The internet loves this ready-in-a-hurry dish but too many versions are overly soupy or have curdled sauces. Our version uses chicken thighs because they stay moist and tender; we stir them into the cheese mixture after it is cooked to create a creamy, tangy mixture that is perfect over pasta.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 ounces)
- One 1-ounce package ranch-dressing seasoning mix
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sharp yellow Cheddar, shredded
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix.
- Add the penne to the 6-quart Instant Pot® and add 4 cups water to the pot. Place the chicken thighs on top of the penne. Follow the manufacturer’s guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 8 minutes (see Cook’s Note). After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer’s guide for quick- release and wait until the quick-release cycle is complete. Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, Cheddar and remaining seasoning mix (about 2 tablespoons) in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the chicken into small pieces while it is still warm. Add the chicken to the cream-cheese mixture and stir to combine. Add the chicken and cheese mixture to the pasta and stir until the cheese mixture melts and the pasta is well coated.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 623 |
| Total Fat | 17 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 91 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 26 g |
| Cholesterol | 71 mg |
| Sodium | 178 mg |
Reviews
This has a nice flavor, but the recipe is definitely problematic. Specifically, the pasta was WAY overcooked and quite dry. I even stirred in a bit of heavy cream to the finished dish to moisten it up a bit, but even that didn’t help. I’ve never seen penne so huge and bloated from overcooking, and yet so completely dry. It was all stuck together like a massive dry dumpling. I liked the flavor enough that I will probably try it again with some major modifications – i.e., more liquid, and shorter cooking time. Neither the chicken nor the pasta needed the amount of cooking time that was suggested in this recipe. Also, thank you to the person who suggested using spicy ranch mix, instead of classic ranch mix. I think the dish would definitely benefit from the bump in flavor. I’ll be trying that next time as well.
It was very yummy! We have an 8 qt Instant Pot. We used 2 cans of chicken broth and 1 can of water, covering the penne. I used 3 thighs. I only added half of the cooked noodles to the chicken/cheese mixture. It tasted great like that. My boys added hot sauce to theirs to give it some spice.
The pasta is mush and it’s pretty bland. Make sure to add salt and pepper at least. The chicken is also soggy… yet dry.
There was almost no flavor. Maybe if I had salted every step (recipe doesn’t call for it) it would have been a 3-star?
We thought this was delicious but made a couple changes so the pasta wasn’t overdone. I’ve learned pasta only needs 2-3 mins in the IP before it gets way too soft. So instead of uncooked chicken, I used rotisserie chicken. I had some that was pulled off the bone in the freezer. Put some veggie stock in the IP, added the pasta, put the frozen chunk of rotisserie chicken on top and sprinkled it with the ranch dressing. High pressure for 2 mins.. it was PERFECT. Added the cheese mixture to mix in and it was delicious. Garnished with fresh tomatoes and green onions. so easy and yummy
Very good! I use a 32oz carton of chicken stock & a 10oz can of chicken plus a few oz more water. I mix the cream cheese, sour cream, dressing packet, & cheese in a bowl & add it to the pot when the noodles & stock are done. The sauce thickened beautifully. Will make again.
This was really good and a quick weekday meal. I always read other reviews before trying a recipe. Most of the negative comments said this was too bland. I used spicy ranch dressing powder instead of regular. I think that bumped up the flavor. I also cooked more chicken, used homemade vegetable broth instead of water for the pasta, doubled the amount of sauce, and added steamed broccoli. I will be making this again.
The picture looked good, it sounded good, and I already had all the ingredients so I tried it. Used rotini instead of penne. This was delicious! Delicious and creamy comfort food. The recipe worked as is and needed no added salt or anything because of the ranch flavoring. Loved it and will make again!!
Pasta doesn’t work in an instant pot. There wasn’t enough water, and I couldn’t stir to cook it evenly. It came out floppy. The cream cheese added too much richness. This is a “worse version of alfredo sauce” according to one diner. The concept is there, but the execution is terrible.
Doesn’t have alot of flavor but was tweaked at table. I believe the next time i make will be following some suggestions as mentioned in other reviews.