Bacon ranch chicken casserole

By foodiva

Ingredients

• 1 lb penne or rigatoni pasta
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 lb thick cut bacon, diced
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 −5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups whole milk
• 8 oz package cream cheese
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon
• 1 cup original ranch dressing (using light will alter the taste-we don't recommend it)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, plus an additional cup for topping

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 115mins
Adapted from everydaydishes.com

Preparation

Step 1

let's do it
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, brush a 9" x 13" casserole dish with butter then set aside.
Bring 4 quarts of water to boil over high heat. Add pasta and salt then cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally (the pasta will not be cooked all the way through). Drain and set aside.
Place a large skillet over medium heat and add diced bacon. Cook bacon, stirring often until crispy, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon bits to a paper towel lined plate to drain then set aside.
Add diced chicken to skillet with bacon drippings and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the chicken for about 6 minutes until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet, place on the plate with the bacon bits then set aside
Next, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Once the onions have softened and become translucent, stir in the milk, cream cheese and bouillon. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, stirring constantly to melt the cream cheese. Once the cream cheese is completely melted, add the ranch dressing and seasonings. Stir to combine.
When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and add 2 cups of shredded cheese, ½ cup at a time. Stir after each addition until completely melted before adding the next. Once all of the cheese is incorporated, add the pasta, bacon and chicken to the mixture. Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Transfer the mixture into your prepared casserole dish then bake 25 minutes, or until the cheese on the top browns and the filling is bubbly.
Remove casserole from the oven and allow it to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!

let's do it