Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
You only need five ingredients, five minutes of prep, and one dish for this easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo! It’s the ultimate comfort food – creamy, cozy, and super easy to assemble! Best of all, the whole family will love it, too!
Table of Contents
- Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch with Alfredo Sauce
- Ingredients for One-Dish Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo
- How to Make Creamy Ranch Chicken Alfredo
- Prep and Storage Tips for Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo
- What to Serve with Cheesy Chicken Ranch Alfredo
- Recipe Tips for Making Smothered Ranch Alfredo Chicken
- More Easy Ranch Chicken Recipes to Try
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo Recipe
Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch with Alfredo Sauce
Are you looking for a simple meal? How about an easy recipe guaranteed to make everyone around the dinner table smile? This tender, juicy ranch-seasoned chicken is baked in creamy alfredo sauce and smothered with cheese and crispy bacon. Most importantly, it’s an easy dinner recipe you actually have time to make! Like most of my dump-and-bake meals, you only need a handful of ingredients (five to be exact—hello, quick grocery store run!), a few minutes of prep, and one dish. You can’t beat that!
This chicken bacon ranch alfredo recipe is the perfect comfort food. Paired with tender pasta and some garlic bread, you have an easy dinner that’s an immediate family favorite.
Ingredients for One-Dish Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo
Creamy ranch chicken with alfredo and bacon makes for a delicious dinner on busy weeknights. You only need the five simple ingredients listed below! As always, complete ingredient measurements and directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: you’ll need 6 small chicken breasts or 2 larger, sliced in half.
- Ranch Seasoning: this is the only seasoning you need for this easy dinner!
- Alfredo Pasta Sauce: use your favorite store-bought alfredo sauce for ease.
- Chopped Bacon: crispy, smoky, salty bacon is the perfect topping for this savory dish.
- Provolone Cheese: mild and creamy, sliced provolone cheese melts into the creamy sauce.
Simple Ranch Chicken Ingredient Substitutions
If you’re running low on ingredients or want to make a few easy swaps for flavor, this easy dump-and-bake chicken recipe has a lot of room to work with! I get asked about ingredient swaps and substitutions all the time, so here are a few easy suggestions:
- If you don’t have dried ranch mix on hand, you can easily make your own homemade ranch seasoning mix—you likely have all the ingredients in your spice cabinet! It’s a simple mix of dried parsley, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme. You could also add dill for a little more of that authentic ranch flavor.
- I use Classico Four Cheese Alfredo, but you can use your favorite store-bought brand.
- You could easily use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts – just reduce the cooking time, as thighs cook quicker in the oven than breasts.
How to Make Creamy Ranch Chicken Alfredo
If you need an easy dinner idea, you won’t find many that are easier than this! In the spirit of a true dump-and-bake recipe, this creamy, cheesy chicken bacon ranch bake only needs five minutes of prep to be oven-ready.
- Place the chicken in a baking dish and season with the ranch seasoning mix.
- Pour alfredo sauce over the chicken, covering it entirely. Cover and bake.
- Top the baked smothered chicken with provolone cheese and crispy bacon pieces; bake until the cheese is melted.
The Easiest Dump-and-Bake Ranch Chicken
To make this quick and easy chicken bacon ranch casserole recipe, start by placing the boneless skinless chicken breasts in a casserole dish prepped with cooking spray (you don’t want the chicken sticking to the bottom of the dish!). Next, sprinkle the Ranch seasoning over the top of the chicken.
Pour the jar of alfredo sauce over the ranch-seasoned chicken, making sure to cover the chicken evenly. Cover the dish with foil and bake the chicken in a 375-degree F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers an internal temperature of at least 155 degrees (don’t worry – there’s still some cooking to do!)
Once the chicken is cooked, it’s time for the good stuff! Smother the cooked chicken with slices of provolone cheese and bits of crispy chopped bacon. I like to break the cheese slices into a few pieces to fit neatly on the chicken before finishing with the bacon. If you like lots of cheese, feel free to use more!
The dish then goes back in the oven for about 5 more minutes (or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees) until the cheese is perfectly melted into the creamy alfredo sauce. Then…BOOM! You have a restaurant-quality dinner to serve your family with practically ZERO effort.
Prep and Storage Tips for Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo
- Make-Ahead: because this recipe takes literally five minutes to prep, you shouldn’t need to make it too far ahead of time. However, you can add the chicken, ranch seasoning, and alfredo to a casserole dish and store it – covered – in the fridge for a few hours if you want to prep the meal earlier in the day. I wouldn’t recommend making it more than 8 hours ahead of time.
- Make it a Freezer Meal: to make this a freezer-friendly meal, mix the ranch seasoning and alfredo sauce. Pour the creamy ranch alfredo over the chicken in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge for the best results.
- Storing Leftovers: leftover chicken bacon ranch alfredo should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Leftovers can be frozen, but make sure the container is as airtight as possible to avoid any excess moisture or ice mixing with the creamy sauce.
What to Serve with Cheesy Chicken Ranch Alfredo
I like to serve this chicken on top of spaghetti squash for a lighter option, but regular pasta, rice, or crusty bread would also be perfect. You want to make sure that you’ve got something tasty to soak up that cheesy, creamy sauce! My Make-Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes would be perfect, too! Here are some more simple side dishes:
- No-Knead Cast Iron Focaccia, No Knead Dinner Rolls, Garlic Bread, Homemade Breadsticks {Olive Garden Copycat}, Simple French Baguette, or Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Marinated Vegetable Salad, Southern Caesar Salad, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, or a Classic Caesar Salad
- Green Beans and Mushrooms, Crispy Parmesan Potatoes, Sautéed Zucchini, or Roasted Yellow Squash
Recipe Tips for Making Smothered Ranch Alfredo Chicken
- Don’t like ranch seasoning? Substitute it for simple salt and black pepper, or use a classic Italian seasoning – a blend of basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, oregano, and sage.
- You can use sliced mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, or Parmesan cheese instead of provolone cheese.
- To control the sodium in the recipe, make your own ranch seasoning and use a lower-sodium alfredo sauce. You could use less alfredo sauce; just make sure the chicken is sufficiently smothered!
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake: prepare the recipe as directed up to adding the cheese. At that point, shred the chicken with two forks, then mix in shredded cheese, cooked pasta, and bacon pieces. Top with more shredded cheese and bake for an additional five minutes until the cheese is melted.
- I prepare my bacon ahead of time by baking it in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 13 minutes. You can also use the microwave or take a shortcut and buy the precooked bacon at the grocery store, crumbling it with your fingers as you sprinkle it over the chicken (that saves a step and doesn’t require any dirty dishes)!
- Make it in the slow cooker! Add the chicken, ranch seasoning, and alfredo sauce to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Add the cheese and bacon to the top at the end, allow the cheese to melt, and serve! Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken and your slow cooker settings.
- Cooking for Two? You can easily cut this recipe in half and bake it in an 8-inch square dish.
More Easy Ranch Chicken Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo
Ingredients
- 6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
- 1 15 oz. jar Alfredo pasta sauce or about 1 ¾ cups
- 4 slices cooked, chopped bacon
- 3 slices provolone cheese
- Optional: fresh parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven the 375F (190C). Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Place chicken in prepared dish and sprinkle both sides of the meat with Ranch seasoning mix.6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
- Pour Alfredo sauce over top of the meat, toss to coat, and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.1 15 oz. jar Alfredo pasta sauce
- Remove chicken from the oven; top with cheese slices, breaking the cheese to fit on each piece of meat. Sprinkle with chopped bacon and return the dish to the oven (uncovered) for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.3 slices provolone cheese, 4 slices cooked, chopped bacon
- If desired, garnish with fresh herbs just before serving.Optional: fresh parsley or chives for garnish
Notes
- Don’t like ranch seasoning? Substitute it for simple salt and black pepper, or use a classic Italian seasoning – a blend of basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, oregano, and sage.
- You can use sliced mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, or Parmesan cheese instead of provolone cheese.
- To control the sodium in the recipe, make your own ranch seasoning and use a lower-sodium alfredo sauce. You could use less alfredo sauce; just make sure the chicken is sufficiently smothered!
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake: prepare the recipe as directed up to adding the cheese. At that point, shred the chicken with two forks, then mix in shredded cheese, cooked pasta, and bacon pieces. Top with more shredded cheese and bake for an additional five minutes until the cheese is melted.
- I prepare my bacon ahead of time by baking it in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 13 minutes. You can also use the microwave or take a shortcut and buy the precooked bacon at the grocery store, crumbling it with your fingers as you sprinkle it over the chicken (that saves a step and doesn’t require any dirty dishes)!
- Make it in the slow cooker! Add the chicken, ranch seasoning, and alfredo sauce to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Add the cheese and bacon to the top at the end, allow the cheese to melt, and serve! Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken and your slow cooker settings.
- Cooking for Two? You can easily cut this recipe in half and bake it in an 8-inch square dish.
This looks amazing, Blair! My husband and I eat chicken a lot,so I’m always looking for new ways to prepare it. I love the choice of cheese in here, and of course, the bacon! What a perfect weeknight meal. Can’t wait to try this!
Thank you, Gayle! As far as I’m concerned, you can never go wrong with the combo of chicken, bacon, and cheese! 🙂
Yum! One question…I love everything about this dish except for the ranch. I just hate ranch dressing and ranch flavor. Any suggestions for a replacement that would pair well with the other ingredients?
Hey, Lauren! No problem! You have a few options instead of the Ranch: you can keep it simple and just season the chicken with salt and pepper (there’s plenty of flavor in the sauce, so it will still be delicious), or you could substitute some Italian seasoning instead of the Ranch (usually a combo of basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, oregano, and sage). Hope that helps!
Chicken and BACON?!? OMG YUM! I need to try this friend. Love your dump and bake recipes. They are so fun.
Such a great combo right, Megan?! Thanks for stopping by…I know you appreciate easy recipes too!
Another awesome dump and bake recipe! Jesse would LOVE this!
Thanks, Kristy! It’s totally man-friendly!
When do u put the ranch dressing in it ! It doesn’t say! I’m ready to cook this!
Hi, Regina! It’s just the dry Ranch seasoning mix that you use to season the chicken — the instructions are in Step #2 of the recipe instructions above. 🙂
Enjoy!
I know I will thanks!!
instead of provolone cheese can I use mozzarella or cheddar
Absolutely, Taylor. Enjoy!
Which brand of Alfredo do you like?
Hey, Suzie! I used the Classico Four Cheese Alfredo and it was good! 🙂
Yay! Another yummy, quick and easy dinner recipe! Made your Garlic Parmesan Chicken Broccoli Potato bake and it was delicious!!
Awesome! So glad that you enjoyed the Parmesan Chicken, Kelly! Thanks for letting me know, and I hope that you’ll give this one a try too! It’s a keeper! 🙂
Wow ! That is for sure a lovely and comforting dinner 🙂 Who doesn’t love cheese ,chicken and bacon 😉 This is must make in my list !
Thanks, Ruwani!!! Such a great combo, right?
I tried this tonight and I was iffy at first, but it actually turned out DELICIOUS! Thank you so much for posting this recipe, I will make it again!
Awesome! It’s always nice to find a new (and easy) dinner idea! Glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Holy crap that’s a lot of sodium. Do you know of any lower sodium options?
Hey, Lisa! If you want less sodium, you can start with a homemade Ranch seasoning mix. That would help. I don’t have any specific ranch recipes on my website, but I know that you can find a bunch of options on Google. Also, the nutrition information includes all of the sauce in the pan. If you want to lighten it up a bit, I would focus on eating more of the chicken, and leaving any excess sauce in the dish. That will also help eliminate a lot of extra sodium. Hope that helps! 🙂
Would this work in the crock pot?
Yes! That’s such a great idea, Stephanie! I think it would work well! I would try 4-6 hours on low (or 1 1/2 – 2 hours on HIGH), and add the cheese and bacon to the top at the end (allow cheese to melt, and then serve). Cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken and on your individual slow cooker. Let me know if you give it a try!
This looks SO good! But i was wondering, is there any way i could use pepper jack cheese instead of provolone? Would it change the taste? We love pepper jack in this brand!! Would love to try this out!
Hi, Haleigh! Of course! You can use any cheese that you love. The pepper jack sounds great!
Excellent and easy to make
Thanks, Michael!
WOW! This recipe was excellent, and super simple.
Thanks, Jo! So glad that you liked it! 🙂
If using frozen chicken breast how would you get the ranch to stay on?
Hi, Shelly! If you have time to thaw the chicken, that’s ideal. If not, then I would just sprinkle the ranch seasoning over top of the chicken in the exact same way that you would if it was thawed. 🙂
This recipe was delicious. We thought it was so good we would try it on pork chops using an Italian/Pizza seasoning instead of the ranch dressing and prosciutto instead of bacon (out of bacon) and served it over penne with a caprese salad. My family loved it. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I can’t wait to try others.
Thanks, Kim! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! I love the twist with the pork and Italian seasoning. SO good!
Make this all the time!! We love it!!
That’s awesome! Thanks, Tammy!