This creamy cheesy chicken ranch pasta bake is topped with crispy bacon and is ready to serve in just 30 minutes. Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, this pasta comes together easily and is a perfect comfort food recipe.
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
This recipe is so creamy and cheesy! It uses mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, ranch and Alfredo sauce for the perfect flavor combination. Grab a fork and dive in!
How To Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
Prep – Pre heat the oven and grease a baking dish.
Combine – Mix the pasta, chicken, sauce, cream cheese and ranch dressing together in a bowl. Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle bacon and mozzarella over the top.
Bake – Bake until golden and bubbly and serve.
Do you need to cook the pasta first?
This pasta bake only takes 20 minutes to cook in the oven and that’s because the pasta is pre-cooked. Cook dried pasta according to the instructions on the package and drain. You can use fresh pasta without cooking it first.
What’s the best chicken to use?
The chicken added to the pasta needs to be pre-cooked, you can use chicken breasts or thighs. You can cook the chicken in the oven or Instant pot and shredding it with forks. You can also buy pre cooked packaged chicken or use rotisserie chicken.
Creamy Pasta Bake
Nothing says comfort food like a creamy, cheesy pasta. By using a jarred alfredo sauce, this dish is so quick and convenient to make.
Deliciously creamy and topped with crispy bacon, pasta bakes just don’t get any better than this!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- You can use any medium sized pasta noodle in this chicken ranch pasta.
- You can use a rotisserie chicken to save time on cooking and shredding chicken before beginning the recipe.
- Be sure to stir your chicken mixture well to let the cream cheese fully melt before pouring it into your baking pan. This will help make sure all the ingredients are mixed and evenly distributed.
Make now, eat later!
Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
- Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Bacon Pasta Salad
- Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta cooked and drained
- 2 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
- 1 jar 15 oz Alfredo sauce
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 6 slices cooked and chopped bacon
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Parsley optional (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, add the pasta, chicken, Alfredo sauce, cream cheese and ranch dressing. Stir to combine.
- Pour mixture into your baking pan and spread into an even layer.
- Sprinkle chopped bacon on top of the mixture.
- Next, sprinkle mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Optionally, garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
- You can use any medium sized pasta noodle.
- You can use a rotisserie chicken to save time on cooking and shredding chicken before beginning the recipe.
- Be sure to stir your chicken mixture well to let the cream cheese fully melt before pouring it into your baking pan. This will help make sure all the ingredients are mixed and evenly distributed.
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.
Ryan says
Didn’t rate as I have a question before making this lovely looking chicken pasta bake. In your notes, you say to stir the chicken well to make sure the cream cheese melts. I’m guessing you use hot pasta and chicken so the cheese melts? If I wanted to prep this ahead of time can I warm the cheese in a pan or microwave when ready to put in the baking dish? Thank you.
Becky Hardin says
Yes, you can absolutely try it that way!
Angelina says
Waaay too unhealthy & fattening! This recipe could be lightened-up to a large degree.
Jeannine Richard says
too fattening?????? simply don’t do it and let
the others enjoy every bite.
Helen Betts says
I received the email about this yesterday and want to make it tonight, but I can’t figure out how to melt the cream cheese, which usually takes a while in the best of circumstances, perhaps due to its density. You combine it in a bowl (cold) with the chicken (shredded so not hot), Alfredo sauce (cold), pasta (drained, so at best warm) and ranch dressing (definitely cold), so how does the cream cheese melt??
Becky Hardin says
Try cutting it into smaller pieces, that may help it melt easier!
Helen Betts says
Thanks, Becky, yes I did do that, but I think my method of melting the cheese in the Alfredo sauce is more efficient and more certain of melting it thoroughly. Perhaps when you made this all your ingredients were steaming hot, but mine were not and could never have been!
Jeni B says
A suggestion for next time you make this or when you make it, I’m not sure if you’ve done it or not, take your cream cheese out and let it sit a room temperature for about 20-30 minutes (basically while your water and noodles boil) and it should make it easier to cream with the other ingredients.
Helen Betts says
Well, I ended up simmering the Alfredo sauce and melting the cream cheese — cubed — in it, which took around three minutes to do thoroughly due to the denseness of the cheese. We liked the result — it was delicious and not too rich — but I honestly think you need to revisit the recipe because as I said in my previous comment, a four ounce chunk of cream cheese would never have melted in a big bowl of cool (or even lukewarm) ingredients!
JIll Naylor says
Hi, what could I use in place of Alfredo Sauce as where I live I cannot obtain it. Was wondering if a White Wine Cream Sauce (Packet) would work?
Thanking you inn advance of your reply.
Becky Hardin says
That sounds like it would be delicious!
Jen says
2 cups heavy cream (or milk, but if you use milk add a tablespoon of cream cheese to help thicken it), 1 cup butter, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Quick and easy homemade Alfredo.
With that said, you got me wondering about making this with a white wine cream sauce now!
Jean Dunsmoor says
I have added a few other items to this recipe. I saute’ garlic, onions and mushrooms, and have even added artichoke hearts.
not much for the bacon in it, so omit that. I also use Farfalle
pasta, instead of Penne, or Zita.
Jean Dunsmoor says
I just use the alfredo sauce and ranch dressing, bottled kind. I omit the cream cheese. turns out great.
Becky Hardin says
Sounds amazing, Jean!
Lisa says
Very tasty and makes enough for a crowd. I will definitely make this again!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for stopping by, Lisa!
J Myers says
The ranch, Alfredo, cream cheese combo was just too much for me.
If I were to make something similar again I’d definitely alter the ingredient list. I believe the concept is good but there could be a better ingredient combination.
That being said, my 7yo daughter loved it.
Also those asking how to melt the cream cheese. Room temperature will work, cut the cream cheese into chunks and using a spatula press the cream cheese against the side of the bowl in a sweeping motion and it will blend in beautifully.
Becky Hardin says
Definitely modify to your liking!