Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Here’s this week’s recipe. It looked good to me and it’s a bit different. Other than high cholesterol, what can go wrong with Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese?

Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Total time: 45 mins
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
1 slice applewood-smoked bacon
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups fat-free milk
⅓ cup condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded six-cheese Italian blend (such as Sargento)
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chopped fresh dill
⅛ teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Directions:

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Step 2

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done.

Step 3

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into the pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

Step 4

Preheat broiler.

Step 5

Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and Colby-Jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Nutrition Facts:

Per Serving:
497 calories; fat 17g; saturated fat 7.4g; mono fat 4.7g; poly fat 1.4g; Protein 33.3g; carbohydrates 51.7g; fiber 2g; cholesterol 74mg; iron 2.4mg; sodium 545mg; calcium 368mg.

Recipe courtesy of My Recipes.

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My son would love this & so would his girlfriend. Because of them my 11 year old may actually try it and like it too. Thank you so much @Amethyst!

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You’re welcome! I hope Peanut likes it!

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This is a whole bunch of deliciousness combined to make something truly decadent- my mother would say “it’s a heart attack in a bowl!” :joy:

I love hamburg Mac n Cheese, but adding bacon takes it to a whole new level- gonna have to give this one a try sometime! :grin:

Thanks for sharing, @Amethyst!

3 Likes

You’re welcome! And yeah, heart attack in a bowl is just about right. But it sounds so yummy! LOL!

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