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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake

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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.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake - this cheesy pasta dinner is loaded with meat and veggies and melted cheese. This delicious recipe gets two thumbs up around the dinner table. #pasta #chicken #bacon #comfortfood #dinner #cheesypasta

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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. 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake - this easy pasta dinner is full of melted cheese, bacon, chicken, and veggies. Easy recipe to have on the table quickly! #pasta #chicken #bacon #comfortfood #dinner #cheesypasta

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!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake - this easy chicken pasta recipe is loaded with cheese and gets two thumbs up. #pasta #chicken #bacon #comfortfood #dinner #cheesypasta

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!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake - pasta loaded with melted cheese, meat, and veggies makes a great dinner. Easy recipe to have on the table quickly! #pasta #chicken #bacon #comfortfood #dinner #cheesypasta

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!!!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake - a gooey pasta dinner loaded with meat, cheese, and veggies always gets two thumbs up. Easy recipe to make on busy nights! #pasta #chicken #bacon #comfortfood #dinner #cheesypasta

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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Yield: 6 servings

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake

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.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green peppers
  • 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 - 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
  • 1/2 cup chopped, cooked bacon
  • 1 cup chopped spinach leaves
  • 1 - 12 ounce can evaporated milk
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or pepper jack cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 or 10x10 baking dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente pasta. Drain and pour back into saucepan. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss. Cover and set aside.
  3. Saute the onions and peppers in 1 Tablespoon oil for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic, tomatoes, chicken, bacon, and spinach to the pan. Saute until the spinach leaves start to wilt. Cover and set aside.
  5. Heat the milk and 2 cups mozzarella or pepper jack cheese in a saucepan until the cheese melts and becomes creamy.
  6. Stir in the ranch, noodles, and chicken mixture until everything is coated.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella or pepper jack cheese and cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.
  8. Broil an additional 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese, if desired. Keep a close eye on it while broiling. Serve hot.

Notes

*This dish has a slightly spicy taste to it if you use pepper jack cheese.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 614Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 1029mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 37g
© Jocelyn @ Inside BruCrew Life
Cuisine: American / Category: Main Dishes
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake - this pasta dish is loaded with meat, cheese, and veggies and always gets rave reviews. Easy comfort food recipe to make for busy nights. #pasta #chicken #bacon #comfortfood #dinner #cheesypasta

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Comments

  6. Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking says

    Jocelyn, 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!

    Reply

  7. Sharlynn Ng says

    Omg, 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!

    Reply

  14. Chels R. says

    OMG-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!

    Reply

  19. Yvonne says

    This 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.

    Reply

  20. SallyJoJo says

    We 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! 🙂

    Reply

  21. Brenna D says

    I 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!

    Reply

    • Jocelyn Brubaker says

      If 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!!!

      Reply

  24. Joanna says

    This 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/

    Reply

  25. rabiya iqbal says

    Any 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..

    Reply

  27. Lauren Oliver says

    I 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! 🙂

    Reply

  28. Lynn says

    This 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!!!

    Reply

  29. Wwei says

    I 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?

    Reply

  34. Justine says

    Was 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!!!

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I 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.

      Reply

  36. Susie says

    I’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 !

    Reply

  37. Shayna says

    Thank 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.

    Reply

  39. Jennifer says

    Can I substitute something else for the spinach? My husband refuses to eat anything green! He does not know what he’s missing!

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I 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!!!

      Reply

  46. Joann says

    This looks delicious. Cannot wait to fix this for my family. This is just a suggestion; You could use a Rotisserie Chicken, & Real Bacon Bits If you are in a pinch. Just my opinion.Thanks so much for the wonderful recipes. Have a wonderful and blessed day.

    Reply

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