Bacon Chicken Ranch Bake

Firstly, preheat your oven to a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit (or 190 degrees Celsius). Next, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Place the chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until they reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or 74 degrees Celsius), and the juices run clear, which should take around 30 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature.

Once cooked, dice the chicken breasts and place them in a bowl. Add ranch dressing mix to the bowl and stir until the chicken is evenly coated. Set the chicken aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it is evenly browned. This should take around 10 minutes, and be sure to drain the bacon slices on paper towels. Reserve the bacon grease in the skillet.

Now, heat up the reserved bacon grease in the skillet and cook the bell pepper until it is slightly tender. This should take around 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the diced chicken, a jar of Alfredo sauce, milk, and garlic to the skillet. Cook and stir until everything is heated through, which should take around 5 minutes.

In a large pot of lightly salted water, bring the water to a boil and add penne pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender yet still firm to the bite, which should take around 11 minutes. Drain the penne.

Pour half of the remaining jar of Alfredo sauce into a casserole dish. Add half of the cooked penne pasta, half of the chicken mixture, 1 and a half cups of mozzarella cheese, and half of the cooked bacon. Repeat this layering process with the remaining ingredients in the same order, ending with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and bacon.

Finally, bake the casserole in the preheated oven until it bubbles and the cheese is lightly browned, which should take around 30 minutes.