Crack Chicken Penne

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Instructions

    • In a large 12-inch skillet, on medium heat, add the diced bacon and cook for 9-11 minutes or until the fat has been rendered and the bacon pieces are crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooked bacon for garnish. Set aside all the bacon. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet.
      6 slices smoked bacon
    • On medium-high heat, add the cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced yellow onion, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes or until lightly browned. The chicken may not be all the way cooked through. That is fine because the chicken will continue to cook with the pasta.
      2 boneless skinless chicken breasts,½ cup chopped yellow onion,½ teaspoon salt,¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • Once the chicken has been lightly browned and the onions are tender, add the ranch seasoning and chicken stock. Bring the chicken stock to a boil, then add the penne pasta. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with the lid, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
      1 ounce packet of Ranch seasoning,4 cups chicken stock,½ pound penne pasta
    • Remove the lid from the skillet and stir in the cream cheese and cream of chicken soup until fully combined and no lumps remain.
      6 ounces of cream cheese,10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
    • Add 1½ cups of the shredded Colby jack cheese, the cooked bacon pieces (except for the reserved ¼ cup), and 1 tablespoon of the chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine.
      8 ounce block of Colby jack cheese
  • Top the crack chicken penne with the remaining ½ cup shredded Colby jack cheese (do not stir in) and cover the skillet again with the lid for 3-4 minutes or just until the cheese has melted on top.
  • Remove the lid and garnish the melted cheese with the reserved ¼ cup of bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley.
    6 slices smoked bacon,2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

 Notes

Yields: 6 (approximately 1 ⅓ cup) servings

Storage:

  • To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 2 days.
  • To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish.
  • To Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop or microwave until heated through.

Tips:

    • This crack chicken penne should be served while warm. As this dish cools, the sauce will continue to thicken up.
    • You can place your package of bacon in the freezer for about an hour to firm up the bacon to make it easier to dice it into smaller pieces.
    • If you only have a larger container of the ranch seasoning mix, you will use about 2 tablespoons for this recipe.
  • I prefer to use full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. You can use reduced-fat cream cheese, but it won’t be as thick or creamy.
  • Use freshly shredded cheese instead of packaged pre-shredded cheese. They have additives in the bags to prevent clumping and they do not melt as well as a block of cheese that you shred yourself.
  • You can make this dish in a slow cooker or instant pot. Simply saute your bacon first and then dump all ingredients, including the uncooked pasta, in the crock pot and cook.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 597kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1747mg | Potassium: 627mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 976IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 316mg | Iron: 2mg
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