Comforting Crack Chicken Pasta (Printable View)
Tender chicken and crispy bacon tossed in a creamy ranch cheese sauce with penne pasta.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta & Chicken
01 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta
02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
03 - 5 slices bacon, chopped
→ Sauce
04 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
07 - 3/4 cup chicken broth
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
→ Cheese
10 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
→ To Finish
12 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions; drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy; remove and set aside, leaving about 1 tbsp bacon fat in the skillet.
03 - Add butter to the skillet. Once melted, sauté garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Lower heat to medium-low. Stir in cream cheese until softened, then add chicken broth, heavy cream, and ranch seasoning. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
05 - Add cheddar and parmesan cheese, stirring until melted and sauce is thickened.
06 - Add the cooked chicken and half the bacon to the sauce; stir to heat through.
07 - Combine the cooked pasta with the sauce, tossing to coat evenly.
08 - Divide among plates, then top with remaining bacon, green onions, and black pepper. Serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The ranch cream sauce comes together faster than you can believe, with no fancy techniques required
- Leftovers reheat beautifully, making it perfect for meal prep or tomorrows lunch
02 -
- Cold cream cheese creates stubborn lumps that never fully dissolve, so let it sit out while you cook the bacon
- The sauce thickens quickly off the heat, so remove it from the burner as soon as it coats a spoon
03 -
- Salt your pasta water until it tastes like the ocean
- Save a cup of pasta water before draining to loosen the sauce if needed