Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe

August 12, 2024

close up shot of a casserole dish of Crack Chicken Casserole garnished with green onions

Crack chicken casserole is cheesy, creamy, and loaded with tasty ingredients that create a delicious meal that hits the spot every time.

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Table of Contents

You Will Love this Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe
Cheesy Crack Chicken Casserole ingredients
How To Make Crack Chicken Casserole
Chicken Crack Casserole Substitutions & Additions
How to Serve Crack Chicken Casserole
How to Store Cracked Chicken Casserole
Cracked Chicken Casserole FAQs
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Crack Chicken Casserole is the ultimate comfort food. It combines creamy cheese, savory chicken, and crispy bacon all in one dish. Perfect for a family dinner or a potluck, this casserole is a crowd-pleaser. The real magic lies in the secret ingredient – a hidden layer of ranch seasoning that takes this dish to the next level!

close up shot of Crack Chicken Casserole topped with green onions in a baking dish

Our recipe developers have made several versions of this recipe to ensure that each bite is perfectly sauced, the chicken is tender and the bacon stays crispy.

You Will Love this Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe

It’s always nice to have a quick and simple casserole recipe on hand for a quick meal when things get busy around the house. The tender chicken, crispy bacon, and gooey cheese make this crack chicken casserole the ultimate comfort food.

Cheesy Crack Chicken Casserole ingredients

Crack Chicken Casserole raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

1½ cups of dry elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons of butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cups of sour cream
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 (10.5-ounce) can of cream of chicken soup, undiluted
¼ cup of milk or half-and-half
1-ounce ranch dressing seasoning packet
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of onion powder
3 cups of skinless boneless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided in half
16 slices of bacon, cooked and diced (1½ cups once cooked)
1 green onion, sliced thin

PRO TIP:

There are so many options for cooked chicken. You could even use leftover rotisserie chicken or cook up a chicken breast at home.

How To Make Crack Chicken Casserole

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 375°F.

STEP TWO: Lightly spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

STEP THREE: Fill a medium-sized saucepan ¾ of the way full with water. Bring to a low rolling boil and add in the elbow macaroni.

Cook macaroni until it is al dente. Drain the macaroni and set it aside.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Al dente is the ideal consistency for pasta. The pasta will be tender and will still have a slightly firm texture when you bite into it.

STEP FOUR: In a medium-sized skillet, add the butter and diced onions.

Cook over medium to high heat, stirring the onions with a wooden spoon to ensure even cooking for about 5 to 7 minutes.

They should be translucent and starting to turn golden/light brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.

onions and butter being cooked on a skillet

STEP FIVE: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, the milk or half-and-half, and the 1-ounce package of ranch seasoning powder.

cream cheese, soup, sour cream, milk, and ranch dressing powder combined together

STEP SIX: Using a handheld mixer, combine the sour cream mixture on medium speed until creamy.

STEP SEVEN: Continue mixing on low and add the kosher salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Mix until well combined.

add pepper, salt, and the onion powder and blended together in a bowl

STEP EIGHT: Transfer the sour cream mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Add the cooked macaroni, cubed chicken breast, cooked yellow onion, 1½ cups of cheddar cheese, and ¾ cup of cooked bacon.

Using a large wooden spoon, stir until all the ingredients are completely combined.

sour cream mixture transferred to another bowl and add macaroni, chicken breast, onion, cheddar, and bacon

STEP NINE: Pour the chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.

STEP TEN: Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, and thinly sliced green onions on top of the chicken mixture.

STEP ELEVEN: Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top layer of cheese is melted and gooey.

Chicken Crack Casserole Substitutions & Additions

PASTA: Any type of small pasta noodle could be used. Penne, bowties, rotini, rigatoni, ziti, egg noodles, or shells are some that would work great.

BACON: You can cook fresh bacon (use our oven-baked bacon recipe) and dice it yourself or use store-bought bacon bits.

CREAM CHEESE & SOUR CREAM: For both of these, you can use low-fat versions or full-fat. You can also substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt if you’d like.

SHREDDED CHEESE: You can make your own shredded cheddar cheese by shredding a block of cheese.

You could also swap out the cheddar cheese for various different types of cheese, such as Colby Jack, provolone, gouda, or Monterey Jack.

CREAM SOUP: You could use another cream soup in place of the cream of chicken if you prefer.

How to Serve Crack Chicken Casserole

Serve this cheesy crack chicken casserole as a main dish alongside:

We love having easy casseroles to make on a busy night. Be sure to check out our chicken bacon ranch casserole and chicken and rice casserole. Both of them are quick and tasty dinner dishes.

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How to Store Cracked Chicken Casserole

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftovers of this crack chicken pasta bake in an airtight container and place them in the fridge for four to five days.

IN THE FREEZER: To freeze this ranch chicken casserole, make sure that you have your casserole in a freezer-safe dish.

Then, cover it tightly in aluminum foil and freeze it for up to two months. When you’re ready to enjoy, bake it frozen at 350°F for one hour.

overhead shot of a casserole dish of Crack Chicken Casserole garnished with green onions

Cracked Chicken Casserole FAQs

Can I buy cooked chicken and use it in this recipe?

There are lots of choices when it comes to what kind of chicken you use in this casserole.

You can cook the chicken ahead of time at home to use in this casserole, or you can buy a rotisserie chicken or other store-bought, cooked chicken to use instead.

Why is it called crack chicken?

There are two reasons why the chicken is often referred to ask “crack” chicken.

First, there is a seasoning with the brand name “Crack Chicken” that is available in the Michigan area that is often used to season this recipe.

Secondly, the delicious combination of cheese, chicken, and bacon is so good, it is addictive.

Why is my crack chicken watery?

Your crack chicken may turn out watery if you are using either frozen chicken or chicken that hasn’t been air chilled. The chicken will hold excess moisture, resulting in a watery dish.

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