Who can turn down dinner that’s made in one skillet? This chicken bacon alfredo skillet is a complete meal with minimal clean-up!
My life is crazy busy these days. I work 40 hours a week, often eating lunch in my car and usually meeting deadlines by the skin of my teeth. Then I come home and work out (every day, because when you are a food blogger you can’t afford to NOT work out every day), make dinner, and settle into my second job. Wait, what? Oh yeah, I’m talking about blogging. I work on my blog from the time I finish dinner to the time I go to bed, and I think about it basically every second in between.
No wonder, then, that the fewer pans that I can dirty when I’m making dinner the better. When I’m planning what I’m going to cook, I’m always thinking, “How can I make this into a one-pan meal?”. Less washing, more time. ? How can you say no to that?
One-pan pasta is the best, because you don’t even have to drain it. Everything cooks in the pan all at the same time. I’ve shared something similar in this space before, but this time I got a little cheeky and used heavy cream instead of milk. Yes, that’s right. Heavy cream. Why, you ask? Alfredo pasta. Heavy cream = alfredo. Plus shredded chicken and bacon and broccoli and mozzarella. This chicken bacon alfredo pasta skillet (whew, that’s a mouthful) is a complete meal but you only have to dirty one skillet. And check out that cheese? This pasta skillet is weeknight worthy, for sure!
Mary
Yield: 4-8 servings
10 minPrep Time:
25 minCook Time:
35 minTotal Time:
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 head broccoli, washed and cut into small florets (save stem for a different use)
- 8 ounces small pasta, like shells or rotini
- 2 cups shredded chicken (I used the meat from 4 chicken thighs)
- 3 cups milk or 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (this is what I used)
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into small pieces
- salt
Instructions
- Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet until crisped. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain away all but one tablespoon of the bacon drippings.
- Add the broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, for about one minute. Add the pasta and the chicken and stir to combine. Pour in the milk and/or cream and season with one teaspoon of salt.
- Raise heat to medium-high and bring the pasta mixture to a boil. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is tender, 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
- Stir the bacon and 3/4 of the cheese into the pasta. Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the remaining cheese. Place under the broiler and cook until the cheese is browned. Serve immediately.
