Treat your family to a delicious and easy-to-make comfort food favorite. Made with simple ingredients and guaranteed to be a hit, Crack Chicken Casserole is a perfect choice for busy weeknights. Each bite is addicting and loaded with chicken, bacon and ranch flavors.

Crack chicken casserole in a dish with a serving spoon.

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Cheesy Crack Chicken Casserole is an easy recipe for the whole family to enjoy. It’s loaded with tender chicken, creamy ranch sauce and gooey cheese. This is a quick meal to prepare and is ready in under 1 hour.

Even picky eaters love this crack chicken casserole recipe. Each bite is a delight to your taste buds and is so addictive and delicious. Everyone who tries this creamy chicken casserole says it’s the best dinner recipe and can I please write it down for them. Here ya go, my friends!

Trust me, this chicken bacon ranch casserole will be an instant hit at your family dinners. It’s also simple to customize ingredients for your family’s preferences and to have fun experimenting with different ingredients and flavors.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

MEMORABLE – Mouthwatering and addicting taste that you remember long after you’ve eaten this family favorite recipe.
ECONOMICAL – Great recipe to use up leftover chicken (or turkey!).
FAMILY FRIENDLY – A delicious meal for the entire family.
QUICK – Ready to eat in under 1 hour.
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – Easy prep and simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Cooked chicken – I prefer to use shredded chicken, but you can use cubed chicken, too. If your chicken contains lots of extra seasoning (especially salt), you may need to decrease the amount of ranch seasoning used in the recipe.
Cheddar cheese – Don’t use the pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t melt the same as cheese that you shred yourself.
Sour cream – I use full-fat sour cream for extra richness.
Cooked bacon – You’ll need about 12 to 14 slices of bacon that you’ve chopped up. Make extra bacon for breakfast and save it to use in this casserole recipe at dinner time.
Cream of chicken soup – Use 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Don’t add any water to it. Just use what’s in the can.
Ranch seasoning mix – Use a store-bought packet or make your own homemade ranch seasoning.
Garlic powder
Dried basil
Cornflakes cereal – Don’t crush them. Use the cereal as is!
Panko bread crumbs
Unsalted butter
Fresh parsley – As an optional garnish for extra color.

How to Make Crack Chicken Casserole

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cooked chicken, cheddar cheese, sour cream, cooked bacon, cream of chicken soup, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and dried basil. Spread mixture into the prepared baking dish.

STEP THREE: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the Cornflakes, panko bread crumbs, and melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture evenly on top of the chicken mixture in the baking dish.
STEP FOUR: Bake for 35 minutes or until the top starts to brown and the mixture is bubbly.
STEP FIVE: Garnish with fresh parsley and extra cooked bacon if desired. Serve hot.

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Tools you’ll need

Some essential kitchen tools to help you prepare this recipe.

What to Serve with Crack Chicken Casserole

This recipe is hearty and filling on its own so I recommend serving it with lighter sides.

Garden salad. A simple tossed salad with a light vinaigrette pairs nicely with this creamy dish.
Rice. Make a pot of white rice to complement. You can mix the rice in the creamy sauce. Here’s how to make rice in a pressure cooker.
Garlic bread. A toasty garlic bread pairs beautifully.
Roasted, air fried or sauteed veggies. Your pick! I like roasted broccoli and cauliflower the best.

Crack chicken casserole in a pan with a piece cut out.

Variations and Substitutions

Switch out the cheese. Try another melty cheese like Colby Jack, Pepper Jack or mozzarella.
Try plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Just be aware that it may change the consistency of the sauce though.
Use cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken soup. Any “cream of” soup should be fine to use.
Add some spice. Use 1 tablespoon of hot sauce in the chicken mixture. Cholula is good, but any brand will work!
Use another type of cereal. If you don’t have Cornflakes, you can use wheat flakes, unsweetened corn pops, or Rice Krispies.
Switch out the bread crumbs. Use another type of bread crumb in place of the panko bread crumbs.
Switch out the unsalted butter. Replace with melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil. I don’t recommend using salted butter because the cream of chicken soup and bacon have a lot of salt already.
Change the garnish. Try sliced green onions for garnish instead of the fresh parsley.
Use rotisserie chicken. Save time by using a store-bought rotisserie chicken that’s already cooked and ready to eat.
Alter the spices. Try onion powder instead of garlic powder.
Make it low carb. Substitute crushed pork rinds in place of the Cornflakes and bread crumbs.

Crack chicken casserole served in a bowl.

Handy tip: Prepare Ahead!

Save time by cooking the bacon and the chicken ahead of time. Store in the fridge until you are ready to start making the recipe.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover crack chicken casserole, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can put it in an airtight container or just cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap if you have the room.

To freeze, place the cooked casserole in freezer safe storage bags for up to 3 months.

FAQs about Crack Chicken Casserole

It’s really up to you and your personal preference. I like to bake my chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350F for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should be 165F.

You can also pan-fry the chicken breast or boil it.

Again, it doesn’t matter too much as long as the chicken is cooked! DO NOT USE uncooked chicken. Cook it first, then shred or cube it.

I like chicken breasts. You’ll need 3 cups of chicken which is about 3 chicken breasts, give or take.

You can also use cooked thighs or rotisserie chicken.

Crack chicken recipes are typically made with shredded chicken, cream cheese, ranch seasoning and bacon. It refers to the recipe being addictive in terms of taste and flavor. People always want more.

Other names for it include ranch chicken, loaded chicken and cheesy chicken.

Crack chicken casserole served in a bowl with a fork.

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Prep Time:20

Cook Time:35

Total Time:55

Equipment

9×13 inch baking dish

Measuring cups

Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

3 cups chicken cooked and shredded
2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
2 cups sour cream
1 ½ cups bacon cooked and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup 10.5oz/284ml can
2 tbsp ranch seasoning mix 1 package
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 cup Cornflakes cereal
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
fresh parsley chopped, for garnish, optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cooked chicken, cheddar cheese, sour cream, cooked bacon, cream of chicken soup, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and dried basil. Spread mixture into the prepared baking dish.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the Cornflakes, panko bread crumbs, and melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture evenly on top of the chicken mixture in the baking dish.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the top starts to brown and the mixture is bubbly.
Garnish with fresh parsley and extra cooked bacon if desired. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 1667kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 21gFat: 166gSaturated Fat: 60gPolyunsaturated Fat: 27gMonounsaturated Fat: 66gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 238mgSodium: 1484mgPotassium: 306mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1346IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 375mgIron: 3mg

Servings: 6

Calories: 1667kcal