This flavorful chicken bacon Ranch pasta (aka crack chicken pasta) is a super easy dinner option to throw into the crockpot with the most minimal prep time and best tasting Ranch pasta, with tender cubes of chicken and crisp bacon bits, all tied together in a creamy, cheesy sauce! If you are a fan of slow cooker meals for a busy day that are made to feed the whole family in a jiffy, then you may also enjoy Amish Dairy Casserole, Chicken Burrrito Bowls, Cheesy Beef and Potato Casserole or Amish Golden Stew.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Equipment
- Slow cooker (linked below)
- Saucepan (linked below)
- Whisk (linked below)
- Cutting board (linked below)
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chicken breast *see note
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 oz. Ranch dressing mix packet
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 6 slices precooked bacon, crumbled divided
- 8 oz. pasta (macaroni, penne, angel hair etc.)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a 4-5 quart crockpot and season evenly with the Ranch dressing mix. Dot the chicken with cubed cream cheese, then add half of the crumbled bacon (reserving the rest for later). Pour chicken broth into the crockpot.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-4 until the chicken breast is tender. Be sure to check the chicken breast for doneness at or before 4 hours (low) and at or before 3 hours (high).
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain. Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the crockpot and cut into cubes. Whisk the cream cheese into the sauce in the crockpot until mostly blended in (some small bits may remain but should eventually melt into the sauce). Return the chicken breast to the crockpot, then add the cooked pasta and one cup of shredded cheese. Gently stir everything together to combine into the sauce, then top with the remaining shredded cheese and bacon.
- Return the lid onto the crockpot and allow the mixture to keep cooking on low for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted. If the chicken is already slightly over-cooked you can simply top the crockpot with the lid and allow the heat from the pasta to melt the cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Equipment needed for this Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta:
- Slow cooker A 4 or 5 quart slow cooker are the ideal sizes for the amount this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta produces.
- Saucepan A med-large saucepan is needed to cook the pasta in before adding the pasta to the sauce and chicken in the crockpot.
- Whisk I like to use a whisk to break up the cream cheese into smaller bits after the chicken has been cooked and removed from the crockpot.
- Cutting board A cutting board and chef’s knife are useful for cubing the cooked chicken breasts into smaller pieces.
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Ingredients needed for this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta: Shredded cheddar cheese, chicken broth, cream cheese, Ranch dressing mix, chicken breasts, crumbled bacon and pasta.
What is the best pasta to use for this Crack Chicken Pasta dish?
My personal preference is to use penne pasta, but you can use any of your favorite types of pasta as long as it is cooked before adding it to the sauce in the crockpot.
Step 1-2: Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a 4-5 quart crockpot and season evenly with the Ranch dressing mix. Dot the chicken with cubed cream cheese, then add half of the crumbled bacon (reserving the rest for topping later). Pour chicken broth into the crockpot, then cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until the chicken is tender.
Why is my chicken breast dry?
If your chicken breast turned out dry it can be because of several reasons, first, you may not have enough liquid added to the crockpot along with the chicken breast. Second, it may be because the chicken is over cooked. In my 4 quart crockpot, 2.5 pounds of chicken breast will be perfectly tender and cooked through at right around 4 hours. This can vary due to the size of the chicken breasts or even crockpot, so be sure to test the chicken breasts with a meat thermometer between 3-4 hours.
Step 2: Cook the pasta according the package directions and drain. Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the crockpot and cut into cubes. Whisk the cream cheese into the sauce in the crockpot until mostly blended in (some small bits may remain but will blend into the sauce later). Return the chicken breast to the crockpot, then add the cooked pasta and one cup of shredded cheese. Gently stir everything together to combine into the sauce, then top with the remaining shredded cheese and bacon.
Step 4: Return the lid onto the crockpot and allow the mixture to keep cooking on low for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted. If the chicken is already over cooked you can simply top the crockpot with the lid and allow the heat from the pasta to melt the cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Storage options for this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta:
Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed and reheated. You can make this dish a freezer meal by prepping all the components and placing into a 13 by 9 inch dish. Top with the remaining cheese and crumbled bacon, then cover and freeze. To reheat, thaw and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top.
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