A delicious and creamy chicken ranch pasta bake that is easy to prepare and perfect for family dinners.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Easy
Servings: 8servings
Equipment
Baking Dish
Skillet
Saucepan
Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
4pieceschicken breastsboneless, skinless, cut into half-inch sized pieces
¼teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonpepper
5tablespoonsbutterdivided
16ouncesrotini pastacooked al dente to package directions, drained
3tablespoonsall-purpose flour
1ounceranch seasoning mix1 packet
4 ½cupsmilk
8stripsbaconcooked and crumbled
2cupssharp cheddar cheeseshredded
2piecesgreen onionschopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8×11 baking dish. Set aside. If using fresh chicken, cut the chicken breasts into half-inch size pieces. Season them lightly with salt and pepper. NOTE: You can use any type of pre-cooked chicken if you want to skip this step.
Heat butter in a skillet to medium high. Working in batches, cook the chicken pieces for 3 – 5 minutes, stirring to cook evenly. Transfer to a dish and keep warm while you cook all the chicken.
While the chicken is cooking, boil the pasta to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside (do not rinse).
Next, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter on low. Whisk in the flour and cook and stir until smooth and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the milk and stir until smooth. Add the packet of ranch seasoning and whisk until well blended. Increase heat to medium high and bring the ranch sauce mixture to a low boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and stir until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
In the baking dish, build layers of pasta, chicken, bacon, sauce. Top each layer with a portion of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers and finish with cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot with the chopped green onions.
Notes
Feel free to add vegetables like spinach or bell peppers for extra flavor and nutrition.