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–+ servings
A baking dish of chicken and bacon pasta.
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Cheesy Chicken Bacon Pasta

This Chicken Bacon Pasta is easy to prep in about 10 minutes. You don't need the stove for this pasta recipe, everything is baked in a casserole dish in the oven to serve easily.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pasta, vegetables
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 628kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 7.5 ounce container plain or garlic herb whipped cream cheese
  • 10-12 ounces pasta rotini, penne, cellentani, or fusilli
  • 2 cups shredded medium or sharp cheddar Borden cheese divided
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups chicken broth regular or low sodium
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons ranch seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cups cooked shredded or cubed chicken
  • 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon divided
  • Garnish options: sliced green onions, snipped parsley, extra cheese, extra cooked bacon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • In a 13x9-inch baking dish, place whipped cream cheese in the center. Distribute the uncooked pasta and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded Borden cheddar cheese around the cream cheese.
  • Sprinkle on ranch seasoning, salt, and black pepper and drizzle olive oil evenly over the entire dish components.
  • Pour chicken stock over the mixture. Tent and seal tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes.
  • Carefully remove the foil. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the bacon then add the remaining bacon to the top of the baked pasta along with the cooked chicken and heavy cream. Stir until well combined. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and reserved bacon on top.
  • Return to the oven, and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has started to brown and it's bubbling at the edges of the baking dish.
  • Rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish as desired.

Video

Notes

Expert Tips

  • Be sure to layer the ingredients in the casserole dish correctly. This will make sauce the right consistency to coat the noodles nicely.
  • If your sauce is too thick, warm some chicken stock in the microwave and add to the sauce. Drizzle in some hot chicken stock and mix until the sauce is the right consistency.
  • Use a rotisserie chicken as a store-bought shortcut. This is our secret to cutting the prep time down to 10 minutes. It's ideal for any busy weeknight.
  • Try our different pasta shapes. Be sure it's a shorter pasta shape so it cooks quickly and evenly in the oven and also coats int he sauce nicely. We love rotini, penne, cellentani, or fusilli shapes.
  • Add vegetables to the chicken and bacon pasta bake. We also love to add broccoli florets, spinach, peas, or green beans for added vegetable flavor.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven for a couple of minutes until warmed through.
Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 628kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1615mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 626IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 2mg
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