Ultimate Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

This Ultimate Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is filled with creamy pasta and topped with crispy tater tots! This is truly a family favorite where there are never any leftovers!

This cheesy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is a hearty chicken dinner filled to the brim with creamy pasta, chicken, bacon and then topped with crispy tater tots.

Sometimes called Tater Tot Hotdish, this casserole is a tasty take on a Midwestern staple. We love to pair it with a Blue Cheese Salad Wedge or Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Baked Chicken bacon ranch casserole in white dish.

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This is a unique casserole that even my pickiest eaters love! You really can’t go wrong with a good pasta casserole. 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

I put shredded chicken in a tater tot casserole, then added crispy bacon, and a deliciously cheesy ranch-infused Alfredo sauce.

The base of the sauce is butter and cream cheese, along with milk and cream of chicken soup for added flavor. The cheese makes it extra creamy and delicious! 

Ingredients Needed

Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need to make this Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole. As always, you can find the full ingredient list in the printable recipe card below.

  • Chicken – cooked, chopped or shredded
  • Bacon – regular or thick cut.
  • Pasta – rotini or penne work well.
  • Butter
  • Cream Cheese
  • Milk – 2% or whole work best for a super creamy sauce! 
  • Ranch Dressing Mix – the dry mix packet, NOT regular ranch dressing! 
  • Cream of Chicken Soup
  • Mozzarella Cheese – shredded
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Tater Tots
  • Green Onions – fresh, for garnish

Ingredients for chicken bacon ranch casserole.

How To Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

This tater tot hotdish casserole is easy to put together! I’ll walk you through the directions step by step! 

Boil The Pasta

Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside. 

Make The Ranch Alfredo

Whisk together the butter and cream cheese in a large pan on medium heat until smooth (it may take a few minutes, just keep whisking!)

Butter and Cream cheese in pot.

Next, gradually pour in the milk and ranch dressing mix and whisk until smooth and thickened, then stir in the cream of chicken soup.

Add the mozzarella to the pan and stir until melted. You should have a creamy, cheesy sauce that’s finger-licking good!

Pouring blue pitcher of milk into pot of melted butter and cream cheese with whisk.

Add Pasta and Chicken

Toss in the drained pasta and cooked chicken to the hot ranch-infused alfredo sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Cooked pasta and chicken in ranch alfredo sauce in large cooking pot.

Transfer to Baking Dish

Pour the mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish and top with the crumbled bacon and tater tots in a single layer. 

Unbaked chicken tater tot casserole in white casserole dish.

Bake

Bake the casserole for 28-32 minutes, or until the tots are golden brown and crispy and the center of the casserole is bubbly. Top with sliced green onions and any other optional toppings you desire. That’s it!

PRO TIP: To make the tater tops extra crispy, bake them on a sheet pan for 15 minutes before topping the casserole, then finish baking. 

Unbaked tater tot chicken casserole with bacon in white casserole dish.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Here are some easy tips and variations for this easy tater tot casserole. 

  • This recipe uses rotisserie chicken, but you could easily swap it with leftover turkey, ham, or pork. 
  • Mozzarella is a lovely melting cheese, but you could use provolone or a nice smoked gouda for a lovely flavor boost.
  • Topping options! Sour cream, tomatoes, or parsley would add flavor and a pop of color. 

Spoon with melty cheesy casserole above pan.

How To Store Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

SERVE: This casserole is best served fresh and warm but can easily be made up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated until time to bake. 

STORE: After cooling to room temperature, cover or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. 

FREEZE: You can freeze this casserole in a freezer-safe, air-tight container for up to 3 months before thawing and baking or reheating. 

Black spoon full of chicken bacon ranch casserole above pan of baked casserole.

More Rotisserie Chicken Dinners

This is an amazing rotisserie chicken casserole! If you need more ideas for using rotisserie chicken, I got you. Here are a few to try…

If you’re ready for a weeknight dinner that will be loved by all, this one is it!

Baked Chicken bacon ranch casserole in white dish.
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4.20 from 5 votes

Ultimate Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

This hearty dinner is filled to the brim with creamy pasta, chicken, bacon and then topped with crispy tater tots.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 886 kcal
Author: Shawn

Ingredients

  • 8 strips bacon, (cooked and crumbled)
  • 12 oz. Rotini pasta, uncooked
  • 1/2 cup butter, salted
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1 oz ranch dressing mix, the powdered kind
  • 1 10 oz can cream of chicken soup
  • 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 32 oz. tater tots, frozen bag
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced

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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together the butter and cream cheese in a large pan on medium heat until smooth (it may take a few minutes, just keep whisking!).
  • Gradually pour in the milk and ranch dressing mix and whisk until smooth and thickened, then stir in the cream of chicken soup. Add the mozzarella to the pan and stir until melted.
  • Add the pasta and cooked chicken to the ranch alfredo sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish and top with the crumbled bacon and tater tots in a single layer.
  • Bake casserole for 28 to 32 minutes, or until the tots are golden brown and crispy and the center of the casserole is bubbly. Top with sliced green onions and any other optional toppings you desire. Enjoy!
Notes
To make the tater tops extra crispy, bake them on a sheet pan for 15 minutes prior to topping the casserole. Finish baking on top of the casserole.

Nutrition

Calories: 886kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 1506mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1057IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 1mg
Keywords: Bacon, Casserole, Chicken, Cream Cheese, Pasta, Ranch, tater tots
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4.20 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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8 Comments

  1. 1 star
    This recipe was extremely salty….unbearably so. With the tater tots, we saw no need to add the pasta. Would encourage using low sodium Cream of Chicken soup only. I wouldn’t use the tater tot’s either. With the bacon and regular Cream of Chicken soup, it was way too much salt. I did not add any salt, mind you. Prepared this just the way it was presented.

  2. OMG! I die for anything with crispy tater tots on top! Annnnnd, ranch infused Alfredo sauce?! UM… YES PLEASE!

  3. Saw you on tv this morning! Love your recipes, this one looks fabulous too! I can’t wait to try it on my family. 🙂