Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake (Print version)

A comforting casserole with tender chicken, penne pasta, creamy ranch sauce, and bubbly mozzarella cheese baked to golden perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Chicken

01 - 10 oz penne pasta
02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded

→ Sauce

03 - 1 cup ranch dressing
04 - 1 cup sour cream
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk
06 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried dill

→ Cheese

11 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Cook penne pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, sour cream, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dried parsley, and dried dill until smooth and fully combined.
04 - Add cooked pasta and chicken to the sauce mixture. Stir thoroughly to ensure even coating of all pasta and chicken pieces.
05 - Fold 1.5 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese into the pasta mixture until evenly distributed.
06 - Pour the combined mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly. Top with remaining 0.5 cup mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
07 - Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and top is golden brown.
08 - Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives or green onions if desired before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort food without requiring any advanced cooking skills or fancy ingredients.
  • The creamy ranch sauce clings to every piece of pasta and keeps leftovers from drying out in the fridge.
  • You can assemble it ahead of time and bake it right before dinner, which saved me during back to back meeting days.
  • Kids and adults both clean their plates, and you only dirty a few dishes in the process.
02 -
  • Drain your pasta really well before mixing it with the sauce, or the extra water will thin everything out and make it soupy instead of creamy.
  • Don't skip the resting time after baking, those 5 minutes let the dish set up so your servings hold their shape on the plate.
  • If you're using store bought rotisserie chicken, shred it with your hands instead of chopping it so you get those uneven, tender pieces that soak up more sauce.
03 -
  • Rotate the baking dish halfway through the baking time if your oven heats unevenly, it ensures the cheese melts uniformly and nothing burns on one side.
  • Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce if you like a little heat, it wakes up the ranch flavor without overpowering the dish.
  • Use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella for a sharper, more complex cheese flavor that makes people ask what you did differently.
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