Dump-and-Bake Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
A 10-minute crowd-pleaser, this Dump-and-Bake Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is an easy dinner recipe for your busiest weeknights — and you don’t even have
to boil the pasta!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta, Chicken Casserole Recipe, chicken pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings
6
– 8 people
Calories 373.6 kcal
Author Blair
Ingredients
list of 9 items
1 (21.5 oz) family-size jar of Alfredo sauce (about 2.5 cups)
3 cups chicken broth
1 (1 oz) packet Ranch seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) box uncooked rotini pasta (about 6 cups dry)
9 ounces (about 1.75 – 2 cups) cooked, diced chicken
6 slices cooked, chopped bacon
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Optional garnish: grated Parmesan cheese; chopped fresh parsley
list end
Instructions
list of 8 items
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In the prepared baking dish (or in a separate bowl), whisk together Alfredo sauce, chicken broth and Ranch seasoning packet until completely combined.
3. Stir in the uncooked pasta, chicken, bacon, and garlic.
4. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 35 minutes.
5. Uncover; stir. At this point, the pasta should be al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). There will still be plenty of liquid in the dish,
but don’t worry – this will thicken as the dish continues to bake and cool.
6. If the pasta is still too hard after 35 minutes, just cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
7. Sprinkle mozzarella over top. Bake, uncovered, for 5-10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender). Allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes
before serving (the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools).
8. Garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley, if desired.
list end
Recipe Notes
list of 6 items
• If you don’t have rotini pasta, you can substitute with a similar short pasta that has a cooking time of 9-11 minutes called for on the box.
• Make sure that you’re buying a large “family size” jar of Alfredo sauce, or purchase two regular-size jars. You need a total of 2.5 cups of Alfredo,
so you could even make your own sauce from scratch if you prefer!
• Stir some frozen peas into the casserole during the final few minutes of baking — just before adding the cheese (you don’t even need to thaw the peas
first).
• Make a Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta with Spinach by stirring a few handfuls of fresh spinach into the dish during the final few minutes of baking (just
before adding the cheese). The spinach will wilt quickly!
• Prepare Chicken Bacon Ranch Broccoli Pasta by stirring steamed broccoli florets into the casserole during the final few minutes of baking (just before
adding the cheese).
• Don’t have any cooked chicken on hand? You can use diced, raw chicken breast instead! Stir the raw meat into the casserole dish at the beginning of the
cooking time (just like you would for the cooked chicken). Just make sure that you dice the raw chicken into very small bite-sized pieces so that the meat
is done cooking at the same time as the pasta.
list end
Can Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta be made ahead?
Yes, you can assemble this casserole up to 8 hours in advance. Keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. If you’re baking it from
the refrigerator, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature (or add a few extra minutes to the suggested baking time).
Can I freeze Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta?
I do not suggest freezing this casserole before or after baking. I worry that the texture of the pasta will be mushy when thawed, and there’s a chance
that the creamy sauce will break.
Nutrition Facts
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Amount Per Serving (1 /8 of the casserole)
Calories 373.6 Calories from Fat 98
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10.9g 17%
Saturated Fat 5.6g 28%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 850.2mg 35%
Potassium 59.7mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 45.9g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 3.3g
Protein 21.6g 43%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
From the seasoned Mom
_._,_._,_
A 10-minute crowd-pleaser, this Dump-and-Bake Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is an easy dinner recipe for your busiest weeknights — and you don’t even have
to boil the pasta!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta, Chicken Casserole Recipe, chicken pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings
6
– 8 people
Calories 373.6 kcal
Author Blair
Ingredients
list of 9 items
1 (21.5 oz) family-size jar of Alfredo sauce (about 2.5 cups)
3 cups chicken broth
1 (1 oz) packet Ranch seasoning mix
1 (16 oz) box uncooked rotini pasta (about 6 cups dry)
9 ounces (about 1.75 – 2 cups) cooked, diced chicken
6 slices cooked, chopped bacon
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Optional garnish: grated Parmesan cheese; chopped fresh parsley
list end
Instructions
list of 8 items
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In the prepared baking dish (or in a separate bowl), whisk together Alfredo sauce, chicken broth and Ranch seasoning packet until completely combined.
3. Stir in the uncooked pasta, chicken, bacon, and garlic.
4. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 35 minutes.
5. Uncover; stir. At this point, the pasta should be al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). There will still be plenty of liquid in the dish,
but don’t worry – this will thicken as the dish continues to bake and cool.
6. If the pasta is still too hard after 35 minutes, just cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
7. Sprinkle mozzarella over top. Bake, uncovered, for 5-10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender). Allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes
before serving (the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools).
8. Garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley, if desired.
list end
Recipe Notes
list of 6 items
• If you don’t have rotini pasta, you can substitute with a similar short pasta that has a cooking time of 9-11 minutes called for on the box.
• Make sure that you’re buying a large “family size” jar of Alfredo sauce, or purchase two regular-size jars. You need a total of 2.5 cups of Alfredo,
so you could even make your own sauce from scratch if you prefer!
• Stir some frozen peas into the casserole during the final few minutes of baking — just before adding the cheese (you don’t even need to thaw the peas
first).
• Make a Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta with Spinach by stirring a few handfuls of fresh spinach into the dish during the final few minutes of baking (just
before adding the cheese). The spinach will wilt quickly!
• Prepare Chicken Bacon Ranch Broccoli Pasta by stirring steamed broccoli florets into the casserole during the final few minutes of baking (just before
adding the cheese).
• Don’t have any cooked chicken on hand? You can use diced, raw chicken breast instead! Stir the raw meat into the casserole dish at the beginning of the
cooking time (just like you would for the cooked chicken). Just make sure that you dice the raw chicken into very small bite-sized pieces so that the meat
is done cooking at the same time as the pasta.
list end
Can Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta be made ahead?
Yes, you can assemble this casserole up to 8 hours in advance. Keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. If you’re baking it from
the refrigerator, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature (or add a few extra minutes to the suggested baking time).
Can I freeze Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta?
I do not suggest freezing this casserole before or after baking. I worry that the texture of the pasta will be mushy when thawed, and there’s a chance
that the creamy sauce will break.
Nutrition Facts
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Amount Per Serving (1 /8 of the casserole)
Calories 373.6 Calories from Fat 98
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10.9g 17%
Saturated Fat 5.6g 28%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 850.2mg 35%
Potassium 59.7mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 45.9g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 3.3g
Protein 21.6g 43%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
From the seasoned Mom
_._,_._,_
