Crack Chicken Tetrazzini

Crack Chicken Tetrazzini – loaded with cheddar, bacon, and ranch. Crazy good! We ate this for lunch and dinner on the same day!! Spaghetti, chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon, ranch dressing mix, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup. Can make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Use rotisserie chicken and precooked bacon for quick prep! #spaghetti #rotisseriechicken #chicken #casserole #freezermeal #bacon #ranch

Chicken Tetrazzini Loaded With Cheddar, Bacon, & Ranch

Chicken Tetrazzini is one of my all-time favorite meals. My Grandmother’s recipe is my favorite recipe. I can eat WAY too much of it. I didn’t think I could improve upon her recipe, but I think it did with this Crack Chicken Tetrazzini. Chicken, cheddar, bacon, ranch, and pasta – YES, please! We ate this for lunch and leftover for dinner on the same day. It was that good! I even ate it again the next day for lunch. I just couldn’t get enough of this yummy chicken casserole!

What does Crack mean? If a recipe has crack in the title it means that it has cheddar, bacon, and ranch in the recipe. It all started with my Crack Dip way back in 2007. I made the dip for a Titans football game. Everyone went crazy over it. We couldn’t stop eating it and said it was like crack. The name stuck. The flavor combination is totally addicting. This tetrazzini is no exception. SO good!

How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini

To make the casserole, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Whisk together chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, and dry ranch dressing mix. Place half the pasta in a casserole dish. Top with half of the chicken, bacon, and cheese. Pour half of the soup mixture on top. Repeat the layers and pop in the oven.

Tips for Making Chicken Tetrazzini

• I use rotisserie chicken in this casserole. Rotisserie chickens are my secret weapon in the kitchen. They make casseroles like this super easy. Another tip for super easy prep on this casserole is to use precooked bacon. I buy bags of it at Costco and Sam’s Club. It is a HUGE time saver!
• I don’t have a rotisserie chicken. How much cooked chicken do I use? You will need about 4 or 5 cups of cooked chopped chicken for this casserole.
• If you are sensitive to the ranch dressing mix, adjust the amount to your personal preference.
• Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
• Can Chicken Tetrazzini be made ahead of time? Yes! You can make this casserole in advance and refrigerate it overnight. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
• Can Chicken Tetrazzini be frozen? Yes! You can freeze this casserole unbaked for a quick meal later. To bake after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed below.
• To reheat after freezing the baked casserole, thaw completely. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350ºF for 30 to 45 minutes, until warm. You can also reheat the casserole in the microwave.
• This makes a lot of pasta. Feel free to cut the recipe in half or split it between two pans. You can bake one and freeze one for later.
• You can substitute turkey bacon or 1 cup of precooked bacon for the freshly cooked bacon.

What to Serve with Chicken Tetrazzini

This casserole is a new favorite at our house. We’ve made it several times and just can’t seem to get enough of it! It makes a lot so it is perfect for a crowd! I love to make this for potlucks or to give to someone after surgery or having a baby.

We like to serve this chicken spaghetti with some green beans, asparagus, or a salad and some rolls. Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this yummy chicken casserole:

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The Best Green Beans

The BEST Green Beans Recipe – these are the most delicious green beans you will ever eat. We got the…

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Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan (Divine Asparagus) – only 5 ingredients! Asparagus stalks, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and paprika. Ready…

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Crunchy Romaine Toss

Crunchy Romaine Toss – CRAZY GOOD!!! Had this at a dinner party and everyone raved about it. I had to…

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Recipe Print Recipe

Crack Chicken Tetrazzini

Author: Plain Chicken

Yield: 8 people

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Crack Chicken Tetrazzini – loaded with cheddar, bacon, and ranch. Crazy good! We ate this for lunch and dinner on the same day!! Spaghetti, chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon, ranch dressing mix, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup. Can make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Use rotisserie chicken and precooked bacon for quick prep! #chicken #casserole #freezermeal #chickencasserole #bacon #pasta

Equipment:

• 9×13-inch Baking Dish

Ingredients:

• 1 whole rotisserie chicken
• 1 pound bacon, cooked and chopped
• 16- oz vermicelli pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 10.75-oz can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10.75-oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1-oz package Ranch dressing mix
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Remove skin from chicken and discard. Remove meat from the chicken and chop.
• Whisk together soups, chicken broth, and dry ranch dressing mix.
• Layer ½ of the cooked vermicelli pasta, ½ of the chopped chicken, ½ of the cooked bacon, and ½ of soup mixture. Sprinkle half of the cheddar cheese on the pasta. Repeat layers and top with remaining cheddar cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until bubbly.

Notes:

If you don’t have a rotisserie chicken, you will need about 4 or 5 cups of cooked chopped chicken for this casserole.

If you are sensitive to the ranch dressing mix, adjust the amount to your personal preference.

Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/

You can make this casserole in advance and refrigerate it overnight. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.

You can freeze this casserole unbaked for a quick meal later. To bake after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed below.

To reheat after freezing the baked casserole, thaw completely. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350ºF for 30 to 45 minutes, until warm. You can also reheat the casserole in the microwave.

This makes a lot of pasta. Feel free to cut the recipe in half or split it between two pans. You can bake one and freeze one for later.

You can substitute turkey bacon or 1 cup of precooked bacon for the freshly cooked bacon.

Plain Chicken

https://www.plainchicken.com/crack-chicken-tetrazzini/

All images and text © Plain Chicken, Inc.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @plainchicken or tag #plainchicken!

Steph