Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta

"Found this on pinterest and wanted to get it into my cookbook! My new go to recipe when I want my kids to rave about dinner! It's adapted from Better Homes and Gardens."
 
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photo by Anonymous photo by Anonymous
photo by Anonymous
photo by mistyki11r photo by mistyki11r
photo by mis liz photo by mis liz
Ready In:
25mins
Ingredients:
9
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • 1. Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; drain, return to pot, and keep warm.
  • 2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Drain all but one tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan.
  • 3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the reserved bacon drippings, then add the chicken to the same skillet. Cook until tender, no longer pink, and slightly browned.
  • 4. Sprinkle the flour and ranch dressing mix over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Stir in the milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the cheddar cheese and half of the reserved bacon; cook and stir until the cheese is melted.
  • 5. Serve each plate of pasta with more bacon sprinkled over the top.

Questions & Replies

  1. Can you make ahead. If not best way to keep warm for a few hours.
     
  2. Do I have to use cheddar cheese? I shredded Colby. Will that work?
     
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Reviews

  1. This was a real winner at my house! Be sure to let the flour cook for a few minutes prior to adding milk. Otherwise it will lend a graininess. (This applies to any sauce with flour as an ingredient.)
     
  2. Hey there! This was a hit with my picky kids. After reading the reviews, I decided to alter the sauce part. I used a full packet of ranch seasoning and 1 TB of flour. I then added 1 1/2 cups of milk. Simmered til slightly thick. I added my noodles and cheese right to the skillet. Not too thick, not too thin. My pickiest gave rave reviews. Great quick weeknight dinner!
     
  3. The overall taste of this dish was OK, but the sauce texture was just horrible. Not a bit creamy, way too thick. Needs to be thinned out with a lot more milk, or a lot less flour.
     
  4. This was so good and so easy to make!! I mixed the cooked pasta in with the chicken mixture.
     
  5.  
    • Review photo by mistyki11r
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Tweaks

  1. I marinated the chicken with buttermilk and the ranch mix for about 4 hours then baked it for that max tenderness. Used cream and milk and some parmesan and cut out the cheddar, flour, and butter. Fried the bacon and added diced mushrooms (just needed to get them used up) and diced onions and chicken and fried that like 30 seconds before adding to the pasta, milk, and cream. For spices I used salt, pepper, celery salt, coriander, garlic powder, marjoram, ground fennel, and crushed red pepper, all just to taste. Added the parmesan just before serving. Tasted wonderful, just barely spicy and carrying that slight pizza flavor I was aiming for (I was inspired by my chicken bacon ranch pizza craving). At this point it's basically a whole different recipe but whatevs lol :)
     
  2. The second time I made it, it was even better: When I added the milk, I also added a bunch of stemmed and chopped fresh spinach. This made it a Florentine dish. It added a lot of flavor and great texture.
     
  3. 3/4 box of noodles instead of the whole box. The entire ranch packet, and a tablespoon and a half of flour.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>I am a happily married mother of two children. Thankfully my family allows me to try new things in the kitchen all the time... always looking for a new favorites. <br /><br />I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, scrapbooking, music, camping and fishing. <br /><br />I want to get at taste of this life has to offer!</p>
 
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