Before I begin this post let me say I’m sorry I’m so terrible at keeping up with this blog! I don’t cook as often as I used to since it’s just my roommate, Lindy, and myself. And sometimes I’m so exhausted after work I just throw in a frozen pizza. ( I know, shameful!) But I promise I have a recipe that will make it up to you!
I was flipping through food magazines while listening to Lindy rave about Chili’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas (with ancho ranch dipping sauce) this afternoon and had a genius idea. Combine those amazing flavors with mac ‘n cheese! This recipe was a huge experiment and I’m so, so happy with how it turned out. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. pasta
- 6 strips bacon, chopped
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 2 T. butter
- 2 T. flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 package dry spicy ranch dressing mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Add onion and chicken to skillet with bacon grease and cook until done. Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Toss pasta, chicken and onion together in a large bowl.
In a medium saucepan melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook about 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. When milk is heated through add the package of spicy ranch mix and combine well. Add 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese and the cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
Toss pasta mixture with cheese sauce. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon and bake an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy!
amyschobinger 