Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
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Why not combine your favorite game day dip into a delicious pasta meal? Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake is a quick and easy casserole dish that's ready in just 30 minutes!
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Why You'll Love It
What's not to love about cheesy buffalo chicken dip mixed with your favorite pasta? This popular dish is so rich and creamy, the entire family will be begging for more after they take their first bite!
Use rotisserie chicken and buffalo hot sauce to make this cheesy casserole come together in a jiffy. If desired, garnish with blue cheese or feta crumbles to pack a little punch. Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes!
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake is also the perfect game day recipe, and makes a great potluck dish for any occasion. Serve it with a side of Strawberry Pecan Salad or try it alongside Buffalo Chicken Tater Tots for a buffalo sauce extravaganza!
Ingredients
You probably have most of these ingredients on hand in your pantry or refrigerator! See recipe card for quantities.
- rigatoni or penne pasta
- cream cheese
- buffalo hot sauce like Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce (ad)
- triple cheddar cheese blend
- ranch seasoning packet (ad)
- sour cream
- cooked chicken
- blue cheese or feta crumbles (optional)
Instructions
1 - Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2 - Mix cream cheese, buffalo sauce, triple cheese blend, ranch seasoning packet and sour cream with a mixer until creamy. Chop rotisserie or cooked chicken and add to cheese mixture.
3 - Mix cheese mixture with pasta and spread in a 13 x 9 inch greased casserole baking dish.
4 - Sprinkle cheese on top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until bubbly.
5 - Serve cheesy buffalo chicken pasta with a mixed green salad for a complete meal!
Recipe FAQS
The entire dish will taste different if you leave out the ranch seasoning packet. However, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of garlic salt or seasoned salt if desired.
Yes! Any type of pasta works great in this recipe. I like using rigatoni, but you can substitute penne, cavatappi, or even elbow macaroni.
Buffalo hot sauce sounds spicy, but it's pretty mild compared to most hot sauces. However, if you are sensitive to any type of hot sauce, you could leave it out completely. The dish would taste more like cheesy ranch chicken, but it would still be delicious.
Top Tips
- This casserole freezes well before baking. Place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight and bake at 350 degrees until heated through.
- Only use 8 ounces of pasta or the dish may turn out to be dry.
- Rotisserie chicken is the easiest way to make this meal, but you can also use any type of cooked chicken or chicken from a can if desired.
- If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, they will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This dish heats up well in the microwave for lunch the next day!
Related Recipes
If you love this recipe, try these other casseroles that are sure to please!
- Buffalo Chicken Tater Tots
- Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta
- Easy Skillet Pesto Pasta
- Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
- Easy Chicken Taco Bake
Recipe Card
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
- pot to boil pasta
- mixer (hand or free standing)
- knife
- 13 x 9 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup buffalo hot sauce
- 3 cups triple cheddar cheese blend reserve 1 cup for topping
- 1 packet of ranch seasoning
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups cooked chicken chopped
- blue cheese or feta crumbles to garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Mix cream cheese, buffalo sauce, 2 cups of the triple cheese blend, ranch seasoning packet and sour cream with a mixer until creamy. Chop rotisserie or cooked chicken and add to cheese mixture.
- Mix cheese mixture with pasta and spread in a 13 x 9 inch greased casserole baking dish.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
- This casserole freezes well before baking. Place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight and bake at 350 degrees until heated through.
- Only use 8 ounces of pasta or the dish may turn out to be dry.
- Rotisserie chicken is the easiest way to make this meal, but you can also use any type of cooked chicken or chicken from a can if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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I'm wondering how this would taste if I used a milder sauce. It looks delicious, but I'm a little scared of it being too spicy. What do you recommend?
Surprisingly, the buffalo sauce is not that spicy once it's combined with the other ingredients. But, if you can't tolerate any spice at all, feel free to leave it out. It will still have a wonderful flavor.
Seriously the BEST pasta dish I've had in a while! Such wonderful flavors and simple to make. Gotta love that it's made with inexpensive ingredients too!
Thanks Jessica! It's a big hit in our family too! 🙂