Chicken Bacon Ranch Bubble Up
This is one of those dishes we get requests for nonstop in our home. It's the kind of dinner that sounds simple but comes out of the oven looking and tasting like you really did something. My kids clear their plates every single time.
Dishes where you toss ingredients into a bowl, toss them about, pour them in a pan, and end up with something that tastes amazing are what you're getting with this recipe. This dish involves chicken that's shredded, cream of chicken soup, Greek yogurt, bits of bacon, ranch seasoning, and dough of biscuits that you slice up. All of these are stirred together and then baked until the biscuits rise over the filling. The final step involves topping it off with Colby Jack cheese.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
All of the ingredients get tossed into one bowl and mixed and then baked in one dish. There is virtually no clean-up involved at all.
The chunks of biscuits float to the surface of the filling when it bakes and become little pockets of soft, doughy texture that add some interest to each bite.
Ranch dressing, bacon, and Colby Jack make for an unbeatable combination of flavors in the most basic form of comfort food imaginable.
Ingredients Needed
Because I am a busy mom with three children, I love recipes that have most of the ingredients already prepared. Rotisserie chicken and ranch seasoning packets doing most of the preparation in this dish is exactly what I need.
The Filling
Rotisserie chicken forms a basis for the filling, since its all already cooked and seasoned. Cream of chicken soup serves to bind all ingredients together in a thick and creamy sauce. Greek yogurt serves to add rich flavor to the filling. Bacon bits serve to add salty and smoky taste to the entire dish. Seasoning comes from a packet of ranch. Also, we will add some Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder to increase its flavor.
The Biscuits
Refrigerated biscuit dough is cut into four pieces. These pieces are added to the filling and then all the mixture goes into the pan. While baking, the pieces expand forming soft pockets made of dough inside the dish. This is the bubble up process that distinguishes this dish from usual chicken casseroles.
The Cheese
Colby Jack cheese is freshly shredded. It serves as a topping which melts while the dish is baking forming a golden bubbly layer.
How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Bubble Up
Step 1: Blend Everything Together
Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray your 9x13 casserole dish. Cut your biscuits into quarters and put them in a big bowl. Also put in shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, Greek yogurt, bacon bits, ranch seasoning packet, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir it all together until it is thoroughly blended and biscuits are mixed evenly.
Step 2: Prepare the Casserole
Put the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and form a flat layer. Put an even layer of shredded Colby Jack on the top.
Step 3: Bake It
Uncovered bake it in the oven at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, until biscuits are done, the mixture is bubbling, and cheese on top is golden-brown. Cool it for 5 minutes and then scoop it.
Step 4: Top it with Onions and Serve It
Sprinkle green onions on top and serve it immediately out of the casserole dish.
How to Store and Reheat it?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. Reheat in the microwave on medium heat for 60 seconds or in the 350°F oven, covered in aluminum foil, for 15 minutes. It will become slightly softer after resting, but taste will be good the next day.
How to Serve Chicken Bacon Ranch Bubble Up?
Scoop right out of the casserole dish. Extra onions on top. It's enough to serve it with just a side salad.
What People Ask About Chicken Bacon Ranch Bubble Up
What does bubble up mean?
Bubble up casseroles are a type of baked dish in which pieces of refrigerated biscuit dough are added to the filling before baking. During the cooking process, they rise up, and bubble through the filling, forming tender pockets inside the casserole, as opposed to a separate biscuit layer on top of the filling. This texture is absolutely amazing and gives a casserole additional substance.
Is there an alternative to cheddar cheese?
Sure. Cheddar cheese is the perfect match for this casserole, but other types can be used as well. With cheddar cheese, the taste of this dish would become sharper. Pepper Jack is the one with heat. Mozzarella cheese melts wonderfully and provides mild taste. There is Mexican blend cheese that suits this recipe perfectly and is sold in ready-to-use shreds. Colby Jack cheese is highly recommended to use because it melts beautifully and has mild taste with slight buttery notes, which complements ranch seasoning without overpowering it.
Is it possible to use another kind of meat?
Yes. The only requirement here is cooked meat. It can be canned chicken drained, leftover turkey from the holidays, or ground beef browned and seasoned with ranch seasoning (in the latter case you will get a totally different but no less delicious version of this casserole). Rotisserie chicken is the easiest way, but all other types of cooked and shredded meat work just the same.
Why use Greek yogurt and not sour cream?
Both provide creamy and tangy taste, however Greek yogurt has more protein and less fat. This casserole requires the amount of fat needed, but provides more protein at the same time. You cannot notice the difference between them in this casserole - Greek yogurt only adds creaminess to the filling without making it too heavy. But sour cream is also acceptable substitute in the same quantity if you have it.
How can I be sure the biscuits are cooked thoroughly?
The top should look golden and the cheese should be bubbling. The best way to check it is by inserting a toothpick or a small knife into the center of the casserole. If the toothpick is free from raw dough, then biscuits are cooked through. Since the biscuit pieces in the center of the dish cook longer than the rest, it should be checked every time.
Is it possible to prepare the dish in advance?
It is possible to assemble the filling and store it in the fridge overnight before baking but do not add biscuit pieces until right before baking. The dough gets soggy and loses its puffing abilities if left in the wet filling overnight. Add the biscuit pieces, stir to distribute them evenly, put them into the dish, sprinkle with cheese and bake according to instructions the next day, adding 5-10 minutes to cooking time.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Bubble Up
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cut biscuit dough into ¼ pieces
- In a mixing bowl, add dough pieces, cooked or rotisserie chicken, cream of chicken soup, plain greek yogurt, bacon bits, ranch seasoning packet, and additional seasonings listed above. Stir until well combined.
- In a 13x9 casserole pan, spray bottom of pan, add mixture to bottom of pan. Spread evenly.
- Add top layer with shredded colby jack cheese.
- Cook uncovered for 40-45 minutes.
- Top with green onions
