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    Home » Main Dishes » Pasta

    Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta

    Published: May 27, 2023 · Modified: May 27, 2023 by Jessica Fisher

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta tastes like a restaurant meal with the price tag of a good cheap eat. Enjoy this chicken bacon pasta with a creamy sauce dotted with tomatoes and peas. It’s absolutely delicious!

    Serve this easy pasta recipe with a Spinach Salad and Easy Garlic Bread Sticks for a great weeknight or company meal. Love Pasta? Be sure to try our Easy Pasta with Lemon next.

    bowls of chicken and bacon pasta on the table with water goblets and green napkins. this …

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    Table of Contents
    • Why Make This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • What to do with leftovers?
    • FAQs
    • More Great Pasta Dishes
    • Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon

    Pasta recipes are some of my go-to good cheap eats. We’re now a 2-pound pasta family, so thankfully, I can easily buy it for $1/pound or less. By making my own homemade sauces, I’m able to serve my family a great restaurant-quality dinner — without the restaurant-quality bill.

    This Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta dish, sauced with sherry and cream and dotted with tomatoes and peas, is a huge hit at our house. I guarantee you’ll love it, too!

    Why Make This

    It’s easy. You should be able to whip up this creamy pasta dish in less than 30 minutes, even less if you purchase pre-cooked bacon and chicken tenders.

    It’s delicious. There’s no better combo than chicken, bacon, and cream — all great comfort ingredients that really bring the flavor.

    It’s affordable. Pasta is an easy meal to stretch, and bacon and chicken go on sale often, making this an easy dish to fit in the budget. This is a great cheap meal for kids.

    collage of meals included in meal plan 12.

    Grab Meal Plan 12

    Take the week easy with this easy meal plan including a hearty chicken pasta, BLT egg sandwiches, and the best supreme pizza. 

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you’ll need to make Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta:

    ingredients for creamy chicken and bacon pasta laid out on white table.

    spaghetti – I use spaghetti, but really you can use any shape of pasta you have on hand. Remember shopping your kitchen is a great way to save money!

    bacon – You don’t need a lot of bacon for this recipe, just a few slices. Be sure to freeze bacon leftover so you can avoid food waste and enjoy it in another meal. 

    herbes de Provence – I make a homemade blend, but you can use a premade spice blend. If you prefer, go ahead and use Italian Seasoning or even Cajun Spice. Both are delicious subs for the provencal herb mix.

    chicken tenders – These are easy to chop, making prep work just a little bit quicker. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken or even leftover turkey or chicken from other recipes.

    salt and black pepper – Be sure to taste and adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes.

    dry sherry – This adds an extra layer of flavor to the cream sauce. You can substitute a dry white wine or chicken broth if that’s what you have.

    heavy cream – Just a cup of cream makes a luscious sauce for this creamy chicken bacon pasta.

    frozen green peas – Someone in the family doesn’t care for peas, so I’ve tested this with both peas and green beans. Both are super delicious, though the two legumes bring different flavors to the dish. If you like a touch of sweet, go with peas, if not, go with green beans. You can also substitute broccoli florets if that’s what you have. All three are delicious options.

    Roma tomato – I like to use Romas because they are meatier than other tomatoes. Be sure to check out our tutorial for seeding and chopping tomatoes if you haven’t already.

    grated Parmesan cheese – Use parm, asiago, or romano to add just the right amount of salty umami to Creamy Chicken Pasta.

    Variation: For Chicken Bacon Ranch pasta, substitute dry ranch seasoning mix for the herbes de Provence.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Here’s how to make Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta:

    • In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse and drain the pasta water. Set the noodles aside.
    bacon cooked in skillet.
    seasoning on chicken tenders.
    cooking chicken tenders in skillet of bacon fat.
    cooked chicken tenders in skillet.
    • In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling.
    • Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence and salt and pepper to taste and cook in the hot bacon fat turning occasionally. When just cooked through, remove to a plate and chop once cool enough to handle.
    deglazing pan with sherry.
    simmering the chicken and sauce.
    adding chicken, cream, and peas to the pan.
    tossing the pasta and sauce and bacon together in a bowl.
    • Deglaze the pan by adding the sherry and stirring up any brown bits. Simmer for 2 minutes over low heat. Stir in the cream, chicken, and peas. Simmer gently until hot.
    • Place the pasta in a large serving bowl and toss with the chicken and sauce. Add the bacon and tomatoes. Adjust the seasonings. Serve with parmesan cheese.
    serving bowl of pasta with two dishes ready to serve, green napkins and serving ware on table.
    meal prep trays full of chicken and bacon pasta.

    What to do with leftovers?

    If there are any leftovers, they reheat well the next day. Perfect for packing in tomorrow’s lunch! Always package and refrigerate food promptly and consume it within 4 days.

    FAQs

    Can I use milk instead of cream in my pasta sauce?

    Milk is much thinner than cream, so it will result in a watery sauce. If you’d like to use milk, consider using canned evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk) which is milk that has had the water content reduced. Alternatively, make a white sauce instead.

    How do you keep pasta sauce creamy?

    Consider reserving a bit of the starchy pasta water to add back into the sauce. This combo of water, starch, and fat from the cream will help thicken your sauce.

    Can I use leftover chicken in this dish?

    If you already have cooked chicken, simply skip the cooking step. Add the sherry to the bacon drippings and continue with the recipe. You can even use turkey leftovers!

    This makes a great Lunchtime Meal Prep to Help You Save Money!

    meal prep trays full of chicken and bacon pasta.

    More Great Pasta Dishes

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    3-Ingredient Mac and Cheese Recipe

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    Brie and Tomato Pasta (An Easy 5-ingredient Dinner)

    overhead shot of bowl of spaghetti with crock pot sauce.

    30+ Budget Pasta Meals You’re Going to Love

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    Tuna Noodle Casserole (No Canned Soup)

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    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    close up of creamy chicken and bacon pasta in bowl.

    Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon

    This Creamy Chicken Pasta dish is sauced with sherry with cream and dotted with bacon, tomatoes, and peas. It’s absolutely delicious!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 619kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb spaghetti
    • 4 slices bacon chopped
    • 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
    • 1 lb chicken tenders
    • ½ cup dry sherry
    • 1 cup whipping cream
    • 1 cup frozen green peas no need to thaw
    • 1 roma tomato seeded and chopped
    • salt
    • black pepper
    • 1 oz Parmesan cheese (shredded) (¼ cup)
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse and drain. Set aside.
      1 lb spaghetti
    • In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling.
      4 slices bacon
    • Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence and salt and pepper to taste and cook in the hot drippings, turning occasionally. When just cooked through, remove to a plate and chop once cool enough to handle.
      1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, 1 lb chicken tenders
    • Deglaze the pan by adding the sherry and stirring up any brown bits. Simmer for 2 minutes over low heat. Stir in the cream, chicken and peas. Simmer gently until hot.
      ½ cup dry sherry, 1 cup whipping cream, 1 cup frozen green peas
    • Place the pasta in a large serving bowl and toss with the chicken and sauce. Add the bacon and tomatoes. Adjust the seasonings. Serve with parmesan cheese.
      1 roma tomato, salt, black pepper, 1 oz Parmesan cheese (shredded)

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate and are based on ⅙ of the recipe. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 4 days.
    If you already have cooked chicken, simply skip the cooking step. Add the sherry to the bacon drippings and continue with the recipe. You can even use turkey leftovers!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 619kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 618mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 925IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    This post was originally published on November 3, 2015. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marci Girl

      June 20, 2017 at 6:47 am

      I made this last night and it was fantastic. Another winner!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        June 23, 2017 at 5:02 am

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    2. Jessica

      November 04, 2015 at 3:17 pm

      Yum yum!! If my cold is gone, I will definitely be making this pasta this weekend. I am with Jennifer, can you give us some more info on the sherry please? Also can the sherry be substituted? Thanks

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 05, 2015 at 7:00 am

        I just use cooking sherry, found with the vinegars. You can substitute any white wine or chicken broth if you prefer.

        Reply
    3. Tastycook

      November 04, 2015 at 2:30 pm

      I am working away at my own pantry challenge this month and have quite a bit of chicken I would like to use. There’s always pasta in the pàntry so I think this will be on our table soon.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 05, 2015 at 7:32 am

        Good luck with your pantry challenge! Let me know if there’s any way I can help.

        Reply
    4. Jennifer

      November 04, 2015 at 10:12 am

      This sounds wonderful. What kind of sherry do you buy? I’ve never used it and have no idea what to expect.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 05, 2015 at 7:01 am

        I just buy the cooking sherry in the vinegar aisle.

        Reply
    5. Michelle

      November 04, 2015 at 8:09 am

      Sounds amazing!

      Reply

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    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

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