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    Home » What We're Eating » Dump-and-Bake Smothered Chicken with Bacon

    Dump-and-Bake Smothered Chicken with Bacon

    Published: Nov 16, 2016 by Blair Lonergan

    Jump to Recipe
    Long collage of smothered chicken with bacon

    You just need 5 minutes of prep, 5 ingredients, and 1 dish for this easy dinner: Dump-and-Bake Smothered Chicken with Bacon! It's cozy, comforting and super easy to put together. Best of all the whole family will love it too!

    Lifting cheesy chicken breast from baking dish

    How about an easy dinner that's guaranteed to make everyone around your table smile?

    This tender, juicy Ranch-seasoned chicken is baked in Alfredo sauce and smothered with cheese and crispy bacon. Most importantly, it's a recipe that you actually have TIME to make! This Dump-and-Bake meal only requires 5 ingredients (hello, quick grocery store run!), 5 minutes of prep, and 1 dish. Can't beat that!

    Overhead shot of baked chicken breast in white dish with bacon and cheese

    How To Make Smothered Chicken With Bacon

    You'll start by placing the chicken in a baking dish and sprinkling Ranch seasoning over top.

    Raw chicken breasts with ranch seasoning in white dish

    Add a jar of Alfredo sauce, cover it with foil, and pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes.

    Alfredo sauce covering raw chicken breast in white dish

    Once the chicken is cooked through, it's time for the good stuff! The meat is smothered with provolone cheese and a little bit of chopped, cooked bacon.

    I like to break the cheese slices into a few pieces so that they fit neatly on the chicken before finishing with the bacon.

    Overhead shot of chopped bacon and cheese over raw chicken in baking dish

    Then the dish goes back in the oven for about 5 more minutes so that the cheese melts and the bacon gets crispy. Then...BOOM! You've got a restaurant-quality dinner to serve your family with practically ZERO effort involved.

    Baked chicken in casserole dish topped with cheese, bacon and green onions

    Serving Suggestions

    I like to serve this chicken on top of spaghetti squash for a lighter option, but regular pasta, rice, or crusty bread would also be perfect. You want to make sure that you've got something tasty to soak up that cheesy, creamy sauce! My Make Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes would be perfect, too!

    Tips For Making Smothered Chicken

    • Cooking for Two? You can easily cut this recipe in half and bake it in an 8-inch square dish.
    • Want to Prep Ahead? You can add all of the ingredients to the dish, cover, and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
    • I prepare my bacon ahead of time by baking in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 13 minutes. You can also use the microwave or just take a shortcut and buy the precooked bacon at the grocery store, crumbling it with your fingers as you sprinkle it over the chicken (that saves a step and doesn’t require any dirty dishes)!

    Close overhead shot of half of a white casserole dish with smothered chicken

    I hope that you'll add this 5-minute dinner to your next meal plan. Even my little guy can tolerate the shopping trip for just 5 ingredients!

    More Chicken Recipes You Might Like:

    • Dump and Bake Tortellini Alfredo with Chicken
    • Southern Baked Chicken Parmesan
    • Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
    • Dump and Bake Chicken Pot Pie Pasta
    Overhead shot of baked chicken breast in white dish with bacon and cheese
    Print Pin
    5 from 7 votes

    Dump-and-Bake Smothered Chicken with Bacon

    You only need 5 minutes prep and 5 ingredients to make this delicious and comforting smothered chicken with bacon. All made in one dish, it couldn't be easier!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Baked Creamy Chicken, Chicken with Bacon, Smothered Chicken
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 35 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 470kcal
    Author Blair Lonergan

    Ingredients

    • 6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 2 large breasts thinly sliced, about 24 ounces total)
    • 1 tablespoon Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix (just the dry seasoning)
    • 1 (15 ounce) jar (about 1 ¾ cups) Alfredo pasta sauce
    • 4 slices cooked, chopped bacon*
    • 3 slices provolone cheese
    • Optional: fresh parsley or chives for garnish

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven the 375F (190C). Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
    • Place chicken in prepared dish and sprinkle both sides of the meat with Ranch seasoning mix.
    • Pour Alfredo sauce over top of the meat, toss to coat, and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
    • Remove chicken from the oven; top with cheese slices, breaking the cheese to fit on each piece of meat. Sprinkle with chopped bacon and return the dish to the oven (uncovered) for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
    • If desired, garnish with fresh herbs just before serving.

    Notes

    *I prepare my bacon ahead of time by baking in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 13 minutes. You can also use the microwave or just take a shortcut and buy the precooked bacon at the grocery store, crumbling it with your fingers as you sprinkle it over the chicken (that saves a step and doesn’t require any dirty dishes)!
    • Cooking for Two? You can easily cut this recipe in half and bake it in an 8-inch square dish.
    • Want to Prep Ahead? You can add all of the ingredients to the dish, cover, and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/4 of the recipe | Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 1377mg | Potassium: 656mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 0.7mg
    3.5.3208
    « Our Week In Meals #2
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

      November 16, 2016 at 6:25 am

      This looks amazing, Blair! My husband and I eat chicken a lot,so I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it. I love the choice of cheese in here, and of course, the bacon! What a perfect weeknight meal. Can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Blair

        November 16, 2016 at 7:35 am

        Thank you, Gayle! As far as I'm concerned, you can never go wrong with the combo of chicken, bacon, and cheese! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Lauren

      November 16, 2016 at 8:40 am

      Yum! One question...I love everything about this dish except for the ranch. I just hate ranch dressing and ranch flavor. Any suggestions for a replacement that would pair well with the other ingredients?

      Reply
      • Blair

        November 16, 2016 at 9:15 am

        Hey, Lauren! No problem! You have a few options instead of the Ranch: you can keep it simple and just season the chicken with salt and pepper (there's plenty of flavor in the sauce, so it will still be delicious), or you could substitute some Italian seasoning instead of the Ranch (usually a combo of basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, oregano, and sage). Hope that helps!

        Reply
    3. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious

      November 16, 2016 at 10:11 am

      Chicken and BACON?!? OMG YUM! I need to try this friend. Love your dump and bake recipes. They are so fun.

      Reply
      • Blair

        November 16, 2016 at 1:21 pm

        Such a great combo right, Megan?! Thanks for stopping by...I know you appreciate easy recipes too!

        Reply
    4. Kristy from Southern In Law

      November 16, 2016 at 8:17 pm

      Another awesome dump and bake recipe! Jesse would LOVE this!

      Reply
      • Blair

        November 16, 2016 at 8:29 pm

        Thanks, Kristy! It's totally man-friendly!

        Reply
        • Regina

          February 13, 2018 at 6:58 pm

          When do u put the ranch dressing in it ! It doesn’t say! I’m ready to cook this!

          Reply
          • Blair

            February 13, 2018 at 7:04 pm

            Hi, Regina! It's just the dry Ranch seasoning mix that you use to season the chicken -- the instructions are in Step #2 of the recipe instructions above. 🙂

            Enjoy!

            Reply
            • Regina

              February 14, 2018 at 2:23 am

              5 stars
              I know I will thanks!!

            • Taylor young

              May 02, 2021 at 1:43 pm

              instead of provolone cheese can I use mozzarella or cheddar

            • Blair

              May 02, 2021 at 3:57 pm

              Absolutely, Taylor. Enjoy!

    5. SuzieW

      November 16, 2016 at 8:32 pm

      Which brand of Alfredo do you like?

      Reply
      • Blair

        November 16, 2016 at 8:35 pm

        Hey, Suzie! I used the Classico Four Cheese Alfredo and it was good! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Kelly @ Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats

      November 17, 2016 at 12:18 am

      5 stars
      Yay! Another yummy, quick and easy dinner recipe! Made your Garlic Parmesan Chicken Broccoli Potato bake and it was delicious!!

      Reply
      • Blair

        November 17, 2016 at 7:30 am

        Awesome! So glad that you enjoyed the Parmesan Chicken, Kelly! Thanks for letting me know, and I hope that you'll give this one a try too! It's a keeper! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Ruwani

      November 25, 2016 at 12:24 pm

      Wow ! That is for sure a lovely and comforting dinner 🙂 Who doesn't love cheese ,chicken and bacon 😉 This is must make in my list !

      Reply
      • Blair

        November 25, 2016 at 7:58 pm

        Thanks, Ruwani!!! Such a great combo, right?

        Reply
    8. Gabrielle

      February 27, 2017 at 6:58 pm

      I tried this tonight and I was iffy at first, but it actually turned out DELICIOUS! Thank you so much for posting this recipe, I will make it again!

      Reply
      • Blair

        February 28, 2017 at 6:41 pm

        Awesome! It's always nice to find a new (and easy) dinner idea! Glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Lisa Shelton

      July 31, 2017 at 6:26 pm

      Holy crap that's a lot of sodium. Do you know of any lower sodium options?

      Reply
      • Blair

        July 31, 2017 at 8:03 pm

        Hey, Lisa! If you want less sodium, you can start with a homemade Ranch seasoning mix. That would help. I don't have any specific ranch recipes on my website, but I know that you can find a bunch of options on Google. Also, the nutrition information includes all of the sauce in the pan. If you want to lighten it up a bit, I would focus on eating more of the chicken, and leaving any excess sauce in the dish. That will also help eliminate a lot of extra sodium. Hope that helps! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Stephanie

      October 03, 2017 at 4:54 pm

      Would this work in the crock pot?

      Reply
      • Blair

        October 03, 2017 at 5:42 pm

        Yes! That's such a great idea, Stephanie! I think it would work well! I would try 4-6 hours on low (or 1 1/2 - 2 hours on HIGH), and add the cheese and bacon to the top at the end (allow cheese to melt, and then serve). Cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken and on your individual slow cooker. Let me know if you give it a try!

        Reply
    11. Haleigh

      March 22, 2018 at 11:15 pm

      This looks SO good! But i was wondering, is there any way i could use pepper jack cheese instead of provolone? Would it change the taste? We love pepper jack in this brand!! Would love to try this out!

      Reply
      • Blair

        March 23, 2018 at 6:27 am

        Hi, Haleigh! Of course! You can use any cheese that you love. The pepper jack sounds great!

        Reply
    12. Michael

      April 13, 2018 at 1:50 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent and easy to make

      Reply
      • Blair

        April 13, 2018 at 3:07 pm

        Thanks, Michael!

        Reply
    13. Jo

      July 19, 2019 at 10:36 pm

      5 stars
      WOW! This recipe was excellent, and super simple.

      Reply
      • Blair

        July 20, 2019 at 2:05 pm

        Thanks, Jo! So glad that you liked it! 🙂

        Reply
    14. shelly Bullert

      October 24, 2019 at 4:50 pm

      If using frozen chicken breast how would you get the ranch to stay on?

      Reply
      • Blair

        October 25, 2019 at 4:58 am

        Hi, Shelly! If you have time to thaw the chicken, that's ideal. If not, then I would just sprinkle the ranch seasoning over top of the chicken in the exact same way that you would if it was thawed. 🙂

        Reply
    15. Kim Woolery

      February 01, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was delicious. We thought it was so good we would try it on pork chops using an Italian/Pizza seasoning instead of the ranch dressing and prosciutto instead of bacon (out of bacon) and served it over penne with a caprese salad. My family loved it. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I can't wait to try others.

      Reply
      • Blair

        February 02, 2020 at 5:01 am

        Thanks, Kim! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! I love the twist with the pork and Italian seasoning. SO good!

        Reply
    16. Tammy

      May 05, 2020 at 12:29 pm

      5 stars
      Make this all the time!! We love it!!

      Reply
      • Blair

        May 05, 2020 at 2:46 pm

        That's awesome! Thanks, Tammy!

        Reply

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    Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you'll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It's down-home, country-style cooking!

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