Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

BACON + CHICKEN + RANCH = INCREDIBLE PASTA!

I found this chicken bacon ranch pasta recipe at Better Homes and Gardens over a decade ago. The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing mix.

I tried it that way and we thought it was waaaaay to much. So salty and powerful that it was hard to eat. We ended up throwing the leftovers away.

But with chicken, bacon, and ranch, I knew the dish had potential, so I tweaked it. I used less ranch mix, and added more milk to the sauce.

Fortunately, with the changes, it was a huge hit with everyone in the family. We ended up fighting over the leftovers. Don’t worry, no one got hurt. 😉 

I’ve made it dozens of times since then, and it always brings smiles to the table! It’s a perfect dinner recipe for busy nights.

HOW TO MAKE BACON CHICKEN RANCH PASTA

1. PREP – Slice the bacon into bite sized pieces. Cube the chicken breasts into 1″ pieces. Start a pot of salted water boiling for the pasta. As soon as it boils, cook the pasta just till tender; drain.
2. BACON – While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove to a large plate. Drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
3. CHICKEN – Brown the chicken in the same skillet with the bacon grease. Cook until browned and cooked through. Place chicken on the plate with the bacon.
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4. SAUCE – Turn the heat down to medium low. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. (If it’s too dry, you can add additional bacon grease or butter.) Slowly whisk in the milk, then the dry ranch dressing mix and parmesan cheese. Turn heat to medium, cook & stir until thickened, letting boil for at least a minute.
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5. FINISH – Return the pasta, chicken, and bacon to the skillet. Stir and heat through.
6. SERVE – Serve hot. If desired, garnish with additional bacon, parmesan cheese, and parsley.

How to store leftovers

If you have any leftover pasta, it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. 

The noodles do soak up the sauce, so you may want to add a bit of milk or cream when you reheat it. It can be heated in the microwave, or in a small skillet over low heat.

If you know you won’t eat all of it, you can just serve the pasta with sauce spooned over it. Storing them separately ensures that the noodles won’t get overly mushy.

VARIATIONS:

• We like this dish just fine with a small amount of parmesan, but feel free to bump up the amount if you like things cheesy.
• Instead of parmesan, you can use cheddar, monterey jack, or mozzarella cheese. 
• Love garlic? Add a clove or two of minced garlic about a minute before the chicken is finished cooking. 
• For an extra creamy indulgent sauce, you can use heavy cream or half and half in place of the milk.
• Shredded rotisserie chicken also works for this recipe. Just skip the step of browning the chicken cubes and stir the shredded chicken in with the cooked bacon. 
• For a bit of tang, stir in 4 ounces of softened cream cheese or some sour cream.

Casserole Method – Undercook the pasta slightly, pour everything in a greased casserole dish and top with 1-2 cups shredded cheese. Bake covered at 350° for 20-25 minutes, then uncover and bake another 5 minutes.

MORE CHICKEN PASTA RECIPES:

• Baked Chicken Parmesan
• Lemon Bacon Chicken
• Italian Pasta Chicken
• Creamy Chicken Cajun Pasta
• Lemon Chicken Pasta
• Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes
• Chicken Stroganoff

Tried this bacon chicken ranch pasta? 

Leave a comment or review, I love getting your feedback!

Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon

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Yield: 6 servings

Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Ranch

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Creamy seasoned sauce loaded with chicken and bacon and served over pasta. An easy chicken dinner any night of the week!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tsp dry ranch dressing mix
• 2 Tbsp fresh parmesan cheese
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta (or 10 oz other pasta of your choice)

Instructions

1. Chop bacon and chicken. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until barely tender; drain.
2. Cook bacon over medium heat in a large skillet till crispy. Remove the bacon and place on a plate or dish.
3. Drain all but 2 Tbsp of the bacon grease. Cook cubed chicken in the bacon grease till completely done, about 7 minutes. Remove chicken to the plate with the bacon.
4. Turn the skillet to low; add the flour to the remaining bacon grease. (If it's too dry, add more bacon grease or butter.)
5. Slowly whisk in the milk, then the ranch dressing mix. Cook over medium heat and stir till thickened; boiling for at least a minute to remove raw flour taste.
6. Return chicken and bacon to the sauce with the parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. Heat through, stirring often..
7. Garnish with additional bacon, parmesan, or parsley if desired.

Notes

If you are in a big hurry, you can use Hormel bacon bits. Just cook the chicken in 2 Tbsp of butter instead of the bacon grease, and proceed with the recipe as usual. Still really good!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 385mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 23g

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When you need a family friendly dinner in a hurry, this bacon ranch chicken recipe fits the bill! Serve it with a fresh green salad or veggies for a complete meal!