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!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
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!
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. Bonus: it only takes 20 minutes and one pot to make! You have to love dinner’s like that!
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!
How to Serve Chicken Bacon Ranch 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, roasted vegetables, 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 green on top.
Ingredients
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.
- Rotini Pasta: or 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: the 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
Boil the noodles. Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to the package directions, until al dente. Then, drain the pasta, and return to the pot over low heat.
A tip – The noodles should be al dente, because they’re going to continue cooking with the other ingredients for a few more minutes. You don’t want overcooked, mushy noodles!
Add the cream cheese. Quickly add the cream cheese to the pasta and stir until the cream cheese is melted and well incorporated.
Toss in the flavor. Add the Alfredo sauce, cheddar cheese, and ranch seasoning to the pot. Stir everything together to fully combine.
Add the meat. Finally, fold in the cooked chicken and crumbled bacon. Stir it all together, then serve immediately.
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!
How long will it stay fresh?
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.
However, any leftovers you do have can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat it and add a little extra Alfredo sauce to loosen it back up.
You can freeze it, too! In the same container, it’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, just pop it in the fridge overnight, and reheat as you normally would.
Can I make it spicy?
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!
This quick and easy Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta is extra creamy and packed with flavor from the ranch seasoning and bacon all throughout. Serve it up for an easy weeknight dinner and watch it disappear!!
If you’re craving more easy pasta dinner recipes, don’t worry. We have some fabulous recipes for you! Here are some of our best pasta dishes:
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!
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.