This crack chicken casserole is a delicious cheesy casserole dish, full of shredded chicken, rice, and bacon, all flavored with ranch seasoning.

I tried crack chicken for the first time a couple months ago, and it was so delicious I knew it would be an amazing flavor for a casserole dish. This casserole is loaded with chicken, rice, lots of cheese of course, and bacon.

Cheesy crack chicken casserole is a family favorite dinner that can be ready in less than 1 hour. If you use leftover chicken and rice you can be eating in about 30 minutes, so it’s a great option for a busy weeknight dinner that even your picky eaters will love!

What is crack chicken?

Crack chicken is a delicious chicken dish cooked in the slow cooker, with cream cheese, ranch powder, cheese, and bacon. It’s called crack chicken, because it’s so delicious its practically addictive.

Now this crack chicken casserole is a twist on the chicken dish, because it’s got rice added, and it’s turned into a delicious baked casserole dish.

Crack chicken casserole is a perfect weeknight dinner because it’s so easy to make, and is loved by all. It’s a family favorite over here and will definitely be at your home too!

Ingredients Needed:

This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.

Cream Cheese – half a block brought to room temperature, not the kind in a tub
Cream of Chicken Soup
Sour Cream
Milk
Ranch Seasoning Mix – dry mix, not prepared
Shredded Chicken – a great way to use up some leftover chicken from another meal
Cooked White Rice – or other grain rice, or even substitute your favorite pasta
Crispy Bacon
Shredded Cheddar Cheese – use your favorite shredded cheese, or whatever you have on hand, colby jack cheese, or pepper jack cheese would be great

How to make crack chicken casserole?

Start by getting everything ready, preheat your oven, spray a baking dish with nonstick spray, and get all your ingredients ready to go. In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, and ranch seasoning mix.
Stir it all up. Then add in the cooked rice, chicken, half of the cheese, and half of your bacon pieces, and stir that all up. Spread the mixture out into the prepared baking pan.
Spread the remaining cheese on top, and then sprinkle evenly with the remaining bacon.
Bake until the whole dish is hot and the cheese on top is nice and melty.

Tips to make crack chicken casserole?

This is already a relatively quick dinner recipe, but to make it even easier I like to use leftover chicken instead of cooking my own. You can buy rotisserie chicken meat already removed from the chicken at Costco, but I like to grab a chicken for one meal, and then use the leftovers for another, or use leftover grilled chicken breast from one of our other meals at home. You will need 3 cups of cooked shredded, or diced chicken meat.
I used minute rice to make this dish just one more step easier, and to take less time. You’re welcome to cook your rice however you prefer. You can also use brown rice if you prefer.
Instead of cooked rice, you could also use the same amount of cooked pasta.
If you want, you can add vegetables to the casserole dish. You will want to cook them for a couple minutes before adding them to the dish as they won’t cook fully in the oven. I think diced bell pepper and onion, or mushroom, or broccoli would be especially delicious!

How to store leftovers?

Cover the baking dish with a lid, plastic wrap, or transfer any leftover casserole to another airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Microwave the leftovers to reheat them until hot, or re-bake the dish in the oven until hot throughout to enjoy.

The casserole can also be frozen before baking, or as leftovers in a freezer safe container. Let it thaw in the fridge for 1 hour, then place it in the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the dish is hot throughout.

This delicious chicken casserole is definitely a winning, easy recipe – I mean who can say no to a creamy, cheesy, chicken casserole that is loaded with bacon and ranch seasoning? It’s the perfect dinner for busy weeknights, that the entire family will love.

More chicken casserole recipes:

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