This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is creamy and cheesy with pieces of shredded rotisserie chicken and salty thick-cut bacon. A quick and easy flavored-packed, one-pot dinner the whole family will love!
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Easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Recipe
If you love chicken bacon ranch anything, you’ll love this easy pasta dish. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s made in one pot – basically a dream recipe for the cook.
Ranch seasoning adds flavor to the creamy sauce, along with Monterey Jack cheese and cream cheese, and rotisserie chicken, which helps keep the prep work down. Plus lots of thick-cut bacon for added flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pasta Dish
- 30-minute dinner. We’re starting with rotisserie chicken so this is an easy recipe to make on those busy weeknights. Just cook the pasta and bacon then prepare the sauce and toss it all together.
- Kid-approved. Kids love the creamy pasta, the ranch flavor, and the pieces of bacon. (And so do the adults, of course!)
- Only one pan. Everything is cooked in the same pan, which makes clean-up quick and easy. Only one dish to wash.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for this chicken bacon ranch pasta recipe.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Pasta – I used Campanelle pasta but any short pasta will work.
- Olive oil – Drizzled over the cooked pasta to prevent it from sticking.
- Bacon – I used thick-cut bacon. You’ll want to reserve some of the bacon grease for cooking.
- Garlic – For aromatics and flavor.
- Flour – Thickens the sauce.
- Milk – I used whole milk. 2% or skim milk may result in a thinner sauce.
- Ranch seasoning – You can grab a packet at the store or use my homemade ranch seasoning.
- Cream cheese – Makes the pasta extra creamy.
- Monterey Jack cheese – I love this blend for the flavor but other similar cheeses will work too.
- Chicken breast – I use shredded rotisserie chicken for ease but you can use any cooked chicken breast.
- Salt and pepper – To taste.
How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Here’s an overview of how to make this easy pasta dinner.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details and don’t miss the video below.)
- Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta in generously salted water according to package instructions. Reserve half a cup of pasta water then drain and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon in the same pot until crispy. Drain.
- Make the sauce. Leave 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot. Cook the garlic for 20 seconds then add the flour and stir for 1-2 minutes until no white patches remain. Slowly whisk in the milk and boil for 2-3 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese, ranch seasoning, and cream cheese.
- Combine the ingredients. Add the pasta, chicken, and most of the cooked bacon to the pot. Stir to combine and heat on low to re-warm the pasta.
- Enjoy. Taste test and add salt and pepper if desired. Serve with more cheese and crumbled bacon.
Tips & Variations
- Thin the sauce as needed. You can use the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if needed once you combine all of the ingredients. It will continue to thicken as it stands.
- Thick-cut bacon produces more drippings. I like to use thick-cut bacon for that reason as it provides more flavor to the dish overall.
- Cook chicken in the bacon grease. If you need to cook the chicken breasts instead of using rotisserie chicken, cook them in the bacon grease for more flavor.
- Season at the end. Ranch seasoning can be pretty salty, as can the bacon, so wait until the end to taste test and add salt and pepper as desired.
Video: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Serving Suggestions
All you need to turn this chicken bacon ranch pasta into a complete meal is a veggie side – we love this roasted broccoli or roasted carrots. A simple side salad is also a quick and easy option, as is my classic Caesar salad.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Store leftover chicken bacon ranch pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this dish due to the high amount of dairy.
- Reheat. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. You may want to add a splash of broth to thin the sauce, as it will thicken quite a bit.
More Easy Pasta Recipes:
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Bacon and Broccoli Pasta
- Chicken Pot Pie Noodles
- Chicken Alfredo
- Boursin Cheese Pasta
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is creamy and cheesy with pieces of shredded rotisserie chicken and salty thick-cut bacon. A quick and easy flavored-packed, one-pot dinner the whole family will love!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry short pasta (Campanelle is pictured)
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon , diced small
- 3 tablespoons reserved bacon grease
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 2 ounces cream cheese , cubed
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups heaping cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
- salt and pepper , to taste
- Additional cheese and crumbled bacon , for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining pasta, then drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat, to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- In the same pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 6 minutes. Drain bacon on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pot. Over medium heat, add garlic and sauté for 20 seconds until fragrant. Add flour and stir 1-2 minutes until no white patches remain, reducing heat if it begins to brown. Slowly whisk in the milk a little at time to incorporate and then bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes until thick.
- Remove pot from the heat. Whisk in Monterey Jack cheese, ranch seasoning, and the cream cheese until melted and smooth.
- Add cooked pasta, shredded chicken, and most of the cooked bacon (reserving some for garnish), stir to incorporate. Place back on low heat for a couple minutes to re-warm pasta, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water to thin it out, if needed.
- Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately with more cheese and crumbled bacon. The sauce will thicken pretty fast as it stands.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 675kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 438mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 321mg | Iron: 2mg
Teaching my college son how to cook by Facetime. He didn’t “have time” over the summer to learn so here we are, doing it virtually… but cooking together. He picked this recipe! Easy to follow, clear directions and what a delicious treat!! We added a little extra garlic (because we love it!) and it was heaven. We talked about wilting some spinach or kale to serve with it for rounded out meal, and he was good to go! I cook in my home, while he cooks in his apartment. We all had a wonderful meal!!
Easy and delicious! I added a small onion to use of produce and I was lazy and used pre-cooked bacon bits but I had saved bacon grease from some high and bacon so it worked out nicely!
Wonderful recipe. I’m going to add a Cajun seasoning with some shrimp will be a great idea during lent