I saw a recipe circling the internet the other day for Creamy Ranch Chicken Casserole that people were pretty excited about trying. I followed the link and noticed the recipe called for several highly processed ingredients…
- Packet of Ranch Seasoning
INGREDIENTS: Maltodextrin, buttermilk, salt, monosodium glutamate, lactic acid, dried garlic, dried onion, spices, citric acid, less than 2% of: calcium stearate, artificial flavors, xanthan gum, carboxymethylcellulose (this one may look like a typo, but it’s not), guar gum, natural flavors (soy).
- Cream of Chicken Soup
INGREDIENTS: Chicken stock, modified food starch, contains less than 2% of: chicken fat, chicken meat, cream (milk), wheat flour, salt, vegetable oil, dehydrated whey, water, whey protein concentrate, yeast extract, flavoring, beta-carotene, soy protein isolate, sodium phosphate, celery extract, dehydrated chicken, onion extract.
- Ritz Crackers
INGREDIENTS: unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate {vitamin b1}, riboflavin {vitamin b2}, folic acid), soybean oil, sugar, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil (a.k.a. trans fat), salt, leavening (baking soda and/or calcium phosphate), high fructose corn syrup, soy lecithin, malted barley flour, natural flavor; contains wheat, soy.
I think we can do family dinner without artificial flavors, factory-farmed chicken, high fructose corn syrup, and partially hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. trans fat). Yes, it’s a little more work… but not that much and worth it for the health of our families! Here’s how in this makeover “from scratch” version of that ever-so-popular Creamy Ranch Chicken Casserole recipe. Let me know how it goes! :)
Creamy Ranch Chicken Casserole (made from scratch)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins, boneless
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, we use homemade
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup cheddar, freshly grated
- 2 cups whole-wheat crackers, crushed (I used a combination of Triscuits, Multi-seed Original and Ak-mak ... great way to clean out your pantry!)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place chicken in one even layer on the bottom of a rectangular baking dish.
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In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and stir until it begins to turn golden brown (this is called making a roux). Whisk in all the spices and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds.
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Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and stir occasionally until sauce thickens to the consistency of a thick gravy, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and mix in the sour cream and cheese.
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Spoon the sauce over top of the chicken, sprinkle with the cracker crumbs, and bake until golden brown on top, about 25 to 30 minutes. Finish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes if necessary to brown the crackers at the end.
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Serve warm with your green veggie of choice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Here's my recipe for homemade chicken stock.
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I love the hidden valley ranch dip packet. Do you have a recipe that could duplicate it but healthier?
I have made Ranch from scratch for years. My family loves it! Enjoy! The right grind of onion powder seems to be the deal breaker on this recipe. You can add pepper or dill if you want..
To make the dry mix (I usually triple the recipe and store dry mix in a bottle):
2 T. sea salt
5 T. dried parsley, ground to near powder
2 T. garlic powder, fine granules but not a powder
2 t. onion powder (Tones Brand –must be very fine–an actual powder not granular)
To make the salad dressing:
3 ½ t. dry mix
¾ c. milk
½ c. mayo
¾ c. sour cream
Here’s another one: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/recipe-ranch-flavored-dip/
Do u put in the chicken raw or cooked
I had the same question! Judging by the linked post, it should be RAW TENDERLOINS or possibly CUTLETS. It said if you use breast, cooking time would need to be increased accordingly Hope this helps!.
Yes, goes in raw. Easy peasy!
I is looking very yummy. I am big lover of chicken. I am gonna try to make this delicious Creamy chicken. Thanks Lisa
Any suggestions on how to make this in an Instant Pot? I think the instructions would be similar to the Instant Pot Crack Chicken recipe.
This should note that the chicken needs to be cooked first!
Actually, chicken should be raw (per linked post she reworked).
Chicken goes in raw (or I would’ve included cooking instructions).
It seems like once you made the roux, you could dump it all in the crock pot, saving the sour cream and Cheese for the end.
I’m excited to try this this weekend!
Let me know how the slow cooker version goes for you!
How can I pin this recipe?
I was trying to pin the recipe too and it doesn’t seem to be working.
Quick question: do you measure out 2 cups of crackers and then crush them. Or crush them first to make up 2 cups of crushed crackers?
2 cups crushed – good luck!
I was so excited to try this and made this last night and we didn’t love it. :( Not sure if it’s because I used Trader Joe’s “wheat thins” (I think Ritz-like crackers would be best) or what. But we won’t be making it again. Love the idea of ditching all those toxic ingredients though!
Sorry to hear that!
We LOVED it! The only change I made was to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Breast meat is too dry for me. (For some reason I don’t seem to be able to rate this recipe but I give it 5 stars!)
I often prefer thighs as well. Glad it was a hit! I selected 5 stars for you :)
Did you put the chicken in raw?
yes
Yes, raw!
I would love this to taste and look so delicious and I goin taste soon. very informative to ease to make this as welll. Thanks for great content and waiting for the next one as well
I used two large chicken breasts cut in half and subbed grass fed plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Turned out wonderful. Served with pasta and broccoli.
Good to know about the substitutions!
This recipe has everything going for it – straightforward, no hard-to-get ingredients required and a real crowd-pleaser with its tasty sauce, succulent chicken and crunchy topping.. I made it tonight for my family and they absolutely loved it. My husband, whose usual verdict on a meal is “it was fine” (or even “it was edible” on a bad day) described it as “awesome” and my son said it was so good he could cry! It made it onto the “must have on a regular basis” list on its first outing. Five stars from me (although I also don’t seem to be able to rate it).
We loved it! I served it with rice and green beans and used skinless boneless chicken thighs. My kids are 5,4,1 and 2 mo. Everyone including husband asked for seconds.
This was a hit with my family!! I had to sub a couple of things. I used corn starch instead of flour due to celiac. I also used chopped beef instead of chicken. We were out of chicken, but we did have a grass fed roast still in the freezer. I boiled that up in order to have the broth. I also added cooked gf noodles directly to the dish before baking. Everything else was spot on and it was absolutely delicious!! We are expecting a meat delivery from the farmer this weekend and will most definitely make this with chicken next week! So, so good!!
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Do you think that adding a package of frozen vegetables to the mix would work with the roux? Or better to keep the veggies on the side?
This was a hit! Thank you for the recipe and great idea.
Delicious! Simple to make.
This will be added to our family favorite list! Thanks!
Are you supposed to cook the chicken before placing the mixture on top and cooking in oven?
It all gets cooked together for 25-30 minutes.
This sounds delicious and we already make our own ranch seasoning, so we’re ahead of the game! Can’t wait to try it!
This recipe is amazing. It is quick, easy, and all in one dish. Definitely a keeper.
This works better with cooked leftover chicken. I’ve tried it with raw chicken and cooked chicken. The raw chicken isn’t thoroughly cooked after 30 minutes. Good taste,
Paulette,
I want to use pre cooked chicken as well. How long did you cook it for with the pre cooked chicken?
About 15 minutes
My kids devoured it. Even the one who declares that chicken is the worst food ever! Definitely a keeper!
This was so good! Do you have a suggestion for the best way to reheat the leftovers?
I’d say reheat in the oven for about 20-30 minutes set at about 325-350 degrees.
This was soooo good, and is easy to make! Perfect for a busy weeknight meal. I didn’t have dill, so I added some Italian seasoning. Even my super picky teenager loved it! Served with pasta and steamed broccoli.
My family loves this recipe. I add in whatever vegetables I have on hand on top of the chicken. Today was organic mixed veggies. I also subbed in chicken Left over from a whole chicken I cooked earlier in the week. It was a hit! My son’s friend even asked for seconds!