Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake (Printable)

Tender chicken and penne in a creamy ranch sauce with bubbly mozzarella cheese, baked until golden. Perfect comfort food in 45 minutes.

# 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

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook 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, whole milk, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dried parsley, and dried dill until completely smooth.
04 - Add the cooked pasta and diced chicken to the sauce mixture. Stir thoroughly to ensure even coating of all ingredients.
05 - Gently fold 1.5 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese into the pasta and chicken mixture until fully distributed.
06 - Pour the combined mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and top with remaining 0.5 cup mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
07 - Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until cheese is fully melted and the surface achieves a golden brown color.
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 uses up leftover chicken without tasting like leftovers at all.
  • The sauce comes together in one bowl with no roux, no whisking over heat, just stir and done.
  • Even picky eaters who claim they hate casseroles will go back for seconds.
  • You can assemble it in the morning and bake it right before dinner.
02 -
  • If you add the pasta while it's still dripping wet, the sauce will be too thin and watery.
  • Don't use pre-shredded cheese if you can help it—the anti-caking stuff keeps it from melting as smoothly.
  • Let the dish rest after baking or the first scoop will fall apart and look like a mess.
03 -
  • If you're prepping ahead, assemble everything but hold off on adding the top layer of cheese until right before baking.
  • Use kitchen shears to snip the chives directly over the finished dish—it's faster and looks more casual.
  • For a crispy top, switch the oven to broil for the last two minutes, but watch it closely so it doesn't burn.
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