This quick and easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is made in one pot and ready in just 20 minutes. Treat yourself to a big pot of creamy pasta with a ranch Alfredo sauce, chicken and bacon for dinner tonight!
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pasta Recipe
If you’re anything like us, pasta always sounds like a good idea. Whether it’s smothered in red marinara or baked in a ziti casserole, pasta is something we both find ourselves craving all the time. Of all the carbs we love, noodles are definitely one of our favorites! Here are just a few reasons to love this chicken pasta.
- That Flavor: Believe us when we say this – this chicken bacon ranch pasta recipe is one of the BEST pasta dishes we’ve ever made. The Alfredo sauce and cream cheese provide the best creamy texture, and the bacon and ranch seasoning come together to make each bite more flavorful than the last.
- So Easy: Did we already say this dish only takes 20 minutes and one pot to make? It bears repeating! We absolutely love easy weeknight dinners like this.
- Kid Friendly: This easy one pot meal truly has it all. It’s creamy, savory and cheesy. There’s seriously nothing we don’t love about this easy recipe. Oh – and it’s picky eater approved! The kids can’t get enough of this pasta dinner!
If you’re craving more easy pasta dinner recipes, don’t worry. We have some fabulous recipes for you! We recommend trying our kid-friendly chili mac, cheesy stuffed shells with spinach, and Instant pot spaghetti and meatballs. So good!
What You’ll Need
The ingredients needed for this recipe are simple and inexpensive, just the way we like it! In fact, there’s a big chance you already have most of these ingredients in your kitchen now. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Rotini Pasta: You can use any similar style noodle – elbow or penne work wonderful as well!
- Cream Cheese
- Alfredo Sauce: We like to use Rao’s brand Alfredo sauce.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Ranch Seasoning: Dry seasoning packet.
- Shredded and Cooked Chicken
- Crumbled Bacon: Fresh cooked and crumbled bacon is best, but bacon bits work in a pinch!
How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
We love chicken pasta recipes that come together in just 20 minutes. Here’s how to make it! Check out the recipe card for detailed directions.
- Noodles: Cook your noodles according to package directions until they’re just al dente. They’ll continue to cook a bit when combined with the other ingredients.
- Combine: After you drain the pasta, put it back in the pan and add the cream cheese. Stir together until it’s nice and melty. Then, add the Alfredo sauce, cheese, and ranch seasoning. Finally, fold in the cooked chicken and bacon. You’re done!
Tips for Best Results
Chicken pasta recipes come in all sorts of flavors and textures. But this chicken bacon ranch pasta is one of our favorites by far. Here are some tips and variation ideas for you to try out.
- Cheese Please: Want more melty cheese? You can also add a layer of shredded cheese right on top of the pasta and place it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to melt the cheese. We sometimes do this if we are feeling extra cheesy that night!
- Spice It Up: We’re usually catering towards kids, so while we don’t add any heat, you sure can! This pasta can be made a bit spicier with a chopped jalapeño – just toss it in with the cream cheese. A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes would also be tasty!
- Make Your Own: While we gravitate toward convenience in this recipe, feel free to make your own chicken, Alfredo sauce, and/or seasoning mix! You can make this recipe as simple as you like or add your own homemade twist!
What to Serve With Chicken Pasta
Some nights, this delicious dinner is served all on its own. However, there are plenty of side dishes that you could easily pair it with!
Whether you serve this pasta with your favorite salad (we’re nuts about wilted lettuce salad with bacon vinaigrette dressing!), roasted vegetables (parmesan roasted broccoli anyone?!), or a slice of toasted garlic bread, it’s sure to be a huge hit. We honestly most often just grab a big bowl and dig in just as it is. That’s the good part about a one pot meal – it’s everything you need!
If presentation is important to you, we also recommend chopping up some fresh parsley to garnish on top! It adds that pretty touch of freshness.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
This dish is best served fresh! Given time, the noodles will soak up more of the creamy sauce making it softer and the flavors a little more dull. It’s still tasty as leftovers, but I recommend serving it fresh.
- Refrigerate: If you do want to keep leftovers, they’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: We usually reheat individual servings in the microwave and add a little extra Alfredo sauce to loosen it back up.
- Freeze: You can freeze chicken pasta for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat as normal.
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz rotini pasta, penne also works great
- 5 oz cream cheese, softened
- 16 oz jarred Alfredo sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 oz packet ranch seasoning
- 2 cups shredded and cooked chicken
- ½ cup cooked and crumbled bacon, about 8 strips bacon
Instructions
- Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil. Boil pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat.
- Quickly add cream cheese to pasta and stir until cream cheese is melted and well incorporated.
- Add Alfredo sauce, cheddar cheese and ranch seasoning and stir to combine.
- Fold in cooked chicken and crumbled bacon. Serve immediately!
The kids really liked it and it was easy, which is worth 5 stars for those reasons alone. The flavors were good, I added some cooked broccoli to it and some chicken I had cooked in the air fryer while the pasta water was boiling. It came together quickly as promised. Next time I think I’ll use a little less cheese though. I had to keep adding pasta water because it just seemed too gummy and super cheesy.
I tried this last night and it was super easy and delicious. I didn’t have a rotisserie chicken, but used sausage. It was great!
This is our new family favorite past dish. My kids went back for THIRDS. No joke! So good and I love that it’s made in one pot.