This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is the perfect one pot dinner for your family. Delicious, easy, and full of great flavors that will have everyone fighting over the last bites.
Looking for another great one pot meal? Make my One Pot Creamy Shrimp Pasta!
This week we have 800 million things going on. We are a really busy family in general, but this week is a bit over the top. Why does the end of the school year have to be so intense? It’s weeks like this (and every other week) that call for easy to make one pot meals full of carb loving goodness, and this Chicken Bacon Ranch Past fits the bill. You only need a few ingredients for this guy, and it’s very little hands on time. It’s perfect to make while looking for a lost dance shoe, or while helping finish that project that should have been done a month ago when it was first assigned.
THE MAKINGS OF A PERFECT ONE POT MEAL
To make a great one pot meal, you need to be able to make it all one one pot (obviously). You also need it to have enough moisture that it is going to cook the pasta well, and enough flavor that in the end, after everything is absorbed, you want to devour it by yourself.
This is just that kind of one pot pasta recipe.
I know this recipe is a good one, because when I left this chicken ranch pasta with my neighbor’s teenage son (to share with the family), she told me later that he had eaten a ton before dinner even happened. He even told his brother and his dad that it wasn’t very good so that he could have the rest for himself. Ah, carbs at their very finest.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN RANCH PASTA
I love how simple this recipe is. It takes a bit of time for everything to cook, but so little of that time is hands on.
- Grab your favorite heavy bottomed pan that is oven proof. Cook some chopped bacon in it, until just crisp.
- Add the raw chicken that you’ve cut up. Cook that until just done.
- Whisk in some flour.
- Add in some chicken stock and ranch seasoning.
- Stir in some pasta, bring to a boil, and cook on a low simmer for about 15 minutes or until the noodles are done.
- Stir in some cheese, pour more on top, and broil it for a few minutes.
How easy is that??
VARIATIONS
There are a few ways you can mix this up. Actually, there are a LOT of ways you can mix this up. The one thing I wouldn’t really mess with is the liquid to noodle ratio.
- Switch the ranch seasoning mix for some other flavor packet. I have only tried ranch, but I bet there are others out there that would be delicious with the flavors we have going on.
- Bulk up the nutrition on this by adding in some roughly chopped spinach when you add in the cheese. Give it time to wilt down before you pop it all in the oven.
- Give it even more nutrition by adding some diced tomatoes at the very end after you’ve pulled it out of the oven.
OTHER GREAT ONE POT MEALS
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound thick cut bacon
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts diced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons ranch seasoning
- 1 pound dry rigatoni noodles
- 2 cups mozzarella
Instructions
- In a large oven proof dutch oven, over medium heat cook the bacon. until almost crisp.
- Add in the diced chicken breasts and cook for about three minutes, until no longer pink, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the flour and then whisk in the chicken stock slowly. Stir in the ranch seasoning.
- Stir in the dry rigatoni noodles, cover, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Stir in one cup of the mozzarella, and then sprink the rest on the top. Broil for 5 minutes. Serve while warm and enjoy!
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
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