Comforting Crack Chicken Pasta (Printable version)
Rich, creamy pasta with chicken, bacon, and ranch flavors—ready in 40 minutes.
# 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 make it:
01 - Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
02 - Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and reserve, leaving 1 tbsp bacon fat in skillet.
03 - Add butter to bacon fat. When melted, add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in softened cream cheese until melted. Add chicken broth, heavy cream, and ranch seasoning. Whisk continuously until completely smooth and blended.
05 - Stir in cheddar and parmesan cheeses until fully melted and sauce reaches desired thickness.
06 - Add cooked chicken and half the cooked bacon to sauce. Stir well and heat through thoroughly.
07 - Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss until evenly coated. Divide among serving plates and top with remaining bacon, sliced green onions, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- Ready in under 45 minutes but tastes like it simmered all day
- The ranch and bacon combination creates that cant-stop-eating flavor
- Works perfectly with leftover rotisserie chicken for busy weeknights
02 -
- Dont skip softening the cream cheese first—I learned this the hard way when I ended up with tiny lumps I couldnt whisk out
- The sauce thickens quickly as it cools, so have everything ready before you start adding the cheese
03 -
- Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water before draining in case you need to loosen the sauce later
- Grate your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded—it melts much more smoothly