Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake (Printable)

Tender chicken and penne in creamy ranch sauce with melted mozzarella cheese, baked until golden and bubbly.

# What Goes In:

→ 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, optional for topping

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook until al dente. Drain thoroughly and reserve.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, sour cream, whole milk, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dried parsley, and dried dill until smooth and uniform.
04 - Add cooked pasta and chicken to the sauce mixture. Stir thoroughly to ensure even coating of all components.
05 - Fold 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese into the pasta and sauce combination until fully incorporated.
06 - Pour the entire mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
07 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is melted and the top achieves golden-brown coloring.
08 - Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives or green onions if desired before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything goes into one dish, so cleanup is just as easy as the cooking.
  • The ranch sauce clings to every piece of pasta without feeling heavy or bland.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to settle in.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time after baking, it helps the sauce thicken and makes serving so much cleaner.
  • If your sauce looks too thick before baking, add a splash more milk, it'll loosen up perfectly in the oven.
03 -
  • Reserve a little pasta water before draining, you can stir it into the sauce if it looks too thick and it'll help everything cling together.
  • Let the bake sit for a full 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven, the cheese sets just enough to make clean servings instead of a saucy mess.
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