About This Recipe
There’s something so wonderful about a rotisserie chicken. They are always cooked to tender and juicy perfection, they are readily available, and they make wonderful meals, like in this recipe for Chicken Blue Cheese Bacon Bake.
Of course, you can just slice up the chicken and serve it as-is, but why not take the meat from the bones and use it to make some fabulous recipes? I always use rotisserie chicken when I make chicken salads. And the meat is fabulous in casseroles too.
This recipe combines many of my favorite ingredients. It’s rich and flavorful and creamy with a fabulous crunch from the bacon. Chicken Blue Cheese Bacon Bake is pure comfort food. Enjoy every bite.
Tips for the best Chicken Blue Cheese Bacon Bake:
- Rotisserie chickens are just better than any chicken you cook yourself, so use them in this recipe. The meat is more tender and flavorful. Believe me, I have tried every method of cooking chicken and I buy rotisserie chickens when I need cubed cooked chicken.
- And a bonus of using rotisserie chicken: You don’t have to worry about food safety. Raw chickens are going to contain pathogens. Even if you cook them properly to kill these pathogens, the potential for cross-contamination is very high.
- My streamlined method for making a cream sauce by melting cream cheese in milk is foolproof. The sauce is combined with ranch salad dressing to make an incredibly flavorful dish.
Why this recipe works:
- The combination of tender chicken, tangy and sharp blue cheese, creamy sauce, and pasta is sublime. It’s satisfying and delicious and interesting too.
- You can use other types of cheese in this recipe, but try it with blue cheese first.
- The recipe list is long, but it comes together quickly. Treat yourself and your family and make this dish for dinner this week.
Steps
|
1
Done
|
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 13" x 9" pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. |
|
2
Done
|
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. |
|
3
Done
|
Meanwhile, remove the meat from the chicken and cube. Discard the bones and skin or save to make chicken stock. |
|
4
Done
|
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and bell pepper and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the peas and set aside. |
|
5
Done
|
In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese and milk. Microwave on high power for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture steams. Whisk until a creamy sauce forms. |
|
6
Done
|
Stir the ranch and blue cheese salad dressings into the sauce along with the bacon. Then add the Monterey Jack cheese and 3/4 cup blue cheese and stir. Stir this sauce into the mixture in the skillet. |
|
7
Done
|
Combine the cooked and drained pasta with the chicken in the prepared 13" x 9" pan. Add the sauce mixture and stir gently to coat. |
|
8
Done
|
Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining blue cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and is starting to brown on top. |
