Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Chicken Ranch Pasta


I've seen several versions of this pasta on Pinterest and it looked delicious.  I decided to put my twist on the recipe and it turned out great!  This is a one pot dish (Chicken Legs favorite kind of meal since he cleans the kitchen).  I boiled the pasta and then used the same pot make the cheese sauce and toss everything together.  I took a shortcut and used half of a rotisserie chicken and this was done in minutes.  We both loved it.  How could we not since it has all the flavors of our beloved "Crack" Dip in it!  Serve this with a salad and some bread for a delicious weeknight meal!




Chicken Ranch Pasta
(Printable Recipe)

8 ounces penne pasta
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp dry ranch dressing seasoning mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup cooked, chopped bacon
2 cups cooked chopped chicken

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In same pot melt butter. Add flour and stir. Cook flour for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Continue cooking until sauce thickens. Stir in ranch dressing mix and cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add chicken, bacon and pasta.  Stir to coat.

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59 comments:

ITheeCook said...

Pinned! Oh my son would love this dish! I will be making this soon. If you get a chance come visit my blog and follow back. Have a great week.

Thanks
~Rina

The Japanese Redneck said...

It does look delicious.

Rootietoot said...

I love the ranch recipes! I can't wait to try this one!

Sweet and Savory Eats said...

Well, this looks delicious!!!

Kate said...

I have to admit that I've used leftover "Crack dip" on pasta before -- just cooked and drained the past and stirred in the dip. It's not so bad!

Dawn said...

Made this lastnight using bowtie pasta (WackyMac brand) and LOVED IT!!!
Next time I'll add a little mustard to the sauce to kick up the flavor just a tad.

Thank you for sharing this recipe. A keeper for sure.

Laurie Simmons McQuillan said...

Made this last night and OMG GOOD! Husband loved it too. Only thing I may change WHEN I make it again, is cut back on the ranch seasoning. Maybe it was the brand I used but it seemed a bit too salty. Having said that, we both cleaned our plates - delicious!

Kristie said...

My husband made this for us the other night - it was delicious!

Chris said...

Pinned it, gonna make it!

BeanBugCrafts said...

Have this on the menu for this week! Can't wait to try it. TFS

Anna @ Bean Bug Crafts

Shatti Leveille said...

So good made for dinner. I agree a little mustard would be good!!

Shatti Leveille said...

So good made for dinner. I agree a little mustard would be good!!

Amberly Allred said...

I tried this recipe last night. The flavor was great, but the sauce was really soupy. Any suggestions?

Stephanie Parker said...

Amberly - I think you might just need to cook it a little longer - it takes a few minutes to feel it thicken up. you could also add a little more flour.

Denise Norman said...

I am looking to make sympathy meals. The widow likes pasta. Do you think this would freeze well? If so, how would you cook it afterwards? I need to make these meals tomorrow (Sunday 10/1).

Thank you in advance for your help.

Stephanie Parker said...

Denise - if you want to freeze it, I would make it and then put it in a 9x13 pan. Reheat it in the oven at about 350.

Denise Norman said...

Thank you Stephanie!!

Voice of Reason said...



Try marinating the chicken in fajita seasoning. Someone suggested this to me in version that puts these ingredients on a pizza using ranch as the sauce and I though it sounded nasty but I took her at her word and there just are no tasty adjectives I could use to describe how even more over the top delicious I thought chicken, ranch and bacon could be.



Dawn said...

Another great dish!!!
I took a shortcut and used "Real Bacon" bits. I've fixed this twice and shared it also.
Thanks for sharing it.

Miss Hensley said...

About how many does this recipe feed? I'm making dinner for 6 and was wondering if I should double the recipe or not. Thanks!

Stephanie Parker said...

Miss Hensley - it will serve 4. You can stretch it to 6 if you serve bread and salad.

scrappychica said...

Omg I am all over this recipe! It's going on my menu for this week, thank you!

Debbie Finch said...

Do you think this would be ok with canned chicken? I have some in the pantry and need to use it in something. Want to use chicken breast with other recipes on your blog.

Stephanie Parker said...

Debbie, I think canned chicken would be fine. Hope you enjoy it!

Jeanne said...

Doubled this and fixed it tonight for my Grown Daughters and their Boyfriends, A HUGE HIT, no leftovers.

CaseyA said...

Made this last night and everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing.

Vanesa Tarkington said...

How wuld you make this recipe if you had the packit off ranch all redy make. I want to make it but I dont have the dri ranch.

sarah johnson said...

The addition of sautéed onions and fresh diced tomatoes would be awesome!

Michele said...

I just made this for dinner and it was delicious!!!! I used elbow macaroni and it turned out great! Thank you for a great recipe!!!!!

Joie said...

I used this as the starting point for our dinner tonight. Followed the recipe, but used egg noodles cuz that's all I had. I added a bunch of spinach, upped the sauce amount slightly, and mixed it all together in a 9x13 pan. Popped it in the oven because I like crispy food, and holy smokes, this was so tasty!

One thing I've noticed, sauces like these only thicken if you use something other than skim milk. I cheated and added some half-and-half to my skim to simulate whole milk...

MJ Fan Girl said...

I want to try this tonight.... this looks delicious.

Brittany Henley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brittany Henley said...

How many people does it serve ?

Brittany Henley said...

How many people does it ?

ana lee said...

I thought it was a chicken and macaroni and cheese pasta. Turned out the recipe was different. I would like to add those seasoning ingredients to my seasoning database.

Katie Pederson said...

I made this tonight, substituting Chicken Chipotle Ranch brats from my local (awesome) meat market and bowtie pasta - YUM. Going on the repeat list! :)

carolynxriot said...

I just made this tonight, I added some button mushrooms to the mix and mixed mild and sharp cheddar cheese. It was delicious!

The only thing I noticed, however, was that the sauce was a little clumpy, even after letting the flour cook a little bit and whisking everything pretty well... Wonder how to fix that?

Great recipe, thanks so much!

Stephen Sanders said...

I suppose it will also taste good with ham, or better yet, the finest ham and bacon in melbourne will do just right.

Paige Newton said...

I have a huge thing for pastas and I cook a lot of different sorts. I put a lot of oregano every time I make one to keep the Italian feel of it

Brittany Holman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brittany Holman said...

This wasn't bad. I did have to add a squirt of liquid ranch to add a little more flavor & creaminess. My husband & 2 children LOVED it and said they would want me to make it again. So it's a keeper! Thanks!**I used a generic dry ranch seasoning packet (Surefine)- Anyone try the Hidden Valley packet, and have great success with this recipe?**

Erin B said...

Very yummy. Used homemade ranch seasoning and there is plenty of flavor.

Ian Holdermold said...

Pasta always tastes better with wine, just as long as you have the finest choice. I get the best liquor online.

Mrs. Root said...

How did you all cook the chicken first? Boil it?

Damian Bathory said...

I almost don't want to believe that this can be put together that quickly. Usually, you'd expect food that looks and tastes that good to take a little longer to prepare, even by the best catering bristol company.

Cj said...

Made this tonight. It was amazing! Added the mustard (very little) and poured the whole packet of organic ranch dressing seasoning, and used about 3/4 block of mild cheddar cheese (8oz). Delicious! Salad and bread made it a perfect full meal. Thank you!

Robert Thorne said...

That would make a nice option for Friday pasta dinners around here. I'd add a few more greens like spring onion, celery, and diced or shredded carrots so it would at least help teach my son about children nutrition.

Grace Johnson said...

Looks mouth-watering and appetizing! I've eaten some pasta that seems like this one into some catering services in Suffolk. I really fancy pasta these days, perhaps I'll be doing this one when my mom visited me.

Gracie Ray

luisa williams said...

The pasta looks so yummy! I think this will match up best to the hibiscus flavored tea I'm currently addicted in drinking. Perhaps I should try eating this ranch pasta together with it.

Luisa Williams

Amanda F said...

I made this for dinner tonight for my family and they loved it. I added mustard to it for taste and it came out awesome.

Sabrina Gunnels said...

Made this recipe last night and it was delicious! I doubled the recipe and I didn't have enough cheese so I added cream cheese and sour cream. I also added spicy mustard. Certainly a new favorite!

sharon said...

This was a no go with my bunch. Too bad it looked very promising.It was eaten but will not be requested again.

Constance Griggs said...

Will this work with ranch dressing not dry seasoning?

Gwyn Stiles said...

After clubbing, my friends and I usually grab a bite somewhere or go straight home and whip up a quick dish. Since this recipe contains milk, do you think it will go well with the beer that's already inside us?

-Gwyn Stiles

Caroline Hiemstra said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
geraldspencer82 said...

Thank you for this delicious recipe! My wife and our kids really enjoyed eating chicken ranch pasta.

G. Spencer

Mischna Ong said...

Thanks for the wonderful recipes, time and time again. I've been cooking some dishes for my date lately and it's going on pretty well. You're a life-saver!

Best,
Mischna Ong

lillyrason said...

I just love pasta! Always tastes best with wine, specially if you chose the best quality! I'll try this soon. Thank you!

- Lilly Rason

AlyReynolds said...

I've made this before and my fiancée and I really enjoyed it. I'm making it again tonight for friends but instead of chicken I plan on using chorizo. I'm crossing my fingers that all turns out well.

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