Kitchen notes · a little help before you start

Instant Pot Ranch Chicken Pasta

Name: Instant Pot Ranch Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 breast, cut into chunks); As Needed salt; As Needed black pepper; 1 package Hidden Valley Original Ranch dressing mix; 4 slices bacon (cooked and chopped); 8 ounces cream cheese; 1 pound penne pasta; 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 2 cups milk; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Ranch, bacon and cheddar make a cozy combination, especially wrapped around a forkful of pasta. The sauce settles into something wonderfully creamy as the pot cools a little. Give it that brief pause before scooping, and you have a bowl that feels properly generous.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Original yield: Serves 5
Ingredients: 10 listed

Make it part of your week

Estimating…

Main courseAmericanChicken PorkPrep: 15 minutes or lessTotal: 30 minutes or lessPressure cookerPasta

Recipe categories & planning details

Meal type: Main course
Primary protein: Chicken · Pork
Cuisine: American
Cooking method: Pressure cooker
Preparation & total time: Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
Dish type: Pasta

A few quick notes

1. Bury the penne

Stir the pasta into the broth and milk so the noodles sit in the liquid before sealing.

2. Seal before cooking

Secure the lid and put the valve in the sealing position for the pressure-cooking stage.

3. Finish after releasing

Stir in the cream cheese, cheddar and cooked bacon after the quick release.

Get to know the ingredients

Chunked chicken breast

Cut the chicken into chunks and season it before placing it in the pot.

Cooked bacon

Have the bacon cooked and chopped for stirring in after pressure cooking.

Ranch dressing mix

Use the dry dressing mix listed, which goes in with the broth and milk.

The last little job

Give the sauce a moment

Let the pasta cool briefly after stirring in the cheeses; the sauce thickens as it cools.

A little more help as you go

Keep the pressure cycle short

Use the stated pressure-cooking time followed by the quick release rather than adding a natural release.

Season the chicken first

Salt and pepper go directly on the chicken before the liquids and ranch mix are added.

A few questions you might have

Does the penne cook in the pot?

Yes, add it dry and stir it into the liquid before securing the lid.

When do the cheeses go in?

Stir in both cheeses after opening the pot following the quick pressure release.

Why is the sauce loose at first?

It thickens during the brief cooling period after the cheese and bacon are stirred in.

Should the bacon be raw?

No, the bacon is listed cooked and chopped for adding at the end.

Is this liquid ranch dressing?

Use the packaged ranch dressing mix listed, stirring it in with the milk and broth.

Any more cooking tips?

Consider serving with: Tomato Cucumber Salad Spring Pea Salad One Hour Garlic Parmesan Rolls Try my other Instant Pot Recipes !

Storage & reheating safety

For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.

These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures

Recipe source: tastesbetterfromscratch.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.

Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.

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