Description
A creamy pasta skillet loaded with chicken, crispy bacon, ranch seasoning, cheddar, and parmesan. Comforting and flavorful, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta & Base:
- 10 oz rotini or penne pasta
- Salt (for pasta water)
Proteins:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
Sauce:
- 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Garnish:
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Boil Pasta: Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water.
- Crisp Bacon: In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove, crumble, and set aside.
- Cook Chicken: In bacon fat, cook diced chicken until golden and cooked through. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Make the Sauce: Lower heat. Stir in ranch seasoning, cream, and broth. Simmer until smooth. Add pasta water gradually to adjust thickness.
- Combine: Add pasta, bacon, and chicken to skillet. Stir in cheddar and parmesan. Mix until evenly coated.
- Garnish & Serve: Sprinkle parsley on top and serve hot.
Notes
For a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream. Add spinach or broccoli for extra veggies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One-Pot Skillet
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 1050mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 37g
- Cholesterol: 155mg
Keywords: chicken bacon ranch pasta, creamy pasta skillet, ranch chicken pasta