The next time you're in the mood for a hearty, satisfying meal, try this buffalo chicken pasta bake recipe. It has just the right amount of spice and is cheesy, gooey, and delicious! Serve with dill pickle chopped salad.
This buffalo chicken pasta recipe has quickly risen to the top of my family's favorite meals. What's not to love? It's flavor-packed, satisfying, and easy to prepare!
If you're worried about adding 1 cup of buffalo hot sauce to this dish, don't be! This dish is really not that spicy. However, you can easily reduce the hot sauce to fit your personal preference!
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- This buffalo chicken pasta bake is easy to prepare and a real crowd pleaser!
- You can make this recipe even easier by adding a rotisserie chicken, eliminating the step of cooking the raw chicken.
- Buffalo chicken pasta bake is great for pot lucks, and for taking as a meal to a sick friend or family member.
- Leftovers taste great!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pasta: I used penne pasta but you can also use gluten-free pasta or any type of pasta you prefer!
- Chicken: Any chicken will work, whether it's chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
- Cheese: Again you can add your favorite cheese. I used cream cheese, which is a must. However, you can swap out the blue cheese with feta. I also used a Mexican cheese blend but you can substitute with mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Yogurt: Instead of using sour cream, which you can absolutely use, I used plain Greek yogurt. It's just a way to cut down on some of the calories in this dish.
- Milk: Either whole or skim milk can be used. You can also use half and half if you really want to splurge!
- Blue Cheeses Dressing: If you don't like blue cheese dressing, use ranch dressing instead.
- Hot Sauce: The Frank's Red Hot Sauce gives this pasta its unique flavor. I don't recommend using a different hot sauce, but you can use less or more based on your preference.
- Mix-Ins: Mix-ins always make the recipe unique to whoever is making it. This is where you can add in your favorite ingredients or what you have at home. I added bacon, serrano peppers, and blue cheese. However, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, green onions, garlic cloves, sliced black olives, pickled jalapeños are just a few other mix-in options!
🍗 How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Step 1: Fillet chicken breast so it's not too thick and easier to cook. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon black pepper.
Step 2: Add bacon to a large skillet and cook for a few minutes until crispy. Remove bacon and add the chicken. Cover and fry in the rendered fat, over medium heat, for approximately 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
Cook Pasta
Step 3: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes, then drain. While the pasta is cooking, chop bacon and shred chicken.
Prepare Sauce
Step 4: Add milk, yogurt, blue cheese dressing, cubed cream cheese, buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, and 1 cup of shredded cheese to a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave, one minute at a time, until the sauce is hot and the cheese is mostly melted.
Pro Tip: If you prefer a smoother sauce or don't have a microwave, you can cook the sauce on the stove top, over low heat, until completely smooth.
Baking Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees ℉.
Step 5: Spray a casserole dish or a disposable lasagna pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add strained pasta, shredded chicken, and ½ of the crumbled bacon. If you'd like, add sliced serrano pepper and crumbled blue cheese and mix to combine.
Step 6: Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and mix to combine. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and add the remaining shredded cheese and bacon. Bake for 5 additional minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yes, buffalo chicken bake can be prepared a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator. When you are ready, bake as directed. Since the pasta bake will be cold, it may require a few additional minutes of cooking time.
Yes, buffalo chicken casserole can be frozen for up to 3 months when properly packaged. It can be thawed in the fridge and reheated in the microwave or oven.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
- When you're short on time, use rotisserie chicken instead!
- Leftovers can also be freeze-dried and enjoyed at a later date!
🍝 Related Recipes
If you enjoy this buffalo chicken pasta bake, try these other pasta recipes too!
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📖 Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (3 breasts)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt (divided)
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 slices bacon (divided)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb penne pasta
Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ½ cup blue cheese dressing
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- 1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (divided)
Mix-ins
- non-stick cooking spray
- 1 medium sliced serrano pepper (or ⅓ cup diced pickled jalapenos)
- ½ cup blue cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Fillet chicken breast so it's not too thick and easier to cook. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon black pepper.
- Add bacon to a large skillet and cook for a few minutes until crispy. Remove bacon and add the chicken. Cover and fry in the rendered fat, over medium heat, for approximately 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
Cook Pasta
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes, then drain. While the pasta is cooking, chop bacon and shred chicken.
Prepare Sauce
- Add milk, yogurt, blue cheese dressing, cubed cream cheese, buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, and 1 cup of shredded cheese to a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave, one minute at a time, until the sauce is hot and the cheese is mostly melted.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees ℉.
- Spray a casserole dish or a disposable lasagna pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add strained pasta, shredded chicken, and ½ of the crumbled bacon. If you'd like, add sliced serrano pepper and crumbled blue cheese and mix to combine.
- Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and mix to combine. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and add the remaining shredded cheese and bacon. Bake for 5 additional minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.
Notes
- If you prefer a smoother sauce or don't have a microwave, you can cook the sauce on the stove top, over low heat, until completely smooth.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
- When you're short on time, use rotisserie chicken instead!
- Leftovers can also be freeze dried and enjoyed at a later date!
Frank Dickman says
Gratis, bacon chicken and pasta with Velveeta and a good Mexican hot sauce wins with this. thank you for the idea.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Frank, enjoy!