Simple Ranch Chicken and Rice Casserole Bake Recipe

Our Simple Ranch Chicken and Rice Casserole Bake consists of Ranch flavored creamy rice and juicy chicken layered in a casserole dish and baked to perfection in the oven, then topped with sauted peppers and onions. It’s one of my favorite go-to’s when I’m not sure what to make for dinner; so simple, yet such a delicious comfort food. 

Chicken and rice pair together so beautifully.

So does chicken and the classic flavor of Ranch.

In this delicious recipe, we combine all three, along with a few more ingredients, to make a family favorite – Simple Ranch Chicken and Rice Casserole.

It may not be the prettiest meal ever but my, it sure is good.🤤 (We think so anyway!😊)

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Ingredients in the Chicken and Rice Casserole

Rice – long grain rice – (jasmine rice or basmati rice are our favorites) currently we have regular plain white rice so that’s what we used today.

Chicken – cooked and shredded chicken breasts is what we often use for this recipe. (Leftover roast or rotisserie chicken pieces removed from the bone are excellent for this recipe!)

Chicken broth – regular chicken broth form the store or you can make and use your own.

Milk – whole milk is our preference, though it really doesn’t matter.

Ranch dressing – Hidden Valley Ranch dressing in the bottle (not the ranch dressing mix!).

Sour cream – full fat sour cream, adds a tasty element of creaminess.

Salt – regular iodized table salt.

Pepper – we like to add a dash of ground black pepper

Cheddar cheese – freshly grated cheddar cheese 

Onion – a large diced onion 

Bell Pepper – a large diced sweet bell pepper

Olive oil or butter – for sautéing said onion and pepper

You’ll find a convenient printable recipe card down below containing the full recipe!

It’s a lovely day to be outside here in the Midwest.

The sun is shining in a light blue sky, puffy white clouds float overhead, an ever so slight breeze is blowing… 

It’s really a perfect day.

On days like this it can be a challenge to stay inside and cook for my little family. 

That’s when a simple and easy recipe like this comes in super handy. Ranch Chicken & Rice Casserole comes together without a whole lot of prep time and the magic happens mostly in the oven. It’s the perfect easy weeknight meal and makes enough for the whole family.

Supplies you may need to make Chicken and Rice Casserole

Check out some of our favorite kitchen products (or something very similar) linked below:

• 9×13 baking dish
• Mixing bowl – (yes, we use this as a mixing bowl frequently; it works perfectly for this recipe!)
• Whisk, spatula, or wooden cooking utensils
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cutting board 
• Kitchen knife
• Frying pan
• Cheese grater

How to make Simple Ranch Chicken and Rice Casserole 

If you’re using raw chicken, you’ll want to cook and shred it first. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter.

In the bottom of the greased pan, spread the uncooked rice in an even layer.

Follow with the cooked, shredded chicken.

Mix the chicken broth and the milk together and carefully pour over the chicken and rice.

Mix together the Ranch dressing, sour cream, salt, and however much pepper you wish and use a spoon to dollop the mixture as evenly as you can over everything. (The casserole will actually look very disgusting at this point; you just gotta trust the process!)

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. 

Spread shredded cheddar cheese on top of the casserole and return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes just to melt the cheese.

Heat a frying pan on the stove and chop the peppers and onions; then saute the chopped peppers and onions in a little bit of olive oil or butter while the cheese melts on the chicken and rice bake.

Serve the sauteed peppers and onions on top or alongside the chicken and rice bake.

Enjoy.💛

Notes

As far as toppings for this chicken and rice casserole, use your imagination. (We think just sauteed peppers and onions is wonderful!) However, you could do diced tomatoes, green onions, black olives, etc. You can also serve tortilla chips, either whole or crushed, on top of or with the chicken and rice casserole.

Storage 

As always, don’t forget to save those handy leftovers to eat the next day!

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze for several months.

Inspire your friends – share!

So how did it go?

Leave a comment below, if you made our Simple Ranch Chicken & Rice Casserole Bake Recipe.

Thanks a million!

…For stopping in our small town.

We hope you’ll stay to explore more made-from-scratch small town recipes.

Here’s a couple more simple dinner ideas:

Tater Tot Casserole

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Taco Potato Haystack Casserole

’til next time,

Julie