Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake is a simple pasta recipe bursting with creamy ranch flavor. This recipe is easy and delicious!
I believe I created my family’s favorite new dinner with this Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake recipe! This amazing pasta casserole is bursting with flavor from the chicken, bacon, ranch seasoning and mozzarella cheese!
My kids adore a good pasta dish and this one knocked their socks right off. 😉 This pasta bake comes together quickly, so it is great for those busy weeknights when we need something simple yet delicious on the dinner table.
The homemade creamy ranch sauce coats the pasta perfectly and ensures lots of flavor in every single bite. While the creamy ranch sauce was cooking, I coated the chicken pieces in ranch seasoning and sautéed them in a non-stick skillet. I let them get really golden-brown and it added lots of extra flavor. It ends up leaving this pasta dish all the more delicious.
I served our Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake with a green side salad and we all enjoyed every single bite. There was only one serving left for dinner the next night, so Kelsey and I had to fight over who got it. haha. Since I’m a nice Momma I let her have it, and she was pretty grateful. 😉
MORE DELICIOUS PASTA RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:
Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Penne
Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dried penne pasta
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces
- 1 Tablespoon ranch seasoning/dressing mix
Ranch Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons ranch seasoning/dressing mix
- 1/2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 4 slices cooked bacon chopped
- fresh chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
- Season chicken pieces with ranch seasoning. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray.
- Cook chicken in prepared skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink in center; about 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully transfer cooked chicken to a large plate. Tent with foil to keep warm. Carefully wipe skillet clean so you can cook the sauce in it.
Ranch Sauce
- Add butter to skillet and melt it over medium heat. Once melted, add garlic and stir until fragrant; about 1 minute. Whisk in ranch seasoning and flour. Cook for 30 seconds whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in heavy whipping cream. Continue to cook and stir for one minute or until mixture starts to boil. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese until it completely melts. Season sauce with pepper.
- Add drained cooked pasta and cooked chicken to ranch sauce in skillet. Stir to combine. Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Toppings
- Top evenly with Mozzarella cheese and chopped bacon. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Remove from oven and let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
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Delicious I made this tonight
5 stars ⭐️ across the board ease of preparation and taste
When you are letting it rest, do you cover it with foil?
You can. Letting it rest is just so it can cool down. I don’t usually cover it while it’s cooling 🙂
Could you make this the night before, refrigerate it, and then bake it the next day?
Can I use precooked chicken? If so, how do I work the ranch in? Thanks
Yes, you can use pre-cooked chicken. I would add the ranch seasoning (that you would normally cook with the chicken) into the sauce mixture. 🙂
I am curious, as well, if you have ever made this the night before , refrigerated it and baked it the next day. Katy asked that question and I don’t see a response.
I want to try the recipe that way but want to make sure the consistency of the sauce will remain the same.
I have not made this the night before and baked the next day. But I have with plenty of other pasta bakes. I think you can loose a little bit of the sauce by doing this. It tends to soak up into the noodles so it may not be as saucy as you like.
I did that… just make sure not to put the mozzarella on top until you’re about to bake that way you can give it a good stir before topping and baking
Can I prepare the dish, then keep in the fridge for the hubby to put in oven later?
Yes, you can definitely prep this in advance. Prepare it all up until be baking time. Cover tightly and store in fridge until you’re ready to bake it 🙂
Do you use bottled ranch dressing or powecered?
Powdered, but you can use bottled ranch to replace my sauce mixture. I have not tried it, but I assume it would work fine.
Can I use actual ranch dressing in place if the powdered mix?
Yes, I think that would work just fine 🙂
Do i use whipped cream
Heavy whipping cream (not whipped cream)
Very good, my wife and I had this for supper. I made it while she took it easy, there’s enough left over for supper tomorrow and mayb the next day.
Yummy. Was very good. Came out better then I thought. Will be making again.
Just made this, super good! After making my bacon, i cooked the chicken pieces in the bAcon grease. (I know not AnyWhere near healthy but so so good ) Also added some extra mozzarella on top for some extra cheesiness! Will definitely make again!
Made this tonight but instead of baking it with mozzarella and bacon on top i just mixed them into the sauce and served as is. My kids loved it. Will make again.
Just made this, it was a hit! FIve stars, deff will make it again.
For the pasta, is it 8 oz dry pasta or 8 oz cooked pasta? Thank you! Cavt wait to make this
8 ounces dry.
I just wanted to hop on here and say thank you for such a comprehensive recipe! I am baking at the last step and I can’t wait to give it a taste when it comes out!
We have made this several times now and our family loves it. My daughter says it’s like a 5 star restaurant! But she’s just sixteen so take that for what it’s worth. Very tasty dish and it will be a staple in our home from now on!
Don, that is so wonderful to hear! Thanks so much for leaving a comment and letting me know. 🙂
Delicious! my son’s gfriend loves pasta So i made this when she joined us for dinner. The ranch dressing was flavorful. I might have Used too Much pasta as the dish waS A bit dry. I’d reduce the mozzarElla next time or blend it with the dish.
i made two batches of the sauce and it was creamy
Hubby said “It’s a keeper!” so will be on the schedule to make again. It was yummy! Thank you 🙂
This was absolutely amazing! My hubby and i both went back for seconds!
DELICIOUS!!! VERY FLAVORFUL
Great recipe, made the sauce with 2% milk instead of heavy cream and added about 1/2 CUP of plain Greek yogurt and some frozen broccoli for some extra protein and a little lighter in calories. It turned out great and would make again.
This was absolutely delicious. Thank you.
Do I necessarily have to use heavy cream or could I use half and half? Would that wor for this recipe?
Heavy cream will make the sauce thicker, but you can use half and half to replace it. It will just be a little thinner of a sauce.
kids loved this one!!
Holly, I rarely leave comments but will say this is a recipe I will make many times, as another reviewer said five star. used rotisserie chicken, bowtie pasta and half and half instead of whip cream. The flavor of the sauce is devine! next time i’ll add some chop celery and bell pepper, maybe a few sliced almonds. Also, because i live alone, I cut leftovers into serving size and froze in foil/bag. to serve, thaw and put in 350 oven until warm. tasted just as great as the first time.
Thank you for commenting and letting me know! I love to hear when recipes are such a success for others 🙂
Big hit for everyone in the family! That is rare in this house!
Made this for dinner toNight and it was delicious!! Is there a way to make it ahead of time and freeze for later?
So glad you liked it! Yes, you can make this in advance by preparing it all the way up to the baking point. Don’t bake. Cover very tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to two months. When ready to eat I would place it in the fridge to thaw for up to 24 hours. Remove wrapping and bake as directed. You may need to extend the baking time a little more though because it is going into the oven cold.
Also, the pasta bake will lose a lot of the sauce because of freezing it. You can always make extra sauce on to serve with it. Hope this helps!
It was a hit toNight! Everyone loved it. I added half a Cup of regular milk so it wouldn’t dry out in the oven. I will def be making it again!
This recipe was simple and delicious. it contains no outrageous ingredients and I had everything on hand. with three men in my house, I also like that it makes a 13 x 9 inch dish.
This was ridiculous! Ridiculously good. I cooked the chicken in a cast iron pan then instead of transferring it to a casserole dish, I just popped the pan into the oven. I added a few onions and some par-cooked broccoli. And it was so creamy and tasty and…. Well, this is the definition of comfort food.
Thanks So much!
so good!!!
It was easy and delicious. I doubled the recipe to make Enough for my family. I also went a little heavier on the ranch because thats my business. Thank you!
Your recipe was delicious! My whole “picky” family ate it with no negatiVe comments .
DeLICIOUs
Will it come out Ok if i use Bone in skin on CHICKEN thighs instead?
Amazing recipe! I usually don’t leave reviews but i had to on this one. I am eNjoying my first dish Of this rIght now and i Was surprised. I tried to go light with the ranch seasoning because i was nervous it would be over powering. But the dish is AMAZING and i am dEfinitely making it again!
Thank you for sharing. wILL TRY SEVERAL RECIPE THIS WEEK. AGAIN, THANK YOU. m
Absolutely love this! Had this for a birthday get together with in-laws and all went quiet as they started to eat, some don’t like new things, some cringe around garlic. Then I was asked what was in this and how to make it!! EVERYONE kept saying how good it was- thank you so much, definitely a winner!!!❤️
This is ABSOLUTELY delicious and our favorite meal!! thank you!!… what do you think i should change to Cook this in a one pot dUtch oven??
Great recipe! Easy to follow. My Family loved it! ThAnk you! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There are no words for how good thIs is! Perfect comfOrt food for a cold winter night. Thank you for sharing.
Can you sub regular milk for Heavy cream?
Yes, but the sauce will be a bit thinner. The heavy cream helps to thicken it. 🙂
absolutely delicious! I made mine with rotisserie chicken so that saved a step. I’ll be making this often!
Did you add The extra seasoning that goes on the chicken to the sauce?
I used a rotisserie too! i love using them for shortcuts cause you know they’re already delicious and juicy.
This recipe is incredible!!!!
I really like this recipe me and my hUbby feel like it was dry neXt time i will double up on the sauce still very delicious
Adding a little heavy cream to get it to your desired consistency helps keep it thick and creamy. 🙂 and if you close your eyes when you pour it, the calories don’t count. 🙂 LOL
MY FAMILY LOVED THIS! THANK YOU!
Love this recipe added a whole lb bacon
This recipe has become a staple in our house! It’s so good. I add a few dashes of hot sauce to the sauce and my family lives it. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Family loved it. I doubled the recipe. Added bacon to the pasta mixture. Also added a mug of pasta water (x2 sInce i doubled) to the sauce mixture to thin it out a little. Will make again 🙂
Fantastic! Only thing I would do different is bake it covered. Then brown the too at the end. Other than that
THIS is a staple meal for us. We have it like 3 times a month…. I use shells instead of PEnne and oh my gosh it captures the cheesey sauce soooooooo good! thank u for this dish!
The dish was Really, really, really good!!! I only altered the butter, used unsalted, and followed the rest as written. My family loved it and gave a thumbs up to make again.
Made this the other night but obviously added more bacon — cause… BAcon! I love that I didn’t have to make a ton of bacon but because it was just as a topping and not stirred in, you could taste it in every bite. Absolutely delicious and will definitely keep this on our regular rotation.
Made this dish last night. Absolutely fabulous! Only thing I did differently was to add diced onion that I sauteed in the bacon grease. Really yummy.
Added some sauteed spinach to this perfect recipe. We also make it with shrimp instead. This is my daughter’s favorite pasta dish!
Holly, in #26, your response to Christen, you stated that this could be made up to the point of baking and then freeze. But may want to make extra sauce to serve with it when you do bake it. Can you tell me if the extra sauce could be made ahead and frozen as well? Making freezer meals for a new mom.
Hi Rhonda! Yes, you can make extra sauce ahead of time and freeze it. You’ll want to thaw it in the fridge first, then microwave or heat it on the stovetop before eating. 🙂
Great! Thank you!
I am consIdering making this for company. Does fresh basil work in this reCipe? Can i make it a day Or two ahead Of time?
You can make this one day in advance and bake before serving!
Not sure why you need flour in this recipe. Hwc is thick enough by itself. I skipped the flour, and it was creamy and delicious!
This is DELICIOUS!! I modified just a little. I didn’t use bacon. Instead of the pasta called for in the recipe, I used a 19 oz bag of tortellini. Will be a household staple from now on!