Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Pasta

• 1 lb. dry short pasta, (Campanelle is what we tried and loved it)

• 3 tsp olive oil

• 7 strips bacon, crumbled

• 3 tbsp bacon grease

• 2 tbsp minced garlic

• 3 tbsp flour

• 3 cups whole milk

• 1 ounce ranch seasoning

• 3 oz. cream cheese

• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese - or more

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast (2 chicken breasts worked well)

• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Cook bacon. Reserve 3 tbsp of the bacon grease. (Cooked ours in oven)

3. Over medium heat, add garlic to bacon grease and sauté. Add flour and stir until well mixed. Slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time and then bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes until thick.

4. Remove pot from the heat. Whisk in Monterey Jack cheese, ranch seasoning, and the cream cheese until smooth.

5. Add cooked pasta, shredded chicken, and most of the cooked bacon (reserving some for garnish), stir to incorporate. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water to thin it out, if needed.

6. Salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately with more cheese and crumbled bacon. The sauce will thicken as it stands.

We ate ours with garlic bread. Saved leftovers for the next day’s lunch and it reheated in microwave well.