INGREDIENTS
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cut into half-inch sized pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 5 tablespoons butter divided
- 16 ounces rotini pasta cooked al dente to package directions, drained
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ounce ranch seasoning mix 1 packet
- 4 ½ cups milk
- 8 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 green onions chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8×11 baking dish. Set aside.
If using fresh chicken, cut the chicken breasts into half-inch size pieces. Season them lightly with salt and pepper. NOTE: You can use any type of pre-cooked chicken if you want to skip this step.
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Heat butter in a skillet to medium high. Working in batches, cook the chicken pieces for 3 – 5 minutes, stirring to cook evenly. Transfer to a dish and keep warm while you cook all the chicken.
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While the chicken is cooking, boil the pasta to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside (do not rinse).
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Next, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter on low. Whisk in the flour and cook and stir until smooth and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
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Gradually whisk in the milk and stir until smooth. Add the packet of ranch seasoning and whisk until well blended.
Increase heat to medium high and bring the ranch sauce mixture to a low boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and stir until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
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In the baking dish, build layers of pasta, chicken, bacon, sauce. Top each layer with a portion of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers and finish with cheese.
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Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot with the chopped green onions