one cup cheese.
Pour into the baking dish, then sprinkle with the reserved shredded cheese and garlic-pepper french fried onions.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Serve immediately.

Notes

Fresh Gourmet brand french fried onions were used in this recipe. In my local market, they're usually located in the Produce department.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

Comments

MNT

March 20, 2014 at 5:33 am

I'm always on the lookout for chicken recipes. And I agree with your son, that I've found that Ranch Dressing lends a lot of flavor to many foods. I even use it as a healthier sandwich spread in place of butter. I'm looking forward to trying this recipe out.

Don Chase