Chicken Bacon Pasta Bake

This chicken bacon pasta bake is creamy, hearty, and satisfying, with a subtle zip thanks to the addition of cream cheese. Prep is streamlined by using rotisserie (or leftover) chicken and a package of pre-cooked bacon. Even better, this easy weeknight meal will also save you time on dishes because it's made all in one pot!

What could be better than pasta enrobed in a creamy, cheesy, velvety-smooth sauce, dotted with chunks of tender chicken and smoky bacon? How about if I told you you can make this stick-to-your ribs, family-pleasing meal with only 9 ingredients, 35 minutes, AND only one pot?!

Thanks to a couple shortcut ingredients (leftover chicken, pre-cooked bacon), and the use of our handy Dutch oven (perfect for cooking all things stove to oven, like my Dutch oven chicken breast recipe), we can make it happen!

This chicken and bacon pasta bake was inspired by my one pot cream cheese pasta recipe. That recipe cooks the pasta in a combination of milk and water, and, rather than draining the pasta, the remaining starchy liquid is combined with cream cheese to create a silky smooth sauce.

We are using that same technique but upping the indulgence factor about 100x by adding cheddar cheese, chicken, bacon, green onion and garlic! And, by baking the pasta at the end, the sauce thickens and the flavors meld together in such a satisfying way. With this chicken bacon pasta bake recipe, you can have true comfort food, even on a busy Tuesday!

Jump to:

• Recipe ingredients
• Step by step photos
• Top Tip
• Tips and tricks
• Top Tip
• Substitutions and additions
• Storage and reheating
• Recipe FAQs
• What to serve with chicken bacon pasta bake

Recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

• Shredded cheese: I like to use medium cheddar, but you can also use mild or sharp cheddar. For the smoothest sauce, I really recommend shredding the cheese yourself.
• Pasta: I used cavatappi, but you can use fusilli or rotini instead.
• Milk: I recommend using whole milk or 2% milk for a creamier texture.

Step by step photos

Here's how to make this creamy one pot chicken bacon pasta bake, step by step:

1. Step one is to cube up the cream cheese, and let it sit at room temperature while you prep the other ingredients. And, if you aren't using pre-shredded cheese (I do recommend shredding it yourself!), you can shred the cheese now as well.

2. Next, let's start the pasta cooking. In a Dutch oven or pot, add the pasta, water, milk, and salt. Stir to combine. Heat over high heat to bring the liquid to a gentle boil, and continue to boil gently for 6 - 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If needed, you can turn down the heat at any point to maintain the gentle boil.)

3. While the cooking liquid is coming to a boil and while the pasta is cooking, you can continue on with the other prep steps: finely chopping the garlic, finely chopping the white/light green parts of the green onion, thinly slicing the dark green parts of the green onion, shredding the chicken, and tearing/cutting the bacon into bite-sized pieces.

4. When the pasta is al dente, turn off the burner. Then, add in the chicken, cream cheese, garlic, and white/light green parts of the green onion. Also add in most of the bacon and cheddar cheese, but hold back about ½ cup of each to top the pasta with later.

Stir the pasta together (don't worry about everything melting together yet). Add the lid and bake in a preheated 375 degrees (190 degrees C) oven for 10 minutes.

5. After 10 minutes, remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Stir the pasta together again. This time, all of the cheeses should melt into the sauce. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and bacon.

Bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes, or until the top cheese is melted. Garnish with the remaining sliced green onion and enjoy immediately!

Tips and tricks

• When the milk, water, and pasta are added to the pot, the liquids should just barely cover the pasta (make sure the pasta is in an even layer). If the dry pasta is sticking up out of the liquid, you can add a splash more milk or water, just until the pasta is barely covered.

• Be sure to stir the pasta occasionally while it's boiling. This is especially important towards the end of the cook time when more of the liquid has evaporated.

• Leaving the cream cheese out at room temperature while the pasta cooks is important, this helps to ensure it will incorporate smoothly into the hot pasta.

Substitutions and additions

There are many easy swaps and additions you can make for this bacon chicken pasta bake. Here are a few you can try:

• Instead of cavatappi pasta, try using rotini or fusilli.

• Instead of cheddar cheese, you can use another melting cheese such as pepper Jack, Havarti, or Fontina.

• If you don't have green onions on hand, substitute half a sweet or yellow onion, finely chopped.

• To round out the dish you can add in some pre-cooked vegetables, such as broccoli florets, sliced mushrooms, sliced bell peppers, and/or peas.

• To enhance the flavor even more, you can also add in some additional seasonings, like paprika (smoked or regular), garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and/or thyme (dried or fresh).

Storage and reheating

• Store the leftover pasta in a covered container in the fridge. When properly stored it will last for 3 - 4 days.

• To reheat the pasta, add 1 - 2 servings to a sauce pan with a splash of milk. Cover the pot and heat on the lowest heat setting, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is warmed through. Avoid heating the pasta too much or it may affect the creaminess of the sauce.

• Alternatively, you can heat individual servings of leftover pasta in the microwave. Add the pasta to a microwave-safe bowl with a small splash of milk. Microwave on 50% power in 1 - 2 minute increments, stirring in between, until heated through.

• You can also freeze the pasta if you wish, but just be aware that the pasta sauce will be looser upon freezing and reheating. To reheat the frozen pasta, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then follow the above reheating instructions.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with chicken bacon pasta bake

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