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–+ servings
Crack Chicken Penne

Crack Chicken Penne

This Crack Chicken Penne is super creamy, cheesy, loaded with bacon and all done in one pot!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 512 kcal

Equipment

  • Dutch oven
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

Bacon and Chicken

  • 4 slices bacon thick cut
  • 1 pound chicken breast boneless and skinless, cut into small bite size pieces

Seasoning and Pasta

  • 1 ounce ranch seasoning (1 packet or 2 tbsp)
  • 8 ounces penne uncooked, or pasta of your choice

Liquids and Cheese

  • 3.5 cups chicken broth low sodium or no salt added
  • 4 ounces cream cheese I used Philadelphia
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 tablespoon parsley chopped

Instructions
 

Cooking Instructions

  • Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot and drain some of the bacon fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat. Chop the bacon into bits.
  • In the same pot add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat, until it starts to brown.
  • Add the ranch seasoning mix to the chicken and stir, making sure each chicken piece is coated in the seasoning mix.
  • Add the penne, chicken broth and stir, then bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until al dente.
  • Add the cream cheese to the pot and stir until most of it has melted. Add the bacon back and 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese. Stir until well combined.
  • Sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheddar cheese over the top and cover the pot with the lid. Cook for about 30 seconds then turn off the heat and remove the lid.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve.

Notes

For Instant Pot, sauté the bacon, then chicken, add ranch seasoning, penne and 2 to 2.5 cups of broth. Set on Poultry setting for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and serve. For Slow Cooker, fry bacon, combine all ingredients and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add penne 30 minutes before it’s done.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 512kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 36gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 905mgPotassium: 595mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 560IUVitamin C: 1.7mgCalcium: 317mgIron: 1.4mg
Keyword chicken pasta, Chicken Recipes, crack chicken, crack chicken penne
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