Spicy Bacon Chicken Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FlavorYourWorld #CollectiveBias

Spicy Bacon Chicken Ranch Macaroni and Cheese is an easy comfort food recipe that is so full of flavor! I took my best ever macaroni and cheese recipe and kicked it up with spicy  TABASCO® sauce, ranch dressing, lots of bacon, and tender chunks of chicken.

Spicy Bacon Chicken Ranch Macaroni and Cheese is a mouthful of a name! But I just couldn’t stand to leave out any of the deliciousness in the title! It is all so good and deserves a starring role! I recently perfected my macaroni and cheese recipe and I can now call it the best ever baked macaroni and cheese. While so delicious on its own, I knew it would be the perfect base for some tasty mix-ins!

While macaroni and cheese is great as a side dish, this recipe has been elevated to main course status with the addition of the chicken. The chicken is quickly seared in a pan and then doused in TABASCO® and ranch dressing to make it full of flavor! I used TABASCO® Original Red Sauce in this recipe because it adds a flavor punch but doesn’t overpower the cheesy flavor in the recipe. It is made simply with just three ingredients, aged red peppers, salt and distilled vinegar. It’s the most versatile hot sauce that can be used in just about anything, including drinks!

If you love the flavors of Chipotle, you could substitute the TABASCO® Chipotle Pepper Sauce, which would be equally as delicious! Chipotle is a smoked jalapeño and has the best smokey flavor! It’s beautiful rich, red color would look great in this recipe as well! While you may be tempted to add a few squirts of the hot sauce to your cheese sauce, hold off and only add it to the chicken and then place on the table for anyone who wants to customize their bowl of macaroni. The vinegar content in hot sauces will break your cheese sauce and mess with the texture!

It is almost football playoff season and with that comes tons of fun tailgate parties! This Spicy Bacon Ranch Chicken Macaroni and Cheese would be perfect for a tailgate party! Nothing says football like cheesy bacon filled food! Serve this alongside my favorite tailgate party sandwiches and a hot dip like my this spicy corn dip and your guests will leave so happy and full!

Looking for more spicy recipes for game day?

Devilishly Hot Jalapeno Poppers

Spicy Philly Cheesesteak Macaroni and Cheese

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Ranch Dip

BLT Potato Skins with Spicy Ranch Sauce

Print

Spicy Bacon Chicken Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

This Spicy Bacon Chicken Ranch Macaroni and Cheese is the perfect comfort food meal for game day! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 12 oz elbow macaroni
• 1 lb chicken breasts cooked and cubed
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 can cream of cheddar cheese soup
• 4 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 packet dry ranch seasoning
• 4 tbsp TABASCO® sauce
• 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 4 tbsp ranch dressing
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook elbow macaroni 2 minutes shy of box instructions.

2. While pasta cooks, heat butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Once melted, add flour and whisk. Let cook 1 minute. Add milk and whisk well. Let cook 5-6 minutes, or until simmering and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the packet of ranch and stir well. Add cheese soup and stir.

3. Remove from heat and add the shredded cheese. Whisk until melted. Taste and add seasonings as desired.

4. Put your cubed chicken in a mixing bowl. Add 4 tbsp. TABASCO® and 4 tbsp. ranch dressing. Stir to coat.

5. Add chicken, crumbled bacon, and cheese sauce to pasta. Stir well. Add to a 8 by 11 casserole dish. Top with breadcrumbs. Bake for 18 minutes.

6. Serve drizzled with more ranch and hot sauce. 

Get your TABASCO® varieties at Walmart!