Description
Hearty comfort arrives with this irresistible crack chicken recipe, blending creamy textures and bold ranch flavors into a crowd-pleasing dish. Simmering with cheesy goodness and tender chicken, you’ll discover a quick meal that satisfies every craving.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
Protein Boosters:
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 slices bacon, crumbled
Seasonings and Extras:
- 1 tbsp dried ranch seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Optional: 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Place chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, ensuring they are evenly spaced and not overlapping.
- Combine softened cream cheese, ranch dressing, dried ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper in a mixing bowl, stirring until the mixture is smooth and well-blended.
- Spread the creamy mixture evenly over the top of each chicken breast, creating a thick, generous coating.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese across the coated chicken, ensuring complete coverage.
- Crumble bacon slices and distribute them uniformly over the cheese layer.
- Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and optional fresh parsley before serving.
- Slice the chicken and serve hot, enjoying the rich, creamy, and savory flavors of this indulgent dish.
Notes
- Check chicken thickness to ensure even cooking, using a meat mallet to pound breasts to uniform thickness if needed.
- Use low-fat cream cheese and turkey bacon for a lighter version that reduces overall calorie and fat content.
- Fresh herbs like chives or dill can replace green onions, adding a bright, zesty flavor profile to the dish.
- For gluten-free adaptation, verify ranch seasoning is certified gluten-free and replace regular seasoning with homemade alternative.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg