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Home » Recipes » Main Course

Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta

Stacey – June 16, 2022 – 48 Comments

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This creamy, indulgent Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta is a skillet full of comfort. It’s easy, only calls for handful of ingredients, and is the perfect recipe for those busy weeknights.

Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta in a skillet

I often refer to easy, quick weeknight meals like this Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta as the type of recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights when the kids are in school and we’re all running in a hundred different directions. The thing is, though, it’s not just when school is in session that we’re looking for easy recipes – at least at our house. We’re pretty much always looking for things that we can get on the table without a lot of fuss and with ingredients we already have in the house. You’d think that as a recipe developer that wouldn’t be the case. But I think it’s one of those “cobbler’s children have no shoes” things. When I’m in the kitchen all day, I rarely want to spend tons of time cooking supper.

Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta in a skillet

And this summer is a bit different for us as Jack’s at home all summer. In the past, he’s been at some kind of summer camp – usually out swimming, hiking, kayaking. But this summer, since my test kitchen and office is right in the backyard now, we’ve allowed him to stay home with us.

Now, I don’t know when the last time you’ve tried to feed a 13-year-old boy was, but let me tell you… The phrase “Eating us out of house and home” is 100% correct! This kid is ravenous.

Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta on a fork

When we were testing this recipe, we had barely started cooking the bacon when he popped his head in the door to see what was cooking. And who blames him? Folks come a-runnin’ when they smell bacon. And that’s just what’s going to happen when you make this dish.

Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta in a skillet

We start with thick cut, smoked bacon. It gives the sauce a noticeable smokiness and tons of flavor. Regular cut bacon will work, as well. You just might need a few more pieces to get enough fat to cook everything else. You’ll need 2 to 3 tablespoons of bacon grease/fat.

Using the rendered fat to sear the chicken also helps us carry that flavor throughout the dish. Just be sure not to crowd that pan. You want to get a nice sear on the chicken and get it golden brown to add even more flavor.

Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta on a fork

For the pasta, it’s important to remember to only cook the pasta to al dente. It will continue to cook a bit once it’s out of the boiling water and can soften even more once it’s added to the sauce. And be sure to not rinse your pasta in this recipe. Keeping the starch on the pasta will help the sauce to stick to the spaghetti.

And while I know how much some of y’all hate the vagueness of the phrase “add salt and pepper to taste,” it’s really the only way to do it. Different cheeses will have different salt amounts and based on the amount of salt and pepper you put on the chicken, you might not need any more at all. Just taste it.

Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta on a fork
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4.77 from 13 votes

Recipe Card

Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Author Stacey Little | Southern Bite

Ingredients

  • 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti
  • 5 slices thick cut bacon
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package instructions, and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels, keeping the bacon drippings in the pan. Crumble and set aside.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear in the bacon grease over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 2 to 4 minutes on each side or until brown. Work in batches if necessary to prevent crowding the pan. Remove chicken from pan using tongs or a slotted spoon to allow bacon grease to remain in the pan. Place chicken on a plate. Set aside.
  • Lower the heat to low and add the minced garlic. Cook in the bacon grease until fragrant – just about 1 minute – being cautious not to burn the garlic. Add the chicken broth and milk. Stir to combine. Add the cream cheese and cover the pan. Cook for a few minutes or until cream cheese is nearly melted. Use a whisk to combine the sauce. Finally, add parmesan cheese to the pan and whisk together. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat until sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken and crumbled bacon to the pan along with the pasta and toss together. Serve immediately.
Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta on a fork
Did you make my Cream Cheese Bacon Chicken Pasta?I’d love to see! Share on Instagram, tag @southernbite, and use the hashtag #southernbite!
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Stacey Little of Southern Bite

Hey, y’all! I’m Stacey…

Feeding people makes me happy. Few things in this world delight me more than my family and friends gathered around my table enjoying a meal. Pull up a chair and join us! Read more…

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  1. Jillian

    January 23, 2023 at 6:00 pm

    Yummmmm. I added quarter cup of chopped onions sautéed with the garlic, and about 2 table spoons of lemon juice with red pepper flakes and at the last 2 minutes I added 1 cup of frozen peas. DELICIOUS

    Reply
    • Stacey

      January 24, 2023 at 10:11 am

      Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Stacey Jolley

    January 17, 2023 at 6:19 pm

    I added some rosemary and thyme to the chicken when I cooked it. I also added broccoli to the final product. Yum

    Reply
    • Stacey

      January 18, 2023 at 8:49 am

      Sounds great!

      Reply
  3. Kelli

    December 13, 2022 at 2:06 am

    My son hates cream cheese. I’m wondering could this.be made with 8oz sour cream instead?

    Reply
    • Stacey

      December 13, 2022 at 9:42 am

      I think it would work, the flavor will be quite different though.

      Reply
  4. Jen

    December 5, 2022 at 7:51 am

    I came across this recipe while searching for a new chicken dish. So happy I did! It was delicious. My 12 year old son loved it so much he had it for dinner, then ate the leftovers the next day and asked for me to make it again the following night! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Stacey

      December 5, 2022 at 8:54 am

      That’s awesome, Jen! I’m so glad to hear your son liked it so much!

      Reply
  5. Sarah

    November 26, 2022 at 10:30 pm

    It was very easy I used garlic salt & pepper ,onion powder , cayenne powder, for the chicken and the sauce . It was a hit !

    Reply
    • Stacey

      November 29, 2022 at 10:26 am

      Glad to hear it turned out great for you!

      Reply
  6. Melanie

    October 28, 2022 at 8:50 pm

    Recipe seems simple enough but the sauce is taking sooo long to thicken. I hope it does so I can try it out. I’m practically boiling it and still nothing.

    Reply
    • Tiffany Lacy

      October 30, 2022 at 9:14 pm

      I agree with you. The sauce took much much longer to thicken than this recipe recommends.

      Reply
    • Stacey

      October 31, 2022 at 8:52 am

      So sorry Melanie! How did it turn out?

      Reply
  7. Kelly Kunkel

    October 13, 2022 at 6:28 pm

    Quick and easy for a dad to cook after work thank you tastes great will make again

    Reply
    • Stacey

      October 17, 2022 at 10:17 am

      Thank you so much Kelly!

      Reply
  8. Tammy G

    October 3, 2022 at 9:31 am

    Easy, delicious pasta recipe. I substituted almond milk because that’s what was in the fridge. Added about 1/3 cup more parmesan because the milk was not thickening as I think dairy milk would have. Otherwise, followed recipe as written. It was yummy and satisfying. I will add this to my family favorites recipe collection. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Stacey

      October 3, 2022 at 10:13 am

      Can never go wrong with more cheese!

      Reply
  9. Kim

    September 11, 2022 at 2:18 pm

    This sounds delicious. We don’t keep milk in the house, do you think I could use half and half instead?

    Reply
    • Stacey

      September 12, 2022 at 10:51 am

      It might be a little rich, but I think it would work just fine!

      Reply
  10. Courtney Mac

    August 22, 2022 at 8:00 am

    Oddly enough, my teen does not like pasta- do you think I could substitute and combine with rice instead?

    Reply
    • Stacey

      August 22, 2022 at 9:01 am

      I don’t see why not!

      Reply
  11. Joanna

    August 13, 2022 at 2:19 pm

    I made this about a week ago, delicious! I will fit this into my rotation for pasta recipes, my husband LOVED this dish. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Stacey

      August 15, 2022 at 11:21 am

      Joanna, so glad he loved it! Hope it was enjoyable for you to make as well!

      Reply
  12. Liz Baumann

    August 11, 2022 at 5:20 pm

    Made this two days ago. Very tasty. Going to have the leftovers tonight (we don’t have a 13-year old boy to feed, but oh, I do remember those days). Made it pretty much just the way you shared it, except that I was out of spaghetti so I used rotini instead. Worked well, as the spirals collected the sauce very nicely. I will be adding this to my keeper notebook for sure!

    Reply
    • Stacey

      August 15, 2022 at 11:39 am

      Heather and I LOVE thick, short pasta but Jack prefers thin. I bet this was great with rotini!

      Reply
  13. Jennifer

    July 19, 2022 at 6:36 pm

    The flavor of the bacon is permeated through the whole dish. I could eat this all day!

    Reply
    • Stacey

      July 26, 2022 at 5:26 pm

      Perfect! Glad it turned out great for you!

      Reply
  14. Julia Marple

    July 12, 2022 at 3:08 pm

    Devine! I didn’t change a thing. Took longer than 25 minutes, though.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      July 12, 2022 at 3:51 pm

      Awesome! So glad to hear that! About how long did it take for you?

      Reply
  15. Becky Klepper

    June 25, 2022 at 1:34 pm

    Made this spaghetti recipe last Sunday, love it and can’t wait till I go to my daughters in October to make it for her, she is allergic to tomatoes, will be perfect for her.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      June 27, 2022 at 10:34 am

      Oh I’m so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  16. Tish Brown

    June 22, 2022 at 9:45 pm

    I’m making this for dinner guests Friday. Can you recommend any sides or salads that would complement the dish?

    Reply
    • Stacey

      June 24, 2022 at 3:35 pm

      A fresh salad, roasted green beans, or another fresh green side are usually what we serve it with.

      Reply
  17. Marilyn

    June 20, 2022 at 3:51 pm

    Pretty good recipe. I made some adjustments to mines due to food allergies. I use turkey bacon and gluten free fettuccine pasta. I use chicken thighs cause that what I had in refrigerator. I also add spinach. I just wish my sauce came out a little more thick but again good recipe.

    Thank you

    Reply
  18. Cynthia Martin

    June 20, 2022 at 11:35 am

    I’m so happy I found you and your recipes. Can’t wait to try it😇

    Reply
    • Stacey

      June 21, 2022 at 8:56 am

      We’re so glad you’re here!

      Reply
  19. Patsy Brown

    June 20, 2022 at 11:34 am

    Hello Stacey,

    My son is diabetic and has lost 95 pounds since finding out and he does not eat sugar and carbs at all. Do you have any recipes for chicken without carbs? He loves Chicken and could eat it every day, but I have run out of thoughts for making chicken recipes. Sounds so bland to me to not have carbs.

    Really enjoy all your recipes.

    Reply
  20. Sylvia

    June 17, 2022 at 10:15 am

    Hi Stacey……just curious, have you sent out an email with pics of your new home and test kitchen? If so, I guess I missed the email (don’t do Facebook or any other social media). By the way, this recipe sounds delicious.
    Sylvia from Monroeville

    Reply
    • Stacey

      June 17, 2022 at 2:33 pm

      Hi Sylvia! I was actually just working on photos of the house today! I hope to have them out next week to share.

      Reply
    • Stacey

      June 21, 2022 at 9:19 am

      No you haven’t missed it! We actually just finished photos this weekend and will hopefully have them out this week!

      Reply
  21. Charleen

    June 17, 2022 at 8:39 am

    This looks good. My daughter would make it for supper one night. I am more of a red sauce kind of girl,but this just sounds delicious! Missing Sunday Supper. When will you start it again? I am so happy you are moved in to your lovely new home and test kitchen. I think everyone should have a test kitchen. I think of it as a summer kitchen. God bless you and yours.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      June 17, 2022 at 2:34 pm

      Thanks so much, Charleen! As we’re finally getting settled in the new space, I do hope to start Sunday Supper back up very soon!

      Reply
  22. Marsha

    June 16, 2022 at 5:21 pm

    I wished the recipes had the calorie counts. I know they are high, not complaining, just trying to fit in how much & often to fix & eat.😊

    Reply
    • Stacey

      June 17, 2022 at 2:37 pm

      This is a GREAT nutritional calculator. You can simply drop the web address in and it will calculate it for you… https://my.whisk.com/nutrition-calculator

      Reply
  23. Amy Proctor

    June 16, 2022 at 4:27 pm

    I don’t see the amount of parmesan cheese to add at the end. Can’t wait to try this one.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      June 17, 2022 at 2:38 pm

      Oh no! So sorry! I’m not sure how we missed that. I’ve updated the recipe. It’s 1/2 cup of grated parmesan.

      Reply
  24. Jewels

    June 16, 2022 at 2:15 pm

    Use a keto-friendly pasta and change the milk for heavy cream and you’ve got the perfect keto pasta recipe. Trying it tonight.

    Reply
    • Stacey

      June 17, 2022 at 2:38 pm

      Absolutely! Hope it turned out great for you!

      Reply

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Stacey Little of Southern Bite

Hey, y’all! I’m Stacey…

Feeding people makes me happy. Few things in this world delight me more than my family and friends gathered around my table enjoying a meal. Pull up a chair and join us! Read more…

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