Thursday, September 19, 2019

Perfect Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake #pasta #chickenpasta

Combining buffalo chicken, cheese, and pasta in one casserole creates a meal that everyone will love. This Easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake is delicious and can be on the dinner table in 30 minutes.


Ingredients:


  • 8 ounces - 2 cups uncooked, penne pasta (or substitute cooked cauliflower)
  • 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup ranch dressing
  • 1/3 cup hot sauce
  • 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (rotisserie or canned)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • green onions, for garnish


Instructions:


  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 8-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Cook the pasta noodles, according to the package directions. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep them from sticking.
  3. Stir together the cream cheese, ranch, and hot sauce until creamy.
  4. Add the chicken, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and cooked pasta noodles to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Spoon into the prepared dish.
  5. Combine the remaining two cheeses and sprinkle over the top of the pasta. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted.
  6. Remove and serve immediately with green onions, hot sauce, and ranch drizzles. Serves 6.


NOTES:


  • Chicken: You can use a rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken breasts, or even canned chicken. We have used all three kinds of chicken, and it tastes amazing no matter which chicken you use.
  • Cheese: Lots of shredded cheese and cream cheese makes this pasta so gooey and delicious. Hey, I never said this was a healthy buffalo chicken pasta.
  • Pasta: Use your favorite pasta noodles for this easy casserole. Cook and drain the noodles before stirring them into the buffalo chicken dip mixture. Pro Tip: If you wanted to make this into a low carb buffalo chicken recipe, substitute cooked cauliflower for the noodles. Healthy chicken recipe just like that.
  • Ranch or Blue Cheese: Either one will taste great. It all depends on which dressing you prefer.
  • Optional Toppings: Set out bowls of green onions and blue cheese crumbles for everyone to top their buffalo chicken pasta with.