Name: Crack Chicken Pasta - Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 8- ounces penne pasta; 1 Tbsp butter; 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour; 2 Tbsp ranch dressing mix; 2 cups milk; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese; ⅓ cup cooked chopped bacon; 2 cups cooked chopped chicken

Crack Chicken Pasta – chicken and bacon tossed in a quick homemade cheesy ranch sauce! Ready to eat in under 15 minutes. Such an easy weeknight meal!! Cooked chicken, bacon, butter, flour, milk, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing mix, and pasta. Everyone in the family loves this! Serve with a salad and some crusty garlic bread – so delicious! We make this all the time!

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Chicken Pasta with Cheddar, Bacon & Ranch

This Crack Chicken Pasta is a weeknight favorite. Chicken and bacon tossed in a quick cheddar ranch sauce. OMG! SO good. The best part about this recipe is that it is super easy to make. I boiled the pasta and then used the same pot to 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!

What does CRACK mean?

If a recipe has “crack” in the title it means that the recipe has cheddar, bacon, and ranch in the ingredients. It all started with my Crack Dip way back in 2007. I made the dip for a Titans football game. Everyone went crazy over it. We couldn’t stop eating it and said it was like crack. The name stuck.

According to the dictionary, the definition of crack is “of superior excellence or ability”. We think the flavor combination of cheddar, bacon, and ranch fits this definition! This recipe is most definitely of superior excellence!

How to Make Crack Chicken Pasta

As I said, this dish is super simple to make. In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In the same pot melt butter. Add flour and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Stir in ranch dressing mix and cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add chicken, bacon, and pasta. Stir to coat and enjoy!

I used rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken in this pasta dish.
Here is our recipe for Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken: https://www.plainchicken.com/slow-cooker-rotisserie-chicken/
Can substitute turkey bacon for pork bacon in this pasta.
Can use any shape of pasta that you prefer. I like penne or bowtie pasta.
Feel free to toss in some steamed broccoli for a full meal!
Adjust the ranch dressing mix to your personal preference.
Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/

What to Serve with Chicken Mac & Cheese with Bacon

This quick pasta is one of our all-time favorite recipes. I always have the ingredients on hand to whip up a batch at a moment’s notice. We usually serve the pasta with some broccoli or a salad and some rolls. Give this a try the next time you need a quick and easy meal to please the whole family!

Need more side dish ideas? Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this stovetop mac & cheese:

Vegetables