Pinterest Kitchen

This post has been sitting as a draft since February. Apparently I was using my phone to write this post and it never published. Well, I'll be!

The story behind this recipe. Of course, I was on Pinterest again and it was originally posted as a lower fat recipe for the health conscious of a certain dietary following. Not naming names here but my inner fat child was poo-pooing to low fat suggestions and said just make what I have. 

A former student was coming over to discuss her future career and education options because she is interested in becoming a teacher. And as my husband and I are both educators, we had a lot of information for her. I decided to cook that evening for all of us. 

The culinary and food science teacher in me was strangling my neck because we all know that you're supposed to test a recipe before feeding it to <s>the animals</s> guests. I have grown rather confident with the recipes I had been finding on Pinterest and just went with it. And it was another success.

The below recipe provided enough to feed 3 people and offer 2-3 more leftover meals. Even the baby enjoyed it. Not gonna lie, it was an involved recipe but I'm sure it would be easy enough if some things were leftovers from previous meals. But it is rich and yummy. 

Cheddar Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb penne pasta
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 1 lg chicken breast, boneless & skinless, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 pkg ranch dressing mix (1/2 oz)
• 1 c fmilk
• 1/2 c  shredded cheddar cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; drain, return to pot, and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1/2 tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the reserved bacon drippings, then add the chicken to the same skillet. Cook until tender, no longer pink, and slightly browned
4. Sprinkle the flour and ranch dressing mix over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Stir in the milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the cheddar cheese and half of the reserved bacon; cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
5. Serve each plate of pasta with more bacon sprinkled over the top.