This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake is an easy and delicious dinner for those busy week nights. You can have a hot dinner that everyone will enjoy in under 40 minutes.
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Pasta has always been my all time favorite meal choice. For years it has been my go to choice when we go out to eat.
Lately though I have become braver and have started to order different things when we eat out.
I’m finding new healthy things that I enjoy eating, so I have been incorporating them into things like these Parmesan Garlic Shrimp Zucchini Noodles and these Chicken Caprese Cauliflower Nachos. But pasta will always hold that number one spot in my life.
Years ago our kids had a pinewood car race to attend that was a few hours away from our house. We got up early and headed to the race knowing that we would have to leave as soon as the race was over to get back in time for an afternoon soccer game.
It made for a very busy Saturday. That meant that a pit stop for lunch on the go was inevitable.
We stopped in one of the towns on the way home where we could get Subway for us and McDonald’s for the kiddos. One of the benefits to having an older teenager is that he can escort the younger ones to McDonald’s, while we go to Subway for a healthy (ok, somewhat healthy) sandwich.
Killing two birds with one stone so we could get back on the road again. Gotta love that!
My husband and I split the chicken bacon ranch sandwich. As we were driving and eating, I could stop thinking about how those flavors would make an awesome pasta dinner.
Since starting to add dinner recipes like this Chicken Supreme Pasta Bake and this Cheddar Bacon Macaroni and Cheese to the blog, I have started to think about those meals a little more than dessert. It’s kind of scary!
Don’t worry too much though because I still have way more dessert ideas than dinner ones!
On my next shopping trip, I loaded our cart with all the ingredients to make this crazy, good chicken bacon ranch casserole. My cart looked so different from my usual shopping trips.
I am used to seeing it loaded with cookies, chocolate chips, and cake mix. Who am I now? LOL!
This easy and cheesy pasta dinner can be on your dinner table in under 40 minutes.
How to make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake:
Cook the pasta while you chop the veggies and meat. You can also prep all of this the night before and keep them in separate ziplock bags or containers in your refrigerator.
If you cook the pasta ahead of time, be sure to toss it with a little bit of olive oil, so it doesn’t stick together.
Sauté the peppers, onions, and oil in a large skillet. Once the veggies are slightly softened, add the meats and other veggies. Cover it and set aside.
In another pot heat your milk and cheese until melted and creamy, then stir in the ranch, cooked pasta, and sautéed veggies. If you are in a hurry for dinner, you can top it with the cheese in the skillet and just cover it with the lid until it melts.
But if you have an extra 20 minutes, pour the cheesy mixture into a pan, top it with more cheese, and bake. Give it few extra minutes under the broiler to brown the cheese on top, if you like.
Serve this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake to your family and watch them devour it. Best feeling ever!!!
More easy pasta recipes you may like:
These Cheddar Broccoli Chicken Lasagna Rolls are filled with a cheesy meat and veggie filling and then covered in more cheese. Easy comfort food!
Adding your favorite dip to this Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake creates a delicious meal everyone will love. Great pasta dish that can be on the dinner table in 30 minutes.
A creamy cheese filling makes these Sausage Alfredo Stuffed Shells a delicious and easy pasta dinner that can be on the table in 30 minutes.
This easy Meat Lover’s Pizza Skillet Ravioli is loaded with meat and cheese. Awesome meal for busy school nights!
Cheese tortellini, salty bacon, and crispy pan-fried Brussels sprouts are smothered in mozzarella cheese to create this Cheese Tortellini Skillet Meal.
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*This dish has a slightly spicy taste to it if you use pepper jack cheese.Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 614 Total Fat: 39g Saturated Fat: 15g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 21g Cholesterol: 121mg Sodium: 1029mg Carbohydrates: 28g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 11g Protein: 37g
Tanya Schroeder says
May 7, 2014 at 11:44 AMOh this would make my family extemely happy! We are huge pasta lovers and bacon lovers!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
May 12, 2014 at 2:08 AMThen this is the pasta for you and your fam! 😉
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion says
May 7, 2014 at 1:45 PMPerfect dinner, yummy! Pasta and chicken:)
Mary says
May 7, 2014 at 3:34 PMThis is a crowd pleaser! – my crowd will definitely be pleased – delicious!
Mary
Jocelyn Brubaker says
May 12, 2014 at 2:09 AMThanks Mary! 🙂
DessertForTwo says
May 7, 2014 at 7:15 PMThis is my kind of comfort food!
Tieghan says
May 7, 2014 at 11:17 PMComfort food at its best! Looks awesome!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
May 12, 2014 at 2:10 AMThanks Tieghan! 🙂
Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking says
May 8, 2014 at 12:20 AMJocelyn, send me some of those savory brain waves — I desperately need them!! My body isn’t happy with me for taste testing so many cookie and cupcake recipes right now. It’s begging for healthy real food, but I honestly don’t know where to start. It’s actually overwhelming! But I really love how you’re adding savory dishes to your repertoire (I’ve been staring at your sweet treats on Pinterest for months now, so I know how much you enjoy making those!). That takes courage to step outside of your baking comfort zone! And my brother’s Pinewood Derbies were always really fun. They held his at the elementary school at night, so I’d sneak out with a friend or two to play on the playground in the dark. Such fun memories!
Sharlynn Ng says
May 8, 2014 at 1:07 AMOmg, these are amazing! I’m a huge sucker for pastas and I can’t help it even though I really shouldn’t be having too much of the cheesy carby goodness! I totally need to try a spinach and salmon pasta!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
May 12, 2014 at 2:12 AMYum, that sounds good! Thanks Sharlynn!
Chloe @ foodlikecake says
May 8, 2014 at 6:40 AMThis looks so good!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
May 8, 2014 at 7:10 AMChicken, bacon, ranch, cheese and carbs? That is my kind of dinner! Comfort food at it’s finest! Nom-a-licious girlfriend!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
May 12, 2014 at 2:12 AMHaha, thanks Taylor! 😉
[email protected] says
May 8, 2014 at 7:24 AMI’m loving this dish! You are rocking on the cheese and pasta meals girlfriend. Can my kids come live with you???
Jocelyn Brubaker says
May 12, 2014 at 2:13 AMAbsolutely! As long as you take mine!! 😉
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says
May 8, 2014 at 8:17 AMAll the cheesiness… I must have this. I’m a BIG bacon fan so I’d eat the entire tray in one sitting unless someone stopped me.
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
May 8, 2014 at 9:14 AMIt is a good thing that I am not on a diet because I wouldn’t be able to resist a serving of this pasta bake. Look at all that cheesy goodness!
Nancy [email protected] says
May 8, 2014 at 9:28 AMJocelyn, this dish looks absolutely amazing! My family would be coming back for seconds and thirds on this one!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
May 12, 2014 at 2:14 AMThanks Nancy!
Chels R. says
May 8, 2014 at 5:41 PMOMG-the melted cheese is just calling my name! I’ve got like 20 boxes of penne pasta in my pantry because it’s my hubby’s fave cut of pasta so I need to make this. Looks completely amazing!
Maria says
May 9, 2014 at 9:55 PMThis looks like some serious comfort food!!!! So creamy and cheesy!! It looks delicious!!!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
May 12, 2014 at 2:14 AMThanks Maria!
Stephanie @ PlainChicken says
May 12, 2014 at 5:30 PMLooks insanely delicious! Must try soon. YUM!
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
May 12, 2014 at 10:42 PMThis looks to die for good!! Yummy, cheesy, goodness!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
May 20, 2014 at 11:23 PMThanks Jaren! 🙂
katie @ fromicecreamtomarathon says
June 2, 2014 at 6:13 PMI made this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious. You’re right, the fam LOVED it!!
Yvonne says
June 7, 2014 at 2:28 PMThis was delicious! My husband and 4 year old had seconds, and my husband wanted to go back for thirds of his stomach would have held more! Having leftovers for lunch today, I’m excited.
SallyJoJo says
June 30, 2014 at 7:09 PMWe really enjoyed this! Made just a couple of changes, I used ham instead of bacon and all cheddar cheese and add 2 Tbl jalapeno. Very good! Thanks for something different that didn’t have a can of cream of something soup! 🙂
Brenna D says
June 30, 2014 at 7:40 PMI can’t wait to make this! I make chicken/bacon calzones with ranch that my kids just love. Ironically I made them just last night. What I do is bake the chicken breasts in a mix of ranch and caesar dressings, cool then a bit and then dice into small pieces. Last night I took a chance and used buffalo ranch along with the regular ranch. I also added some smoked paprika to the filling. It was fabulous! Even my picky boys loved them! I’ve thought about adding some veggies but I wasn’t sure what would mesh with it and I was too chicken (no pun intended) to mess with a good thing. With your yummy recipe to make and eat I’ll be able to try something new. Thank you!
Nella Bowden says
July 1, 2014 at 10:34 PMWe do not like ranch dressing? Is there anything that I can substitute instead of ranch dressing?
Jocelyn Brubaker says
July 1, 2014 at 10:44 PMIf you wanted to substitute greek yogurt in place to it that would be fine. I actually think you could leave it out and it would be fine without it too. I hope you enjoy the pasta!!!
Dreama says
July 14, 2014 at 9:54 AMQuick question. Do you use bottled ranch dressing or the powder that you mix?
Thanks!
Jocelyn Brubaker says
July 14, 2014 at 10:39 AMI used the bottled ranch dressing. It mixes right into the cheese and gives it a nice flavor. I hope you enjoy the pasta!
Joanna says
August 13, 2014 at 9:13 AMThis is a perfect week night meal! I’m always on the look out for something new to throw into my dinner rotation, and this is going in mine. The only change I’ll have to make is the can of tomatoes, my daughter is allergic to them. But I’ll come up with a replacement. 🙂
http://www.everydaymadefresh.com/
rabiya iqbal says
August 26, 2014 at 2:38 PMAny subtitute for pepper jack cheese.. can we use any other kinda cheese.. plz do reply cuz i really like the recipe n i want to try it..
Jocelyn Brubaker says
August 26, 2014 at 3:00 PMYou can use any flavor shredded cheese that you like. Mozzarella would work great too!
Aaron says
September 13, 2014 at 10:38 PMOoooo this is delicious! My mom and I are very happy with how this turned out!Thank you!
Lauren Oliver says
September 30, 2014 at 2:34 PMI made this last night, with some slight alterations because I didn’t have quite the same ingredients. I used half and half instead of condensed milk, some garlic in place of onions. But it came out pretty damn good! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Lynn says
December 8, 2014 at 8:43 PMThis was dinner tonight….it is amazing!!! Thank You for sharing!!! As we always say when we Really like a recipe…THIS ONE IS A KEEPER!!!
Wwei says
February 17, 2015 at 1:18 AMI really want to make this but ranch dressing isn’t sold in my country! And it seems too much effort to make from scratch and I’d need to buy new condiments and ingredients which I don’t have space for. Is there any way I can make this without ranch dressing? Can you recommend a substitute?
Jocelyn Brubaker says
February 17, 2015 at 4:31 PMYes, you could leave the ranch out of this. It will just change the taste slightly. I would also not drain your can of tomatoes since you are not adding the dressing. I hope you enjoy it!
christina says
April 1, 2015 at 10:36 PMMy family loved this! It is going into the dinner rotation. Thanks!
mel says
May 8, 2015 at 4:21 AMwould love to make it but the hubby cant eat tomatos so that counts me out
Jocelyn says
May 8, 2015 at 8:14 AMHi, Mel. You could leave the tomatoes out and substitute something else if you like.
Valerie says
June 20, 2015 at 7:58 AMHi may I use mostacholli
Jocelyn says
June 20, 2015 at 11:52 AMYes, you can use whatever your favorite pasta shape is. I hope you enjoy the dinner!
Anne says
July 26, 2015 at 2:49 PMComfort food at its best – I can’t wait to try it out!
Justine says
August 4, 2015 at 8:48 PMWas delicious but I didn’t see anywhere where it said to drain the can of tomatoes so my pasta ended up slightly runny (so drain your tomatoes!!!). Other than that, my husband and I loved it!!!
Jocelyn says
August 4, 2015 at 11:57 PMI actually do not drain my tomatoes when I make this pasta. I’m glad you guys liked it even if yours was slightly runny.
Julie says
September 6, 2015 at 4:26 PMWe love this. Do you think it would do well as a freezer meal?
Jocelyn says
September 7, 2015 at 11:51 AMI think it would be ok to freeze it. I would make it and put everything in a freezer pan, top with cheese, and freeze. Then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Because it will be cold, you will probably have to bake it longer than 20 minutes…just heat it until it is bubbly on the sides, then broil the top.
Susie says
September 30, 2015 at 4:04 PMI’ve written this same thing on another site about the annoying Adchoice ad in the middle of the print recipe. Is there anywhere else it can be placed other then the middle of a printed recipe ??
I love your site & recipes but it’s a P.I.T.A. to try & edit !
Shayna says
October 14, 2015 at 1:39 PMThank you for the simple well laid out instructions. I’m a vegan and am (for lack of a better word) a complete noob when it comes to meat and cheese dishes. I’m making this one for my parents tonight (they love their meat and cheese) and my fingers are crossed but I’m thinking I hit the nail on the head with this one. Thanks so much. P.S Lovely casserole dish.
Jae Tomsen says
December 3, 2015 at 3:26 AMMade this tonight for my family. Even my fussy Dad like it. Thumbs up for this recipe. Thank you
Jennifer says
January 30, 2016 at 3:02 PMCan I substitute something else for the spinach? My husband refuses to eat anything green! He does not know what he’s missing!
Jocelyn says
January 30, 2016 at 6:21 PMYou could leave it out since he doesn’t like it, and it would still be just fine. I hope you guys like this dinner!!!
Margret says
May 3, 2018 at 5:28 AMi made this for my family and its now become my hubby s favourite!! loved it . thanks
Jocelyn says
May 3, 2018 at 9:49 AMI am so glad to hear that your family loved this cheesy pasta. It’s one of our favorites too, so it makes me happy that others are enjoying it!!!
Julie says
March 29, 2019 at 9:54 AMYum! My family is going to love this! Thanks for sharing.
Kristyn says
March 29, 2019 at 11:08 AMYou can’t go wrong with chicken, bacon, & ranch!! My family loves this! Love the taste & how cheesy it is!
Rachael Yerkes says
March 29, 2019 at 11:41 AMWell I just found my new favorite dinner!
Becky Hardin says
March 29, 2019 at 12:14 PMOh yes! I am making this ASAP! Sounds so delicious!
Tara says
March 29, 2019 at 12:49 PMMy kids loved this cheesy chicken and pasta dish, and I loved how EASY it is to make!