Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Penne

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Penne pasta, creamy Alfredo and crispy bacon come together to create this Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Penne. It’s filled with so many palate-pleasers that are sure to leave you wanting more!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

I would be lying if I said this Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Penne recipe wasn’t one of my favorites on my blog. It’s just so creamy, cheesy and basically a pan full of comfort! What’s not to love?

If things weren’t already amazing, there’s also tender chicken and ranch flavoring to accompany all the other delicious ingredients. It’s a dish that combines all the things we love about comfort foods, and I’m totally here for it! 

While this pasta dish is perfect to make year round, I especially love to make it around the colder months. There’s nothing better than sitting around the dinner table with your family on a cold night enjoying a warm bowl of this heavenly Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Penne.

It’s a dish the whole family will adore, and that’s coming from a mother who has a few picky eaters in her house. 😉

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

This baked penne also makes for the perfect take-in meal for that neighbor, friend, or family member who could use a helping hand. It’s so simple to make, comes together easily, and is always a crowd-pleaser! 

To really create the ultimate comforting meal, you could serve this pasta dish with a side of Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks, Gorgonzola Garlic Bread, or a simple salad!

This dish is so delicious and filled with hearty ingredients that it’s perfect to serve as is. But for those of you who like a little more to their meals, those would be some tasty options! 🙂

MORE DELICIOUS PASTA DISHES YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Red and White Pasta

Creamy Pasta Primavera

Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake

Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
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5 from 11 votes

Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Penne

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

Alfredo Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup heaving whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup milk (2% or whole milk)
  • 3/4 cup salted butter
  • 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Chicken Bacon Ranch Penne

  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 1/2 pound cooked chicken breast, chopped (A rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe. I also like to add a little ranch seasoning to my chicken for added flavor. This is optional.)
  • 1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing
  • 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
  • 1 cup freshly grated Mozzarella cheese
  • freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Start on Alfredo Sauce: In a small bowl combine flour, heavy whipping cream and milk. Whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside.
    In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, add butter and cream cheese. Stir with a whisk until both are melted. (When they start to melt it will look curdled at first, but it will gradually smooth out.)
  • Slowly add in flour/milk mixture to saucepan. Continue to whisk until mixture starts to thicken. This takes a few minutes. Once thickened and hot, remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic powder until sauce is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  • For Baked Penne: Cook penne pasta in a large pot of water until al dente. Drain water and return pasta to pot. Add the cooked chicken, Alfredo sauce and ranch dressing. Carefully stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish; spreading out evenly.
  • Sprinkle chopped bacon and Mozzarella cheese evenly all over the top. (You can lightly season with pepper, if desired.) Place dish in oven and bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until hot, bubbly and cheese is melted. Carefully remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh chopped Parsley, if desired. Enjoy!

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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
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Recipe Rating




33 thoughts on “Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Penne

  1. I made a double recipe of this and I also used to the bacon grease to grease the inside of the casserole dish everybody loves it and it’s such an easy recipe to adapt to any family.

    1. Yes, it can. Make it up until the baking point. Don’t bake. Cover tightly and keep in fridge until ready to bake. It will need to bake longer though since it’ll be cold from sitting in the fridge overnight.

  2. 5 stars
    This meal is amazing ! ABSOLUTELY love it. I instant pot my chicken so it made the meal Quicker To make . And i added onions to my dish ! It was great !

  3. 5 stars
    Absolutely good. First time I accidentally forgot the ranch lol. it was still good, the next 3 times I’ve made it it was the bomb.

  4. Can i make this with rotini instead of penne? Im fresh out of penNe; i used it last night to make this recipe. Absolutely delicious.

  5. Recipe sounds great! Can’t wait to make it. Just to clarify…..the 1/2 cup of prepared ranch dressing. This is not just the powder mix in the packer, it’s actually prepared dressing???

      1. If I use store bought Alfredo, about how many ounces do you recommend? Not sure the volume the homemade version makes. Making for Mother’s day and need a quick version. Thanks

  6. When I combined the butter and the cream cheese, it stayed curdled and separated, but never did smooth out. How long does it usually take for the cream cheese and butter to smooth out? I think maybe my pan was too hot.

    1. Sorry about that Tabitha. Your pan may have been too hot, like you said. Make sure to heat it over low heat, and use a whisk and stir a lot. It does combine eventually. 🙂

  7. 5 stars
    We made this monday night so we are going to have the left overs today. What would be the best way of warming it up? Putting it in a pot and adding more sauce and ranch or jusy putting it back in. The oven?

    1. Brittny, I like to warm it up on the stove top in a pot. I add a splash or two of milk to bring back some moisture to it as well. 🙂

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