Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Rated 4.0 stars by 2 users
Category
Main dish
Servings
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
70 minutes
Calories
390
Who could resist chicken, bacon, and ranch dressing all combined into one hot, bubbly dish. The protein and veggies are baked together, so this chicken casserole recipe is all you need for a complete all-in-one meal. Leftovers reheat wonderfully, so leave some for tomorrow's lunch.
Ingredients
6 slices of bacon
1¼ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups cauliflower rice, frozen or fresh
- 3 cups fresh spinach, packed
- ¼ cup Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup Primal Kitchen Alfredo Sauce
- Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil or Avocado Oil Spray
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp chopped chives
Optional Ingredients
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan.
Put the pan back on the stovetop over medium heat. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper. Carefully place them in the hot pan and sear for 2 minutes on each side.
Add the diced onion and mix it around in the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit—about 20-25 minutes). While the chicken is cooking in the oven, steam your cauliflower rice until it’s just cooked—1 minute less than directed. Set aside.
When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and place it on a plate to rest, covered. Leave the onions in the pan and leave the oven on.
Place the pan with the cooked onion back on the stovetop over medium heat. There will be a lot of liquid in the pan; that’s ok, it will get absorbed by the cauliflower rice and spinach.
Add the chopped garlic to the onions. Stir. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the cauliflower rice and cook for another minute or two, stirring frequently. Add in the ranch dressing and almond milk and continue to cook.
Once the cauliflower rice is fully soft, remove the pan from the heat. Fold in the spinach. The residual heat from the pan will wilt the spinach.
Chop or shred the chicken and bacon and mix into the rice mixture, reserving 1 slice of chopped bacon to top the dish.
Stir ⅔ cup of the Alfredo sauce into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Grease a baking dish with avocado oil and pour the casserole mixture into it, using a spatula or a spoon to spread it out evenly. Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce on top of the casserole and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon. OPTIONAL: Top the casserole with ½ of the fresh herbs.
Place the casserole in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the top turns slightly golden. Optionally top with remaining fresh parsley and chives. Enjoy.
Recipe Note
This recipe is equally great with Primal Kitchen Vegan Alfredo Sauce or Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce.
Nutritional information calculated using Cronometer.com.
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 1/4 of recipe
- Calories per serving
- 390
- Carbs
- 14.3 grams
- Fat
- 25.5 grams
- Protein
- 28.3 grams
This chicken casserole recipe takes a bit of time to assemble, but boy oh boy is it worth it! All the flavors meld together into one savory dish so tasty that even the kiddos will be asking for more cauliflower and spinach. You don't need to add a side, but if you want leftovers (and you do, because the leftovers might even be better than casserole fresh out of the oven), serve this with a simple side salad or roasted asparagus or broccoli.
