Creamy and comforting, you’d never guess that this easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is healthy and gluten-free! Made in 50 minutes, you’ll have this ready for dinner in a jiffy!
Between juggling two little ones and work, it feels like in a blink of an eye, it’s 5PM and stomachaches are starting to growl. This chicken bacon ranch pasta casserole is honestly such a lifesaver on busy weeknights. It’s great year round but it is absolutely perfect for winter as it leaves us cozy, fuelled, and satisfied.
It’s also great if you have guests over as it’s a super easy recipe to double or triple for a crowd! Who doesn’t love a cheesy recipe?!
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
This chicken bacon ranch pasta casserole comes together pretty quickly after prepping all the ingredients and sautéing them. The longest part of this recipe is baking it and that’s completely hands off.
It’s a cozy comforting meal that has a delicious amount of cheese in it. The cheese does a great job in making you realize that you’re eating cauliflower as well!
You can also customize the casserole to your own tastes! I’ll have some recipe substitutions down below in the Tips section.
Key Ingredients
Chicken – I like using boneless skinless chicken breasts for this casserole. However, if you only have boneless chicken thighs, you’re welcome to use that as well.
Bacon – Bacon adds so much smoky and salty flavour to this that you don’t want to skip out on it.
Seasoning – We use dried dill, onion granules and powder, garlic granules and powder, salt, and black pepper. We also have fresh parsley and fresh chives to add that herby flavour and a pop of colour.
Pasta – We like to use chickpea pasta as it is a great source of fibre and plant based protein.
Cauliflower – Adding cauliflower to this is a great way to get your servings of veggies in! Cauliflower is also amazing at absorbing flavour and adding texture so you definitely do not want to skimp out on this.
Cheese – I go with extra sharp cheese but you can use whatever you have in your kitchen for this chicken bacon ranch casserole!
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon pieces to it. Allow the bacon fat to render and the bacon bits to brown. When the bacon is crispy, carefully remove the pieces from the pan but keep any bacon fat in the pan.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine the dill, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breast to the pan. Sprinkle half of the dill mixture on top of the chicken. Brown the chicken for 2 minutes on each side.
Step 3: Add the cauliflower to the pan and saute until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the cauliflower is soft.
Step 4: Add the browned bacon bits, remaining dill spice mixture, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, half of the parsley, chives and chicken broth and mix together. You can keep the chicken chunks whole or shred them with two forks. Set aside.
Step 5: Boil a pot of water and add the chickpea pasta. Boil for 2-3 minutes Only (or ¼-⅓ of the time the cooking instructions on your box show) and then drain the pasta. Pour the drained pasta into the skillet with the chicken along with the remaining chicken broth, parsley and chives and mix to combine.
Step 6: Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat. Once the butter is sizzling, add the flour. Whisk the flour until it is thickened and bubbling.
Step 7: Then add the broth and milk and whisk together. Whisk on medium heat until the sauce starts to bubble. Continue whisking and the sauce will begin to thicken. Add the vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Once it’s thick enough that it coats a spoon well, turn the heat off.
Step 8: Whisk in half of the shredded cheese. Whisk until the cheese is fully melted and you have a nice cheese sauce. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Step 9: Preheat your oven to 350 or 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Pour in half of the chicken and pasta mixture and ladle on half of the sauce all over it, making sure to get the sauce into the edges of the dish.
Step 10: Sprinkle on half of the remaining cheese. Repeat with the remaining chicken pasta, sauce and cheese. Sprinkle the top with black pepper and chopped chives. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and everything is bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool and set for 5 minutes or so before topping the chicken bacon ranch casserole with more chopped chives and serving.
Expert Tips
You can keep your chicken cubed up after cooking them through, or use two forks to shred the chicken pieces. I’ve tried both and think I like the shredded chicken better, but the final dish looks a little nicer with the cubed chicken.
Chop your cauliflower into small florets. To save time, you can also blitz a bag of cauliflower florets in a food processor.
You can use a dry ranch seasoning mix in lieu of the spices in the pasta, but I find most of them don’t have great ingredients, a lot of salt, or just don’t taste the way I want them to. Adding your own herbs and spices + acid from the apple cider vinegar and lemon give this dish a great tang just like your favourite ranch dressing.
If you’d like, you can broil the dish at the end for a minute to brown the cheese. I chose not to do this as some of the chickpea pasta that was poking through the top was already beginning to burn, but it would help the cheese brown and get more bubbly.
I used regular chicken broth (not low sodium) but you can use low sodium and always add more salt to taste as needed.
You can add some more veggies or swap the cauliflower for broccoli, green beans, peas, etc in this chicken bacon ranch casserole. You can also change the cheese to a cheese you’d prefer such as mozzarella.
Recipe FAQs
You can! You can use 18×13 baking dish or use two 9×12 baking dishes if you want to double this so you can meal prep this recipe for the week.
You can definitely freeze this. I like to double this recipe and use two baking dishes and freeze one of the chicken bacon ranch casseroles for later. Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum for freeze for up to 3 months.
I included the bare minimum of cheese I’d include in this recipe, If you want a dish that’s cheesier, use 12+ oz. of cheese and include half in the sauce + half sprinkled in. A very sharp cheddar here gives the cheese sauce and dish in general a nice bite.
Granulated onion and garlic is just like onion and garlic powder but more coarsely ground.
If you’d like, you can use dried parsley and chives in lieu of fresh in this chicken bacon ranch pasta. Try 1 tablespoon dried of each to start and you can adjust and add more to taste if you’d like.
More Recipes You May Like
For more easy weeknight meals, try these Abbey’s Kitchen favourites!
- HEALTHY LYCHEE CHICKEN CURRY NOODLES
- EASY VEGAN PASTA BAKE WITH SAUSAGE, WHITE BEANS & KALE (GLUTEN FREE)
- CABBAGE CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE
- HASSELBACK SWEET POTATOES
Now, I want to know – what’s your go-to easy weeknight dinner? Let me know how you like this chicken bacon ranch pasta?
Easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole (Healthy + Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Chicken Pasta
- 3 slices bacon chopped
- 1 lb. cubed chicken breast
- 3.5 cups chopped cauliflower chop small by hand or use a food processor
- 1 tbsp. dried dill
- 2 tsp. onion granules
- 2 tsp. garlic granules
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz. penne chickpea pasta I used Tolerant brand which is 100% chickpeas
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. gluten-free flour
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup full fat almond milk or milk of choice
- 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 10 oz extra sharp cheddar shredded (buy a block and shred with a box grater)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon pieces to it. Allow the bacon fat to render and the bacon bits to brown. When the bacon is crispy, carefully remove the pieces from the pan but keep any bacon fat in the pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the dill, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken breast to the pan. Sprinkle half of the dill mixture on top of the chicken. Brown the chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Add the cauliflower to the pan and saute until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the cauliflower is soft. Add the browned bacon bits, remaining dill spice mixture, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, half of the parsley, chives and chicken broth and mix together. You can keep the chicken chunks whole or shred them with two forks. Set aside.
- Boil a pot of water and add the chickpea pasta. Boil for 2-3 minutes Only (or ¼-⅓ of the time the cooking instructions on your box show) and then drain the pasta. Pour the drained pasta into the skillet with the chicken along with the remaining chicken broth, parsley and chives and mix to combine.
- Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat. Once the butter is sizzling, add the flour. Whisk the flour until it is thickened and bubbling, then add the broth and milk and whisk together. Whisk on medium heat until the sauce starts to bubble. Continue whisking and the sauce will begin to thicken. Add the vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Once it’s thick enough that it coats a spoon well, turn the heat off and whisk in half of the shredded cheese. Whisk until the cheese is fully melted and you have a nice cheese sauce. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Preheat your oven to 350 or 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Pour in half of the chicken and pasta mixture and ladle on half of the sauce all over it, making sure to get the sauce into the edges of the dish. Sprinkle on half of the remaining cheese. Repeat with the remaining chicken pasta, sauce and cheese. Sprinkle the top with black pepper and chopped chives.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and everything is bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool and set for 5 minutes or so before topping with more chopped chives and serving.
Notes
- You can keep your chicken cubed up after cooking them through, or use two forks to shred the chicken pieces. I’ve tried both and think I like the shredded chicken better, but the final dish looks a little nicer with the cubed chicken.
- Chop your cauliflower very small. You can cut a whole cauliflower into florets and then roughly chop them smaller. To save time, you can also blitz a bag of cauliflower florets in a food processor.
- You can use a dry ranch seasoning mix in lieu of the spices in the pasta, but I find most of them don’t have great ingredients, a lot of salt, or just don’t taste the way I want them to. Adding your own herbs and spices + acid from the apple cider vinegar and lemon give this dish a great tang just like your favourite ranch dressing.
- I included the bare minimum of cheese I’d include in this recipe, If you want a dish that’s cheesier, use 12+ oz. of cheese and include half in the sauce + half sprinkled in.
- A very sharp cheddar here gives the cheese sauce and dish in general a nice bite.
- If you’d like, you can broil the dish at the end for a minute to brown the cheese. I chose not to do this as some of the chickpea pasta that was poking through the top was already beginning to burn, but it would help the cheese brown and get more bubbly.
- I used regular chicken broth (not low sodium) but you can use low sodium and always add more salt to taste as needed.
- If you’d like, you can use dried parsley and chives in lieu of fresh. Try 1 tablespoon dried of each to start and you can adjust and add more to taste if you’d like.
Nutrition
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Cheryl says
The flavours were great but it seems to take alot of time. Next time I’m putting all Ingredients in the sauce rather than making g the hickey and pasta and layering with the sauce. Just mix altogether like a pasta bake. Will be heaps quicker.
Dana S. says
This recipe is absolutely amazing, delicious and smelled great while cooking! It took almost twice as long as described to put together. If you have all your ingredients pre-measured, shredded, weighed, etc. then yes, it will only take 50 minutes. Will use again and budget much more prep time.
Abbey Sharp says
Thanks for the feedback!