Cheesy Ranch Chicken Pasta is so addictive, you won’t be able to have just one plate! Moist shredded chicken is paired with thick-cut crispy pieces of bacon and a creamy and cheesy ranch mixture on a bed of penne noodles for an amazing finish! If you are looking for more pasta ideas, make sure to check out my cheeseburger pasta and my mushroom and swiss pasta!
Easy One-Pot Cheesy Ranch Chicken Pasta
OK, so I know by now I have already sold you on why you would want to make cheesy ranch chicken pasta, but I am going to go ahead and add another thing. It all cooks in one pot! Just one. If you are like me, this is an amazing discovery. My kids love it and it cleans up easy which means I am winning. There is a little bit of prep work to be done but if you do that, I am here to tell you the rest of your week will be a breeze too.
Can I Make This Ahead of Time?
Yes! Here are some ways to make prepping and assembly easier.
- Shredded Chicken: You can buy your chicken cooked and pre-shredded but I prefer to make it ahead. Use this easy shredded chicken recipe for perfectly cooked and moist chicken every single time.
- Bacon: You can also buy pre-cooked bacon at the store but again, there is nothing better than the taste and crunch of perfectly cooked and crispy bacon. I always bake mine in the oven. Start by lining a large baking dish with tin foil and lay out the individual pieces of bacon. Bake them in the oven at 415° F for 18-20 minutes. Cook times will vary based on your oven heat.
- Ranch Seasoning: Make your own homemade ranch seasoning mix if you don’t have any on hand.
How to Make Cheesy Ranch Chicken Pasta
- Start with a small to medium-sized bowl.
- Add the chicken and the dry ranch seasoning and stir to combine making sure to coat all of the chicken well.
- Move to the Dutch oven and set it over medium heat. Add the broth, the dry penne noodles, and the chicken mixture. Stir to combine and bring everything to a boil.
- Reduce the heat down to low and cover. Allow this mixture to simmer 15-20 minutes.
- Stir it occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. (There will still be liquid in the pan when the noodles are finished cooking.)
- Add in the cream cheese and stir until it has completely melted into the mixture.
- Remove from heat and add the bacon and the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir everything together until it has completely melted.
Garnish with parsley and serve! Yup, it’s just that easy.
How to Store Cheesy Chicken Ranch Pasta
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I like to add a bit of milk or cream to the dish before reheating.
More Dinner Recipes
Cheesy Ranch Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken, cooked
- 1 package (1 ounce) dry ranch seasoning mix*
- 8 ounces penne noodles, uncooked
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine shredded chicken and dry ranch seasoning. (This is your chicken mixture.)
- To a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the chicken broth, penne, and chicken mixture. Stir to combine and then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and then cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked to your preference. There should still be some liquid in the pot when the pasta is done cooking.
- Add the cream cheese to the dutch oven and stir until most of the cream cheese has melted.
- Add the bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir everything until cheese is fully melted.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
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Can this be frozen atfer its cooked?
One of my all time favorites.
this was phenomenal! The entire family loved it! Doubled the recipe so we could enjoy leftovers, it was just a bit salty for our liking, so I think next time I will use a low sodium chicken broth, otherwise it was A-MAZ-ING!!!!
This is a delicious recipe. Thank you!
Awesome recipe. Thanks you so much, family loved it.
Delicious and easy to make!
You say 8 ounces of penne pasta.
Do you mean the entire 1LB box?
8 ounces of pasta is very little.
8 ounces of pasta is not “very little” as pasta is lightweight and a lot will be needed to reach the weight of 8 ounces.
Love this recipe! I have made it several times and friends have requested it for gatherings.
OMG. I measured 8 ounces in regards to fluids. I’m so silly I didn’t even think about that. I just redid it properly and it came out FANTASTIC.
Have you ever substituted Italian cheese blend for the cheddar?
This was so good! I made a few edits, though, based on what I had. I added green peas that I boiled in the chicken broth along with the pasta (and had to finish the 32oz container of broth I bought so it didn’t burn). And then I made a cheddar and cream cheese (5oz instead of 4, because what do you do with 1oz?!) mix that I added in at the end. And no bacon because I’m bad at making it, haha!