Broccoli Cheese Chicken Bacon Pasta
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This broccoli cheese chicken bacon pasta takes the cozy, cheesy flavor you love from a classic broccoli cheese soup and turns it into a hearty pasta dinner, loaded with chicken and bacon for extra protein. Bacon gets cooked first for flavor, then broccoli and carrots soften right in the same skillet before everything comes together with evaporated milk, cheddar cheese, and rotini.
Hearty, easy, familiar flavors – this is one your family will ask for by name!
It’s not quite a direct dupe of a broccoli cheese soup, since bacon and chicken aren’t something you’d typically find together in a classic version, but the cheesy, veggie loaded base definitely brings that same comforting flavor to mind. This dinner recipe is a genuinely tasty, filling meal that comes together in one skillet.
What You Need for This Recipe
- Bacon, cut into pieces, cooks first and adds smoky flavor throughout.
- Shredded carrots and finely cut broccoli bring the classic broccoli cheese flavor and texture.
- Evaporated milk creates a rich, creamy sauce base.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper season the sauce.
- Cooked chicken breast, cubed, adds protein and makes this a full meal.
- Shredded cheddar cheese melts into the sauce for that classic cheesy flavor.
- Rotini pasta, cooked and drained, holds onto the sauce well thanks to its shape.
- Reserved pasta water helps loosen and bring the sauce together at the end.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Chicken Bacon Pasta
Add the bacon to a 10 inch ovenproof skillet and heat over medium heat until browned. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel.
Wipe out the skillet and add the carrots and broccoli, cooking for around 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the evaporated milk, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
Stir in the cheese, pasta, chicken, bacon, and reserved pasta water.
Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cheese is fully combined and melted and the mixture is hot. Serve immediately.
Tips for the Best Broccoli Cheese Chicken Bacon Pasta
Save that pasta water before draining. Reserving about 1 cup of starchy pasta water helps bring the sauce together into a smooth, cohesive texture. If you forget and drain it all, chicken broth or a bit more evaporated milk works as a substitute.
Season your chicken simply. Cooking the chicken breast with just salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning keeps the flavor simple so it doesn’t compete with the cheesy sauce.
Use just the broccoli florets. Discarding the tougher stem and using only the broccoli florets gives a more tender bite throughout the dish.
More Cheesy Chicken Dinners to Try
If you love the broccoli cheese flavor in this dish, our TikTok broccoli cheese soup is the soup version worth trying too. For more cheesy chicken pasta dinners, check out our Cajun chicken pasta penne, Ninja Foodi cheesy chicken pasta, or our cheesy chicken broccoli casserole for a rice free, low carb option.
Broccoli Cheese Chicken Bacon Pasta
Equipment
- 10 inch skillet
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 broccoli crown finely cut
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lb chicken breast cooked and cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces rotini pasta cooked and drained
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Add bacon into a 10 inch ovenproof skillet and heat over medium heat until browned. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towel.
- Wipe out the skillet and add shredded carrots and broccoli pieces, cooking for around 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add evaporated milk, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix well.
- Stir in shredded cheese, cooked pasta, cooked chicken, cooked bacon, and reserved pasta water. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cheese is combined and melted and mixture is hot. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
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