The Dinner We’re Dreaming About: Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Pasta Bake

Are you a fan of classic tuna noodle casserole? I am, but my husband definitely isn’t. We are, sadly, a house divided. His main issue is with tuna, so I sought out a way to make a creamy noodle casserole we could both enjoy, and came up with this recipe!

I still kept elements of classic tuna noodle casserole that I love: the creamy sauce, peas and crunchy topping, but swapped out tuna for rotisserie chicken to make it more family-friendly. To add even more flavor, I mixed in some crumbled bacon and flavorful ranch seasoning. The end result is a dish that feels familiar, but is still entirely new and one that everyone in the house will agree is delicious. Here’s how to make it!

The ingredients for this recipe are pretty simple. You’ll need uncooked egg noodles, rotisserie chicken, frozen sweet peas, cooked and crumbled bacon, cream cheese, Progresso chicken stock, Progresso panko bread crumbs, Ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix, butter, onion and some oil.

Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. Cook noodles in salted water as directed on the package for the minimum cook time. Drain and place them in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet, heat the oil. Add onion and cook in the oil until soft and translucent, then season lightly with salt. Add the chicken stock and heat to simmering. Next, stir in the cream cheese until it’s melted and combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix. Pour mixture over noodles. Fold in chicken, bacon and frozen peas. Spread the entire mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Next, in a small bowl, mix the melted butter, bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon of the ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix until well-combined.

Spread the bread crumb mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.

Pop the dish in the oven and let it bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is crisp and the sauce is bubbling. Let it stand for about 5 minutes, then serve!