BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole is a quick and easy dinner loaded with chicken, cheese, and pasta, tossed and baked with BBQ sauce and ranch.
Do you love casseroles?? I know my family does. My grandmother loved making them for so many occasions so I definitely grew up on casseroles.
I think it was the era, of ways to make dinner easier. But the trend sure stuck around. Probably because life hasn’t slowed down at all. In fact, it seems it is busier than ever.
You can enjoy this recipe cold by making our BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad. Don’t miss our Chicken and Rice Casserole too!
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So it really is no surprise that casseroles are more popular than ever. Who can turn down a simple dinner that is made by tossing favorite ingredients and baking?
I love this one because our family is crazy for bbq and ranch. So why not put them together?
ranch chicken casserole
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What I love about this recipe is its versatility. You can change up the flavors depending on your crowd.
I love to change things up so we aren’t always serving the same thing – even when life gets too busy for a whole lot of creativity.
Here are some commonly asked questions
Can I use fresh chicken?
You sure can. Just cook it beforehand. You can do this by either cutting some boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1″ pieces and sauteing in a skillet until cooked through. Or you can cook the chicken breasts whole, either on the grill, baked or boiled, and then shred once cooked.
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Absolutely! I choose bowties because that is not only what I had on hand at the time, but I like the look of them in a casserole. But spirals, elbows, or penne would be great too.
Can this casserole be frozen?
I have never had much luck with freezing pasta, so I don’t personally recommend it. I find that cooked pasta tends to get soggy when thawed. But if you have had a better experience with this, go ahead and give it a try.
How many can this serve?
This recipe fills a standard casserole dish so it should feed at least 8 people. Or if you have a lot of large appetites, there is enough for at least 4-5 people with some second helpings involved.
bbq chicken bake
Can this recipe be doubled?
You can, when it comes to the ingredients and the mixing. But the original recipe will fill a casserole dish. So you will need to use 2 pans and just bake them side-by-side.
HOW DO YOU MAKE BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole?
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the pasta to al dente, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the cooked chicken, chopped bacon or bacon bits, cheese, corn, Rotel, diced green chiles, ranch dressing, bbq sauce, and minced onions. Toss to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and top with additional cheese if desired.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.
What is the best way to store leftover chicken casserole?
I like to either use my casserole dish that has a plastic lid, so I can just pop it on and get it into the refrigerator OR I top the pan with foil and refrigerate.
You can also transfer any remaining casserole to an airtight container before refrigerating. This recipe should keep well when refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Can I use another type of meat?
You bet. If you would prefer using ground sausage, leftover holiday turkey or even ground beef – all of those are just fine.
To make BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole you will need…
- bowtie pasta
- cooked chicken
- chopped bacon or bacon bits
- cheese
- corn
- Rotel
- diced green chiles
- ranch dressing
- bbq sauce
- minced onions
leftover bbq chicken recipes
Products I love when making BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole…
This BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never made a casserole like this before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this casserole recipe.
- casserole dish
- stockpot
- mixing bowl
- this BBQ sauce
- bottled ranch dressing
- ranch dressing powder
- ROTEL Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
- spatulas
- Diced Green Chiles
If you love this Easy BBQ Chicken Casserole recipe, you’re going to love these other dinners too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
leftover bbq chicken recipe
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BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bowtie pasta
- 3 cups cooked chicken- shredded rotisserie, leftovers or cooked & shredded
- ½ cup chopped bacon or bacon bits use cooked bacon or REAL bacon bits. No immitation bits – it alters the flavor.
- 2½ cups shredded cheese cheddar blend
- 15 ounces canned corn
- 10 ounces Rotel
- 7 ounces diced green chiles
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- ¾ cup bbq sauce
- 1 tbsp minced onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the pasta to al dente, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the cooked chicken, chopped bacon or bacon bits, cheese, corn, Rotel, diced green chiles, ranch dressing, bbq sauce, and minced onions. Toss to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and top with additional cheese if desired.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Taste of the Frontier cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Nancy Girt says
I tried the Bar-B-Que, Ranch casserole let me tell u that was one great casserole. There is not one thing about it would I change. Thanks for sharing it.
Carly says
Is it actual liquid ranch dressing or just the powder in this recipe?
Gina Kleinworth says
Liquid ranch dressing – not the packet
Kristyn says
Hi, I want to make this but I have a question: the ingredients and instructions mention “Rotel” but what type of Rotel are you referring to? They sell different types of cans.
Gina Kleinworth says
Any 10-ounce variety that you prefer will work just fine.
DHouse says
I really want to try this but my husband doesn’t like ranch (or any dressing…). How strong is the ranch flavor?
Gina Kleinworth says
That’s going to depend on how strong of a flavor the bbq sauce has. But the ranch does still alter that flavor. The sauce and the dressing obviously blend together to create a new tangy flavor. It’s not distinctly “ranch” but I’m not sure what else you could use you could swap it out with as I don’t think using just the bbq sauce would be desirable. I would recommend taking a smaller ratio of ranch and bbq sauce in proportion – mix it together and taste test before making the whole recipe. You might be able to play with the ratios to get something that he likes and then make that version for him.
Amanda says
I know you stated that pasta does not freeze well, but could I make this ahead of time on the day I want to cook it, and store it in the fridge until I’m ready to bake it? Or would the pasta get soggy and weird? Lol
Gina Kleinworth says
You could cook the pasta al dente and store it separately and then mix everything right before you want to bake.
Angie says
I’m assuming the corn is to be drained before adding, but what about the Rotel?
Gina Kleinworth says
No need to drain the Rotel
Dawn says
Just finished making this and my family has been skeptical about its goodness, but I just tasted it and iit is a 5 star recipe for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Shar says
Do you bake this in a 13 x 9 in pan or a different size?
Gina Kleinworth says
Yes, a 9×13 will work just fine. I think the one pictured might be an off-size like 8×12 or something like that, but a standard casserole dish will work perfectly.
Janet Bradley says
Could I use orzo pasta instead of that listed? Recipe sound delicious!!!!!!
Thanks, Janet
Gina Kleinworth says
I haven’t tried it with that – so I’m not sure about the quantity. But if you decide to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out.
Faye says
Just made this today. It was delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Lisa says
My husband and I made this last night minus the Rotel. It was different and good.
Karla says
Do you drain the corn?
Gina Kleinworth says
Yes
bbq places atlanta says
The most delicious American food is barbecue. It has many regional tastes, including Memphis-style sticky ribs the Central Texas-style barbecue brisket and Memphis-style sticky ribs or the Kansas City-style burnt ends. There’s more to this iconic cuisine than meets your eye.
barbeque usa says
Barbecue is one of the most American dish that Americans eat. It has many regional variations, such as the Memphis sticky ribs and Central Texas smoked brisket, and Kansas City’s burnt ends and the Carolinas vinegar-and-mustard-sauced pork. However, there’s more to this barbecue than meets the eye.
Shay P says
Are you referring to minced onion, the spice? Or a fresh onion chopped small? Thank you!
Gina Kleinworth says
Found in the spice aisle – dried minced onions.
Savannah says
This is sooo good! It didn’t take much effort at all! Throw everything in a bowl, mix it up and pop it in the oven! My kids and my husband loved it!
Lora says
Do you cook the bacon first before chopping? Thanks!
Gina Kleinworth says
Yes – you’ll want to chop and add the bacon after it is cooked
Heather says
Delicious! I added a bag of frozen peas and some green onions so I could pretend it was healthier. Everyone loved it and asked for seconds and even thirds. Great meal for a potluck. Super easy to make and tastes delicious. Since it’s so hot, I used my Insta to make the pasta (used small shells since it was all I had) as well as cook the chicken. Then I tossed everything in the pot before putting it in a casserole dish and put it in the oven for 15 minutes. Saved a dish and kept the kitchen cool!
tina says
I think my bbq sauce was too sweet for this casserole. I doctored it up by adding some homemade thick creamy tomato soup I had made. Added just the right amount of acid and creaminess. Guessing if the bbq sauce I had was more tangy it wouldn’t have been a problem. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Really helped me use up our leftover bbq chicken.