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Crack Chicken Penne

Crack chicken penne is a weeknight chicken pasta made with penne coated in a thick ranch cream cheese sauce, shredded chicken, crispy bacon bits, and melted cheddar. It’s simmered until slightly thick, then finished with extra cheddar so every bite turns creamy and rich.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 825
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and pasta
  • 3 cooked chicken shredded
  • 12 oz penne pasta cooked
  • 8 strips bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
Ranch cream sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic minced
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened and cubed
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • fresh chives for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sauté aromatics
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the minced garlic for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.
Melt the cream cheese
  1. Add chicken broth and cream cheese cubes, then stir over medium-low heat until the cream cheese melts completely and the mixture looks smooth.
Build the ranch sauce
  1. Stir in ranch seasoning mix and heavy cream, then simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.
Toss with chicken and penne
  1. Add shredded chicken, most of the crumbled bacon, and cooked penne, then toss until every piece is evenly coated in the sauce.
Melt the cheddar
  1. Scatter shredded cheddar over the top, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes until melted and bubbling around the edges.
Finish and serve
  1. Garnish with the remaining bacon and fresh chives, then serve hot while the sauce is creamy.

Notes

For the smoothest sauce, keep the heat at medium-low while the cream cheese melts, then simmer just until slightly thick (it will thicken more as the pasta absorbs sauce). Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of chicken broth or heavy cream to loosen. Freezing is not recommended because cream cheese can change texture after thawing. For a lighter option, use light cream cheese and half-and-half in place of heavy cream and keep the simmer short.