This chicken bacon ranch potato bake is made with diced potatoes and chicken mixed with homemade ranch dressing and topped with melted cheese, bacon, and green onion/chives. All the fixings of a delicious loaded potato!
I don’t know about you, but loaded chicken and potato casserole baked in the oven is so delicious!
It has tons of flavor from the homemade ranch dressing that gets made into the sauce around the potatoes and chicken as they bake. It’s topped with gooey melted cheese, crumbled bacon, and chives.
If you’d like this to be a one-pot meal, the directions for this are within the post below.
Ingredients for Chicken Bacon Ranch Potato Bake
- Potatoes
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Bacon Slices (Or use store-bought bacon bits)
- Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
- Butter
- Green Onion or Chives
- Ranch Dressing (Use store-bought ranch mixed with a little bit of water or use the homemade version below.)
Ingredients for Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Mayonnaise
- Buttermilk
- White Vinegar
- Garlic
- Lemon Pepper
- Parmesan
- Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Salt
Can it be made ahead?
Yes! Mix all of the ingredients together according to directions, place in a casserole baking dish, and cover with foil or saran wrap. The casserole can be kept in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to baking.
Cook according to directions and keep the extra bacon, cheese, and chives toppings for when you plan to bake it.
Make it a One-Pot Meal
I originally had this recipe as a one-pot meal and it still can be. The cook time was so long that I decided to recreate the recipe, but first I would cook the potatoes a little bit in boiling water. This cuts down the overall cook time by 20 minutes.
The bacon also needs to be store-bought bacon bits in order to keep it a one-pot meal.
The reason for wanting to keep it a one-pot meal is that it’s so easy to mix all the ingredients together and dump them into the baking dish. Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and the timer to 1 hour and 15 minutes, and go do some work, exercise, or household chores that need tending to.
After the timer goes off, add the other cup of cheese and the rest of the bacon to the top of the dish. Bake for an additional 10 minutes then garnish with green onion or chives.
How to Make This a Freezer Meal
- Mix everything according to directions and place it in an aluminum pan. Make sure potatoes are near the bottom and covered with ranch.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil or freezer wrap. In separate freezer Ziploc bags place the extra toppings of bacon, cheese, and chives.
- For chives to retain their texture once they are thawed it is best to remove as much air as possible from the bag they are stored in.
- Bacon ranch chicken and potato casserole can be safely stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to be eaten, place the casserole in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Bake it according to directions and don’t forget your toppings!
Recommended Recipes
- Cheesy Leftover Ham and Potatoes
- Cheesy Potatoes
- Easy Breakfast Casserole with Sausage and Potatoes
- Ham, Egg, & Cheese Croissant Breakfast Casserole
- Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie Casserole Dish
- Spicy Tater Tot Casserole
- Zesty Herb Parmesan Sauce
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs Potatoes unpeeled and diced into 1″ cubes
- 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts diced into 1″ pieces
- 8 Slices Bacon Or use store-bought bacon bits
- 3 cups Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
- Green Onion or Chives sliced thin for garnish
Homemade Ranch Dressing – Or – Use 2 ½ cups Store-Bought Ranch + 2-3 tablespoons Water
- 1 ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon White Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Lemon pepper
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
Instructions
- Place diced potatoes in a pot. Cover potatoes with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 7 minutes, then drain water. This cooks the potatoes slightly so that they do not need to bake as long in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 13"x9" baking dish. Place potatoes in the dish.
- Slice bacon into small bits and cook in a medium-sized pan until crispy. Drain grease and place half of the bacon in baking dish with potatoes. Dice raw chicken breast into 1" cubes and add to the baking dish.
- Mix homemade ranch recipe above or add store-bought ranch with water, depending on which you choose. Add ranch and 2 cups of the cheddar cheese to the large bowl. Blend well with potatoes, chicken, and bacon.
- Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Stir, and add the top with the remaining cup of cheese and the other half of the bacon. Cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle the top with sliced green onion or chives for garnish.
Joseph Schlewitz says
If using store bought ranch, how much do I use?
Tiffany says
Hi Joseph,
For using store-bought ranch, combine approximately 2 1/2 cups ranch and add 2-3 tablespoons water to thin the ranch out. Then resume the recipe as directed.
I hope you enjoy!
-Tiffany
Stephanie says
Yum. This looks delicious and something I know my whole family would love.
Emily Johnston says
This looks so tasty! I love easy one pot meals like this that can be reheated throughout the week!
Emily xx
Fancy Baking At Home says
That looks so good! I feel like it is the perfect make-ahead breakfast that will warm extremely well in a microwave through the week. Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe!