Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

This is another of my favorites from Cooking Light magazine...same issues as the Buffalo Chicken recipe I just posted...that issue had a lot of great, healthy, ideas! Ranch dressing isn't actually an ingredient here, but it certainly tastes like it once you put it all together, the fresh dill makes this mac and cheese!

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni

1 slice applewood-smoked bacon (or whatever you have in the house)

8 oz skinless, boneless, chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup fat free milk

1/3 cup condensed 45% reduced sodium 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup undiluted (I've also used cream of chicken soup for this)

3/4 c shredded six cheese Italian blend

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill (I know it stinks to buy this for such a small amount...but it really does make a difference in the dish)

1/2 tsp salt 

Cooking spray

1/2 c shredded co-jack cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain. 

2. Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserve drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon and set aside. Add chicken to drippings in pan, saute for 6 minutes or until done.

3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan, Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan stirring whisk. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat, let stand for 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155 degrees (like I really check that....haha). Add italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken. 

4. Preheat broiler/ oven

5. Spoon mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with reserved bacon (so you could make more in the beginning if you really like bacon) and co-jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts...sometimes I bake it for 10 minutes or so.