Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese
This chicken bacon ranch mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, combining tender chicken, crispy bacon, and a creamy ranch-infused cheese sauce.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 610kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 13 oz. thin cut boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to season chicken
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more to season chicken
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- half sleeve Ritz crackers crushed
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon dried Parsley flakes (optional)
- 5 bacon strips cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a 4-qt pot, boil 1 ½ cups macaroni according to package directions for al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a large oven-proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the skillet in a single layer; season evenly with salt and pepper. Cook for 6 minutes, flip and season the other side with salt and pepper. Cook for another 6 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside loosely covered with foil.
- Without wiping out the skillet, melt 1 ½ tablespoons butter. With a wooden spoon, stir in 1 ½ tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, cook for 1 minute until smooth. In a small steady stream, gradually add ¾ cup milk while whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and cook until thick, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup cheddar, ½ cup Monterey jack, and ¼ cup Parmesan. Stir until smooth, then mix in ½ cup ranch dressing.
- Cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the skillet with the macaroni and toss until coated with the cheese. Toss crackers with melted butter and parsley. Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni in the skillet. Top with the crumbled bacon.
- Place the skillet in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden.
Notes
- I use my cast iron skillet, but any oven proof skillet will do.
- If your skillet is not oven proof, you can transfer the macaroni casserole to a greased 9x9 baking dish before topping with crackers and bacon.
- We like to serve this with a side dish of roasted veggies (like asparagus or broccolini) and French bread.
- Try other favorite cheese variations to mix up the flavor.
- This recipe can be doubled in a 9x13 pan. Same baking time.
- Do not use the large size macaroni. Just regular size.
Nutrition
Calories: 610kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 879mg | Potassium: 433mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 589IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 310mg | Iron: 1mg
