Chicken & Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
with Broccoli & Mozzarella
- Milk
- Wheat
- Eggs
You’re going to prep this big-batch baby in a flash, then let the oven do the rest of the work. Penne pasta bubbles away in a velvety cream sauce along with crispy bacon and ranch-spiced chicken beneath a golden blanket of melty mozzarella. You’ll whip it out of the oven (with mitts of course!) and add a drizzle of ranch and a flourish of chopped chives, then it’s straight to the table to serve family style for an easy, filling, double-protein crowd pleaser that will win you all the heart eyes you could ever need! This recipe is double the typical servings, providing 4 servings and 8 servings for a 2 person and 4 person box respectively.
Ingredients
8 ounce
Broccoli
¼ ounce
Chives
1 unit
Lemon
4 ounce
Bacon
10 ounce
Chopped Chicken Breast
1 tablespoon
Ranch Spice
1 teaspoon
Paprika
8 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
4.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
2 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
12 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1.5 cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
3 ounce
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
(Contains: Eggs, Milk)
1 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust racks to top and middle positions and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces if necessary. Thinly slice chives. Quarter lemon.
• Toss broccoli on one side of a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange bacon* in a single layer on empty side of sheet. Roast on top rack until bacon is crispy and broccoli is tender, 10-15 minutes. (For 8 servings, divide between two sheets; roast bacon on top rack and broccoli on middle rack.) • Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop.
• Open package of chicken* and drain off any excess liquid. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and season with half the Ranch Spice, half the paprika, salt, and pepper. (You’ll use the rest of the Ranch Spice and paprika in Step 5.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Set aside.
• Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water (1 cup for 8 servings), then drain.
• Once broccoli and chicken are done, in a large bowl, whisk together cream sauce base, stock concentrate, sour cream, garlic powder, remaining Ranch Spice, remaining paprika, two packets of mozzarella, ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water, salt, and pepper. (For 8 servings, use four packets of mozzarella and ½ cup pasta cooking water.) • Add drained penne, broccoli, and chicken to bowl; stir until combined. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is coated.
• Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes for 8 servings) with nonstick cooking spray. • Transfer pasta to prepared baking dish (for 8, divide between prepared baking dishes). Top evenly with chopped bacon and remaining mozzarella. • Cover pasta bake tightly with foil; place on a second baking sheet. (TIP: Wash and dry sheet used for broccoli and bacon and use here.) Bake on middle rack until bubbly, 20-30 minutes. (For 8, bake on two clean baking sheets on top and middle racks, swapping rack positions halfway through.) TIP: Careful when lifting the foil—steam may release!
• Let pasta bake rest at least 5 minutes. When ready to serve, stir to evenly combine. Drizzle with ranch dressing and garnish with chives. • Divide between plates or serve family style directly from baking dish, with lemon wedges on the side.
Pork is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 145°.
Poultry is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many enjoyed the taste, though some found it bland. Consider adding extra ranch seasoning or garlic for more flavor punch.
- Ease of prep: Quick to assemble, but requires multiple steps and dishes. The bacon and broccoli may need longer cooking time than stated.
- Suggestions: Add more cheese and sauce to prevent dryness. Use all the reserved pasta water for a creamier texture.
- Leftovers: Reheats a bit dry; consider adding extra sauce when warming up. Great for multiple meals, popular in lunchboxes 🍲.
- Family-friendly: Kids generally enjoyed it; some picky eaters loved it. Makes a hearty, crowd-pleasing meal for the whole family.
Reviews from our home cooks
Very good flavor, hearty dish, only down side is took a lot of cooking and dirty dishes to make it
The bacon and broccoli needed a lot more time to cook than the directions gave
Wow this was really good and was enough for 2 dinners and 3 lunches
I was asked to make this a regular rotation in our meal planning. And there was enough for everyone to have a hearty helping
My picky daughter absolutely loved this! We had it for dinner and then I threw some in a thermos for her lunch the next day. When she got home from school she asked if she could have more for a "snack."
Aside from having to swap out half the broccoli and chives - it's a tasty meal that I clearly didn't plan adequately for, but it was devoured quickly.
Yummy! Whole family loved it. Fast and easy to make as well. Would definitely order again :)
Hearty and delicious and I love that it's a big batch so that we can have leftovers!
It can be dry when reheated. Need little more sauce. I used all the reserved water
More cheese, more bacon. The dry ranch was too grass tasting
