My crack chicken penne recipe is the epitome of comfort. This chicken, pasta, and crispy bacon dish comes together with a super creamy, cheesy sauce that fits the perfect weekday meal or Sunday supper. Creamy, satisfying, and oh-so-cheesy, this recipe will be on your regular rotation.
If you love this flavor combo as much as we do, I hope you’ll try our original crack chicken, crack chicken casserole, crack chicken noodle soup, and crack chicken spaghetti bake next!
CRACK CHICKEN PENNE INGREDIENTS
- Bacon: Use your favorite cut, thickness, or flavor
- Chicken: Chicken breasts work best
- Onion: I use yellow or brown onions
- Cajun Seasoning: This seasoning can be found at most grocery stores
- Black Pepper: I use fresh cracked black pepper.
- Ranch Seasoning: Hidden Valley Ranch Season is the way to go for the best flavor.
- Chicken Broth: I use low-sodium broth.
- Penne Pasta: I chose penne because the shape holds the sauce perfectly.
- Cream Cheese: This ingredient makes everything sing! Use any brand you desire.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: A staple in most homes, this ingredient transforms the dish from good to great!
- Mozzarella: I use low-moisture part-skim mozzarella
- Cheddar: I use sharp cheddar cheese
- Parsley: The addition of a little fresh greenery is always nice
TIPS
- Pan Size: Start in a large pan. I like a Dutch oven or skillet large enough to accommodate all the ingredients with room to mix and simmer.
- Al Dente: Cooking the pasta to al dente ensures that the pasta will not get too mushy when serving. Cook until there is a little bite to the pasta, but not too uncooked.
- Cheese: You can use pre-shredded cheeses in a pinch, but I always grate by hand.
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This in The Fridge? Once cooked and cooled, your crack chicken penne will last up to three days in the fridge.
- Can You Freeze This? I do not recommend freezing because of the cheese sauce. It will not warm up well. You will want this dish fresh and warm.
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare the crack chicken penne ahead of time. Don’t toss the bacon until ready to serve. You can microwave the dish until heated through, then toss right before serving.
- Food Safety: Here’s an article about chicken casserole‘s food safety.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS
We love this with our fresh Mediterranean salad, strawberry spinach salad or strawberry salad (with baby arugula, crumbled blue cheese, strawberries!), KFC coleslaw, marinated tomato salad, or 1905 salad.
HOW TO MAKE CRACK CHICKEN PENNE
- Combine the chicken cubes, chopped onions, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper.
- Add it to the pot and brown the chicken. Sprinkle it with the ranch seasoning.
- Pour in the chicken broth.
- Add the penne. Cover and simmer until the pasta is al dente.
- Uncover the pot then stir in the cream cheese, and cream of chicken soup. Stir in mozzarella and cheddar.
- Add the cooked bacon.
- Serve.
***See the full instructions below.
MORE CRACK RECIPES
More Chicken Casserole Recipes
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Dorito Chicken Casserole
- KFC Famous Bowl Casserole
- Chicken and Dumpling Casserole
- TikTok Chicken Cobbler
- Chicken Fajita Casserole
- Chicken and Potato Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Casserole
- Melt In Your Mouth Chicken
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Crack Chicken Penne
My crack chicken penne recipe is a comforting dish that combines chicken, pasta, and crispy bacon with a super creamy, cheesy sauce.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, diced
- 2 uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 3/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (1-ounce) packet dry ranch seasoning
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 12 ounces dried penne pasta
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes, at room temperature
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded and divided
- 1 cup sharp cheddar shredded and divided
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a 12-inch skillet cook diced bacon (8 slices), over medium heat, until crispy, Remove cooked bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside 1/2 cup of bacon to use as garnish. Drain and discard (or better, save for another use) all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
- Add chicken cubes, chopped onions (1/2 cup), Cajun seasoning (3/4 teaspoon), and black pepper (1/4 teaspoon) to skillet and brown for 4-6 minutes. (Chicken doesn't need to be cooked through at this point).
- Sprinkle chicken with a packet of ranch seasoning. Pour in chicken broth (4 cups) and bring to a boil, scrapping the bottom of the skillet to dislodge all the brown bits in the skillet.
- Add penne (12 ounces), lower heat to low, cover, and simmer until the pasta is al dente, 15-18 minutes.
- Uncover skillet then stir in cream cheese (8 ounces) and cream of chicken soup (1 can), stiring until smooth and there are no more lumps.
- Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup cheddar, and cooked bacon (except 1/2 cup reserved)
- Remove the skillet from heat, then sprinkle it with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup cheddar, and reserved 1/2 cup bacon. Cover with lid and allow to sit until the cheeses melt. Sprinkle with parsley (1 tablespoon) and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Pan Size: Start in a large pan. I like a Dutch oven or skillet large enough to accommodate all the ingredients with room to mix and simmer.
- Al Dente: Cooking the pasta to al dente ensures that the pasta will not get too mushy when serving. Cook until there is a little bite to the pasta, but not too uncooked.
- Cheese: You can use pre-shredded cheeses in a pinch, but I always grate by hand.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 773kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1395mg | Potassium: 731mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1126IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 299mg | Iron: 2mg
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It’s so good! My daughter had a second plate 🙂
Hey Sybil! So happy you and your fam enjoyed! We love this pasta soooo much!