This Buffalo chicken casserole is truly the ultimate casserole dish! It combines chicken, bacon, creamy ranch dressing, and Buffalo sauce, all topped with shredded cheddar cheese to make a savory and spicy casserole that's a guaranteed crowd favorite. And, best of all, it could not be easier to make. In fact, you can make this casserole with just a handful of simple ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time!
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The Best Buffalo Chicken Casserole
If you love all things Buffalo chicken and wing sauce, then you're going to fall head over heels for this creamy buffalo chicken casserole recipe.
There's just something so special about a big serving of a warm and satisfying casserole dish, especially when it's cold outside. And honestly, this buffalo chicken casserole recipe might just be my favorite casserole recipe yet, which means a lot since I have so many casserole recipes on the blog already.
Anyway, this Buffalo chicken casserole is really something else. It takes shredded chicken and mixes it with a combination of ranch dressing, sour cream, and Buffalo wing sauce to make the most delicious creamy Buffalo chicken casserole filling ever. Then it's made even more delicious by putting the filling on a layer of mashed potatoes, with shredded cheese and crispy bacon on top of everything.
What's not to love about that?
Honestly, the whole thing tastes even better when you realize how quickly it comes together. The entire process takes well under an hour, with most of that time spent cooking in the oven.
Also, since this casserole is so easy to make, you'll have plenty of time to whip up a simple side dish to serve alongside it, like these air fryer tortilla chips for dipping like a Buffalo chicken dip, or this Little Caesar's crazy bread, to cut some of the heat from the wing sauce.
Ingredients
The ingredient list for this Buffalo chicken casserole recipe could not be simpler.
In fact, I'm pretty sure you'll have most - if not all - of the ingredients you'll need at home already!
Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make this creamy Buffalo chicken casserole dish:
- 1.5 lb. potatoes
- 1 lb. cooked and shredded chicken
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup ranch dressing
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoon Buffalo sauce
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt, to taste
Pretty simple stuff, eh?
Oh, and if you already have these ingredients handy, you can easily make this crack chicken casserole next or my Crock Pot chicken wings.
Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions
Now, while I recommend making this Buffalo chicken bake recipe with the exact ingredients listed above, there are plenty of exciting ways to put your own twist on this awesome recipe.
For instance, when it comes to cooked chicken, I like to use leftover rotisserie chicken since it's easy to just pick it up from the store. With that said, you can use any shredded chicken. If you don't have any cooked chicken, then you can whip up these air fryer frozen chicken breasts super quick!
As for the creamy filling, you can use any hot sauce or wing sauce that you want. I love Frank's hot sauce, but anything will work! Also, if you want to make this Buffalo chicken casserole even spicier, you can add in more hot sauce or serve it on the side for drizzling.
Anyway, for the ranch dressing, you can also use bleu cheese instead and even add in some crumbled bleu cheese on top along with the shredded cheddar cheese before baking. Lastly, you can use softened cream cheese instead of sour cream if you want to make the filling even richer.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Now it's time for the fun part - making the casserole!
As I said earlier, this creamy Buffalo chicken casserole is a breeze to put together. You basically just boil and mash the potatoes, combine them with your creamy Buffalo sauce, then layer everything in your casserole dish and bake it to golden brown deliciousness. And, with only 10 minutes of prep time required, you'll be back to relaxing on the couch in no time.
Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get cooking!
Step 1: Boil The Mashed Potatoes
First things first, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and take out a 9-inch baking dish for later.
Then bring a large pot of salted water to boil on the stovetop and prepare the potatoes by peeling them and cutting them into 1-inch cubes. Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes to the pot and cook until they're fork-tender.
Step 2: Make The Filling
While the potatoes are cooking, take out a large bowl and add the shredded chicken, Buffalo sauce, and half of the ranch dressing to it. Then give everything a good mix until the chicken is fully coated in the ranch and Buffalo sauce.
Now, once the potatoes are fully cooked, strain and mash them in a large bowl using a potato masher.
Next, you can add the rest of the ranch dressing, butter, and sour cream to the bowl and mix everything together until the butter melts and you have smooth mashed potatoes. Then, taste it and season it with as much salt as you think it needs.
Step 3: Assemble The Casserole
Ok, now that all of the components for this creamy Buffalo chicken casserole are good to go, it's time to bring it all together.
Start by spreading the mashed potato mixture evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish. Then you can top that with all of the Buffalo chicken mixture, followed by the shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits on top.
Step 4: Bake The Casserole
Now you can put the completed casserole in the oven and bake it for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is slightly bubbly and golden brown on top.
Then once it's baked to perfection, allow the casserole to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Finally, serve, and enjoy!
How To Store Buffalo Chicken Casserole
This recipe for Buffalo chicken casserole makes 6 servings, which means you should have plenty to feed a hungry group of dinner guests. Honestly, whenever I make this when I'm hosting or for a family dinner, I rarely have any leftovers - it's just that good.
That being said, if you end up with some leftover casserole, just allow it to cool and then transfer it to an airtight container. Stored this way, the leftovers will last in the fridge 3-4 days. Now that is if you pick up the chicken or cook it the day you make this casserole. If you're using already leftover chicken, you'll want to take the days you've already stored it into account.
Alternatively, if you want your leftovers to last longer, you can store the cooled casserole in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How To Reheat Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Now, as good as this casserole is cold, it's even better when it's warmed back up.
To reheat your leftover Buffalo chicken casserole, just put it back in the casserole dish, cover it, and bake it in an oven set to 350°F for 10-12 minutes until the cheese melts and it's fully warmed through.
Alternatively, if you're only warming up a single serving, you can place your leftovers in the microwave and heat them in 30-second increments until it's the casserole reaches your desired temperature.
Wrapping It Up
Well, that's how to make creamy buffalo chicken casserole!
This recipe is pretty much the best Buffalo chicken dip ever in casserole form. The combination of flavors works perfectly together, from the cheddar cheese to the hot sauce and ranch, all the way to the chicken and bacon, this recipe just has so many delicious elements.
It's really one of my favorite casserole recipes I've come up with yet, and it's always the talk of the night whenever I serve this for dinner.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this Buffalo chicken casserole recipe as much as I/we do. As always, if you give this recipe a try, then be sure to leave a comment and let me know how it went!
More Casserole Recipes
I mentioned earlier that we have a ton of casserole recipes on the blog, so if that's what you're looking for, then we have plenty to check out next.
Here are some more easy casserole recipes:
- Pierogi casserole
- Pizza casserole
- Pork chop casserole
- John Wayne casserole
- Cheeseburger casserole
- Rotisserie chicken casserole
Oh, and for more easy recipes, don't forget to follow us on our YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram pages. We post new recipes on them every single day.
PrintThe BEST Buffalo Chicken Casserole (Prepped In 10 Minutes)
This Buffalo chicken casserole is truly the ultimate casserole dish! It combines chicken, bacon, creamy ranch dressing, and Buffalo sauce, all topped with shredded cheddar cheese to make a savory and spicy casserole that's a guaranteed crowd favorite. And, best of all, it could not be easier to make. In fact, you can make this casserole with just a handful of simple ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Casserole
Ingredients
1.5 lb. potatoes
1 lb. cooked and shredded chicken
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
⅓ cup ranch dressing
⅓ cup sour cream
3 tbsp Buffalo sauce
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
¼ cup butter
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until fork tender.
- Mash the potatoes in a large bowl using a potato masher.
- Add half the ranch dressing, butter, and sour cream to the bowl and mix with the potato mash. Season to taste with salt.
- Combine the chicken with Buffalo sauce and the remaining ranch dressing in a bowl.
- Spread the potato mash on the bottom of a 9-inch baking dish.
- Top it with the Buffalo chicken mixture, cheddar cheese, and bacon.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Cool the casserole for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 327
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Protein: 25
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Marie-Ange
Sounds delicious, will make and substitute chicken with left over xmas turkey!