Ranch can improve almost any food, from wings to pizza, to salad to plain potato chips. In the recipe below, ranch pushes a standard combo of chicken and potatoes to a whole new level. The herbs and spices in prepared ranch dressing make it a truly awesome seasoning. Here, it serves as both a marinade for the chicken and a glaze for the potatoes.
Of course, ranch isn't coming to this party all by itself. It gets a bit of help from some gooey melted cheese, bacon bits, scallions and avocado to turn this casserole into one of the tastiest you've tried.
Ranch chicken and potato casserole
6
10 minutes
50 minutes
1 hour
1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup ranch dressing, divided
2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup bacon bits
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Combine the potatoes and half of the dressing in a bowl. Scatter in an even layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Roast for about 30 minutes, turning once so the potatoes brown on all sides.
Combine the chicken with the remaining ranch, cover and chill until ready to use.
When the potatoes have cooked, reduce the oven temperature to 400 F. Add the chicken to the dish, cover with foil, and bake 20 more minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven and remove the foil. Add the bacon; toss to combine. Top with the cheese, and bake about 10 more minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.
Top with dollops of sour cream and a sprinkling of scallions and avocado just before serving.