Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta

I made Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta last Tuesday and it’s one of those recipes that sounds fancier than it actually is. You’ve got bacon, chicken, cream cheese and garlic doing most of the work while you just stand there stirring. It comes together in about 35 minutes if you don’t get distracted.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The bacon fat becomes your cooking oil and flavor base at the same time
• Cream cheese melts into the sauce smoother than heavy cream and doesn’t break
• You can use chicken breasts or thighs depending on what’s in your fridge
• Everything happens in one skillet so there’s less cleanup after dinner
• The garlic gets mellow and sweet in the bacon fat instead of harsh
• It’s a chicken pasta recipe that actually tastes like bacon instead of just having a few bits on top

The Story Behind This Recipe

I got tired of cream sauces that separated or tasted flat. Most bacon pasta recipes I tried had the bacon as an afterthought, just sprinkled on at the end like a garnish. I wanted the bacon flavor in every bite, not just when you got lucky.

So I stopped draining all the fat and started using it to cook the chicken. The cream cheese thing happened by accident when I didn’t have heavy cream one night. Turns out it melts slower which gives you more control and the texture stays creamy even if it sits for a minute. Now I don’t even buy heavy cream for this anymore.

What You Need

You need pasta first, whatever shape you’ve got. I used penne last Tuesday because that’s what was open in the pantry but rotini or rigatoni work too since they catch the sauce in their grooves. Cook it to al dente which means it should still have a little resistance when you bite down.

The bacon is non-negotiable here. I used about 6 strips but honestly I didn’t count, just grabbed enough to cover the bottom of my skillet. You want regular cut, not thick cut, because it renders faster and gets crispier. That fat is going to cook your chicken so don’t buy the lean stuff.

For the chicken you can use breasts or thighs. I had two chicken breasts in the fridge that were maybe a pound and a half total. Thighs stay juicier if you’re the type who overcooks things but breasts work fine if you don’t leave them in too long.

You need garlic, the minced kind from a jar or fresh cloves you chop yourself. I used about 3 cloves worth because I like it strong. Then chicken broth and milk, regular whole milk not skim because this isn’t the time to get healthy.

The cream cheese is the whole point of this chicken pasta recipe. One 8-ounce block, the brick kind not the whipped spreadable stuff. And Parmesan cheese, the real grated kind not the green can. Salt and pepper obviously.

How to Make Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta

Get your pasta water boiling first and cook it according to whatever the box says for al dente. Mine took 9 minutes. Drain it when it’s done and just leave it sitting in the colander while you do everything else.

Throw your bacon in a cold skillet then turn the heat to medium. It renders better this way instead of shocking it with high heat right away. Let it cook until it’s actually crispy, not just bendy, which took me about 8 minutes but I wasn’t watching the clock that closely. Pull it out with tongs onto a paper towel and crumble it up once it cools enough to touch. Don’t drain that bacon fat.

Season your chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. The skillet should still have all that bacon grease in it so put it back on medium heat and add the chicken. I had to do mine in two batches because I was using a 12-inch skillet and didn’t want them touching — if they’re crowded they steam instead of getting that brown crust. Each side needs about 2 to 4 minutes depending on how thick your pieces are.

When the chicken comes out, turn the heat down to low and add your garlic right into that same grease. Stir it around for maybe a minute until you can really smell it but watch it because garlic goes from fragrant to burnt in about 10 seconds.

Pour in the chicken broth and milk, then drop in the whole block of cream cheese. I just plunked it in there and put a lid on the pan for a minute to let it start melting. Once it’s soft enough, whisk it hard until the sauce comes together. It won’t be completely smooth right away and that’s fine, just get most of the lumps out.

Add your Parmesan and keep whisking while it simmers on low. The sauce thickens as it sits there and the cheese melts in. Taste it now and add more salt and pepper if you need to — I added another pinch of salt because the bacon wasn’t as salty as I expected.

Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces if you cooked it whole or just throw it back in if you cut it before. Add the crumbled bacon and then dump in all your cooked pasta. Toss everything together until the pasta is coated. The thing I noticed with this bacon pasta is that the sauce actually gets thicker as you toss it because the pasta is still a little wet from draining and it mixes with the cream cheese in this way that makes it cling better.

What I Did Wrong the First Time

I didn’t cover the pan when I added the cream cheese and it just sat there like a cold brick while I tried to whisk it. It kept breaking into chunks instead of melting smooth so I had these weird cream cheese lumps in my sauce that never fully disappeared. Covering it for even 60 seconds makes it soft enough to actually incorporate instead of just pushing it around the pan. Also I cooked my chicken on too high heat at first and the outside got dark before the inside was done so I had to finish it in the oven which defeated the whole one-pan thing.

Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta

By Emma

Prep:

10 min

Cook:

25 min

Total:

35 min

Servings:

6 servings

Ingredients

• Pasta cooked to al dente as per package directions
• Bacon, cooked until crisp and drained, crumbled
• Chicken breasts or thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper
• Minced garlic
• Chicken broth
• Milk
• Cream cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. 1 Start by boiling the pasta following the package instructions until it just resists the bite — firm but cooked through. Drain and set aside while you move to the skillet.
2. 2 Heat a large skillet over medium. Lay in the bacon and let it sizzle until it crisps and the aroma hits your nose. Once browned, transfer to paper towels to drain but keep that flavorful bacon grease in the pan. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
3. 3 Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Using the bacon fat left in the skillet, sear the chicken over medium heat. Listen for that steady sizzle; let each side brown for 2 to 4 minutes. Do this in batches if the pan feels crowded to get a nice crust without steaming. When browned, remove chicken with tongs or a slotted spoon onto a plate. Leave bacon grease behind as it carries the base flavors.
4. 4 Drop the heat to low and toss in the minced garlic. Stir it around in the bacon fat until the smell is intense but the garlic doesn't brown — about a minute. Pour in the chicken broth and milk, stirring the mixture. Add the cream cheese, then cover the pan, allowing the cream cheese to soften and start melting. Once partially melted, pick up your whisk and work through the sauce until mostly smooth.
5. 5 Grate in the Parmesan cheese and whisk steadily, watching the sauce thicken as it simmers gently uncovered on low heat. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
6. 6 Finally, return the chicken and crumbled bacon to the pan. Add the drained pasta and toss thoroughly so every bite is coated with that luscious sauce. Serve it straightaway while it’s warm and inviting.

Nutritional information

Calories

690

Protein

Xg

Carbs

Xg

Fat

Xg

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Tips for the Best Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta

Don’t move the chicken around when it hits the pan. Just let it sit there and develop that brown crust because if you keep flipping it you’ll steam it instead. I learned this the hard way when I got impatient.

The cream cheese needs to be at the temperature where it’s soft enough to whisk but the pan can’t be too hot or it’ll separate into grainy chunks. Low heat is your friend here even though it feels like it’s taking forever.

Save a cup of that pasta water before you drain it. If your sauce gets too thick after you add everything you can splash in a little pasta water and it loosens it back up without making it watery like regular water would. The starch in there helps it stay creamy.

When you’re whisking the cream cheese don’t try to get every single lump out immediately. Some of them disappear once the Parmesan goes in and the sauce simmers for a minute so you’ll just tire out your arm for no reason.

Your bacon needs to actually be crispy not just cooked. If it’s still floppy it’ll get soggy in the sauce and you lose that texture contrast that makes this cream cheese pasta work.

Serving Ideas

I put this in shallow bowls instead of plates because the sauce pools at the bottom and you can dip bread in it. Garlic bread obviously but even just regular toast works.

A simple salad with lemon juice and olive oil cuts through how rich this is. I threw together arugula with shaved Parmesan one night and it was exactly what the meal needed.

Roasted broccoli on the side gives you something green to feel less guilty about. Or you can skip the side entirely and just eat a huge bowl of this chicken pasta recipe by itself which is what I did last Tuesday.

Variations

You can throw in sun-dried tomatoes when you add the garlic and they give it this tangy bite that works with the cream. Maybe a quarter cup of the oil-packed kind chopped up. They also add some color which this recipe honestly lacks.

Spinach wilts right into the sauce if you add a couple handfuls at the end. Fresh spinach not frozen because frozen makes everything watery. Just stir it in and it disappears into the sauce in about 30 seconds.

If you want it spicy add red pepper flakes with the garlic. Start with half a teaspoon because it builds as it sits in the fat. I tried this once and used too much and couldn’t taste anything else.

Mushrooms work if you slice them thin and cook them in the bacon fat before you do the chicken. They soak up all that flavor but they also release water so you might need less milk in your sauce.

FAQ

Can I use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon?

Turkey bacon doesn’t render enough fat to cook the chicken in and it doesn’t get crispy the same way. You’d need to add butter or oil which defeats the whole point of using the bacon grease as your cooking fat. Just stick with regular bacon for this bacon pasta.

How do I know when the chicken is done?

It should feel firm when you press it with tongs and the juices run clear not pink. If you’ve got a thermometer it should read 165°F in the thickest part. I just cut into one piece to check and if it’s still pink in the middle it goes back in the pan.

Can I make this ahead of time?

The sauce gets really thick when it sits in the fridge overnight because the cream cheese solidifies again. You can reheat it on the stove with a splash of milk or chicken broth to loosen it back up but it’s honestly better fresh. I tried eating leftovers and had to add like half a cup of milk to make it creamy again.

What if I don’t have whole milk?

2% works fine, skim makes it too thin and watery. You could use half and half if you want it richer but then it’s almost too heavy. Whole milk hits the right balance where the sauce coats the pasta without feeling like you’re eating straight cream.

Can I use pre-cooked chicken?

Rotisserie chicken works if you’re in a rush but you miss out on cooking it in the bacon fat which is where a lot of the flavor comes from. Just shred it and add it when you add the bacon back in. The texture won’t be as good because it dries out when you reheat it in the sauce.

How long does this last in the fridge?

3 days maybe 4 if you’re not picky. The bacon loses its crispiness pretty much immediately once it sits in the sauce so don’t expect that texture when you reheat it. Store it in an airtight container and reheat it low and slow on the stove not in the microwave.

Can I freeze this?

Cream cheese sauces get grainy and separated when you freeze them so I wouldn’t. The texture comes out weird and no amount of stirring fixes it. If you want to freeze something make the chicken and bacon parts and freeze those then make fresh sauce when you’re ready to eat.

What kind of pasta shape works best?

Anything with ridges or holes that catch the sauce. Penne rigatoni rotini shells all work. I wouldn’t use spaghetti or angel hair because the sauce is too thick and it just slides off. You want something that grabs onto it.

My sauce is too thick what do I do?

Add pasta water or chicken broth a couple tablespoons at a time while you stir it on low heat. Don’t add too much at once or it’ll go from thick to soup in about 10 seconds. The pasta water works better because it has starch in it that keeps the sauce from breaking.

My sauce is too thin what do I do?

Let it simmer on low without the lid for a few minutes and it’ll thicken up as the liquid evaporates. You can also add more Parmesan which thickens it and adds flavor at the same time. If you’re really desperate you can make a slurry with a tablespoon of cornstarch and water but I’ve never had to do that.

Can I use jarred garlic?

Yeah that’s what I used. The kind that’s already minced in the jar works fine and saves you from having to chop it. Fresh tastes a little brighter but honestly once it’s cooked in bacon fat and mixed into cream cheese you can’t tell the difference.

Do I have to use Parmesan or can I use cheddar?

Parmesan melts into the sauce smooth and adds that salty nutty flavor. Cheddar gets grainy and doesn’t melt the same way in this kind of sauce. You could try it but it won’t taste like the same recipe and the texture will be off.

What if my cream cheese won’t melt smooth?

Your heat is probably too high and it’s seizing up. Turn it down to low cover the pan and give it a minute to soften before you try whisking again. If it’s already broken into chunks you can try blending the sauce with an immersion blender but that’s annoying and you lose some of the rustic texture.

Can I add vegetables?

Broccoli peas or spinach work without changing the sauce too much. Add them at the end so they don’t overcook. Zucchini releases too much water and makes the sauce thin and watery so I’d skip that unless you cook it separately first.

How do I reheat leftovers?

Stove is better than microwave. Put it in a pan on low heat and add a little milk or broth to bring the sauce back. Stir it constantly or the bottom will burn. Microwave makes it rubbery and the sauce separates into this oily mess.

Can I double this recipe?

You’ll need a bigger pan or two pans because if you crowd everything the chicken steams instead of browning. The sauce part doubles fine but the cooking logistics get messy. I’d just make two batches or make one batch and have people eat seconds.

Why did my bacon make the whole thing too salty?

Some bacon is saltier than others depending on the brand. Taste your sauce before you add salt at the end and go light with it. You can always add more but you can’t take it out once it’s in there. The Parmesan also adds salt so keep that in mind.

Do I have to use chicken broth or can I use water?

Water makes the sauce taste flat and boring. Chicken broth adds depth and makes everything taste more cohesive since you’re already using chicken. You could use vegetable broth if that’s all you have but it won’t taste quite right with chicken and bacon.

Can I use chicken tenderloins?

They cook faster than breasts so watch them close or they’ll dry out. Maybe 2 minutes per side instead of 4. They work fine texture-wise just don’t walk away from the pan.

What size skillet do I need?

12-inch minimum or you’ll be doing everything in batches which takes forever. I used a 12-inch and still had to cook the chicken in two batches because I had thick pieces. If you’ve only got a 10-inch pan you’ll definitely be working in batches.

My garlic burned what do I do?

Start over with that step if you catch it right away. Burnt garlic tastes bitter and ruins the whole sauce. If it’s already mixed in there’s not much you can do except maybe add more cream cheese to dilute it but honestly it’ll still taste off.