This Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta is so hearty and comforting for a winter weeknight dinner. With plenty of cheese and crispy bacon, it's got big flavor for low effort.
Witches understand that humans are part of the natural world just like every other animal. Modern society, on the other hand, is not into it. Capitalism expects us to be more like machines, constantly churning out the same level of energy and productivity, regardless of what the sun (our true source of physical energy) is up to. Just existing in the cold winter months takes more energy from our bodies, so to then push ourselves to "produce" as a "normal" rate can feel overwhelming.
So if you're craving heartier, carbier, richer foods in the winter, I encourage you to trust the wisdom of your body. Will your figure maintain unrealistic beauty standards? Maybe not. Will you be happier? Well, only you can answer that, but I know I will be. If you can't slow down in winter, at least give yourself the fuel you need to keep going.
What makes this Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta so awesome?
This Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta is savoury and cheesy and packed with protein and carbs. It's exactly the kind of thing I want to eat when I've spent the day burning calories just from shivering. Pulling a bubbling casserole dish out of a hot oven at the end of a long, cold day is exactly the magick I need to renew myself. And this one has all the good flavors.
If you use pre-cooked chicken, whether leftovers, preppred from frozen, or bought that way, you can have this in the oven in 20 minutes or less. Then you have time to relax and enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of tea while it gets all gooey and delicious. Serve this alongside a winter salad or some steamed veggies. It's going to become a weeknight regular.
Magical Properties of Chicken
As a meat-eating kitchen witch, I always try to buy the most humane products I can afford. I also acknowledge the sacrifice of the animal who is sharings its energy with me. We all make our own rules and have to do what feels right for us.
Chicken has been peasant food for centuries, so of course, it's been used in witchcraft in varying forms throughout history, from bone divination to egg cleansing. As a protein source, it can be used in kitchen witchcraft to represent the element of fire and the Sun. Use chicken to call in healing and personal energy. (Source: The Kitchen Witch's Guide to Healing and Self-Care by Maggie Haseman)
To learn more about the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this dish. The full details are in the recipe card below.
- Chicken - pre-cooked and chopped or shredded
- Bacon - the streaky and smoked variety
- Butter - salted is fine
- Green onions
- Flour - all-purpose or plain, to make a roux
- Mustard powder
- Chicken stock - I use stock cubes
- Milk - whole milk is best but use whatever you have
- Cheddar cheese - sharp or mature cheddar is awesome if you like it, use your favorite
- Penne - or other similar size pasta shape
- Parmesan cheese - grated
- Salt and pepper
You won't need any special equipment for this. Just a skillet, a pasta pot, and a casserole dish. For utensils, you'll need a spoon for stirring and scissors for cutting your bacon and green onions. You might also need a cheese grater. We're measuring by weight, so a food scale is also necessary.
Tips for making Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta
It saves so much time to use pre-cooked chicken here. If you need to cook your chicken first, obviously, start with that. Otherwise, you can get your pasta cooking in one pot while you crisp up your bacon in a skillet. Once the bacon is cooked through, set it aside to drain, then add your green onions to the hot fat to sautee until softened. This will only take a couple of minutes. Then you can make your creamy sauce.
Add butter to your skillet, followed by flour and mustard powder to make a roux, a paste of butter and flour. Then you'll slowly whisk in your chicken stock and milk to make a creamy, smooth sauce. Then stir in your chopped chicken, most of your cheese, and most of your bacon. Stir until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
Then you'll bring together your sauce and pasta, transfer it to a casserole dish, sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bacon, and bake until bubbly. So easy, right?
This Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta is the delicious fuel you need to keep you going in the winter. it's gonna be awesome.
Looking for more awesome pasta recipes? Try some Easy Cream Cheese Pasta or hearty Cowboy Spaghetti.
PrintCreamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta
This Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta is so hearty and comforting for a winter weeknight dinner. With plenty of cheese and crispy bacon, it's got big flavor for low effort.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
- 325 grams penne pasta
- 8 sliced bacon (smoked and streaky), chopped
- 50 grams butter
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 50 grams all-purpose or plain flour
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 500 ml whole milk
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 150 grams grated cheddar cheese
- 4 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped or shredded
- Salt and peppr, to taste
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220 C (425 F). Put a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
- When your water is boiling, add a big pinch of salt and cook your pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain.
- While you're waiting for your water to boil/pasta to cook, add your chopped bacon to a skillet over medium heat and cook until crispy. Remove your cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Reduce heat under your skillet to low, then add butter and chopped green onions. Cooke for about 2 minutes until onions are softened.
- When your butter is melted and your onions are tender, sprinkle in flour and mustard powder, and whisk or stir to combine with the fat to form a thick paste.
- Slowly add about a quarter of your milk, stirring until smooth before adding another portion. This will help your sauce stay smooth. Once all the milk is stirred in, do the same process with your chicken stock. Let this come to a bubble and cooke for a few minutes to thicken.
- Stir about two thirds of your cheese into the sauce, followed by the chicken, and most of your bacon (save some to sprinkle over the top). Stir this all together then smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
- When your pasta is drained, add it to the sauce (if there's space in the pan, otherwise, add the sauce to the pasta pan) and stir to combine. Transfer this mixture to a casserole dish.
- Sprinkle your remaining cheddar, bacon, and Parmesan over the top of your pasta. Pop this in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before eating.
Recipe slightly adapted from BBC Food.
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