Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Photo courtesy of Romulo Yanes, Randy Mayor

I feel like there have been a lot of mac & cheese posts on here but I just had to do another one because it is so stinking delicious! Plus, it is definitely a different take on mac & cheese so it is unlike anything you've had before! We love this in our house and it has been my go-to meal to make for friends when they have babies, etc. You do need to like ranch to like this recipe though, just FYI. The combination of onion and garlic powders plus dill creates a flavor similar to ranch dressing. It is just so good! Yay for semi-healthy comfort food!

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 slice bacon (this is not enough, I use 2 or 3)
- 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
- 1/3 cup condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded six-cheese Italian blend (I use the 5 cheese blend cuz I can't find 6 cheese)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill (if you don't have fresh, use about 1/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded colby-Jack cheese (cheddar works too)

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Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
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2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done. (I don't always use the bacon drippings, seems super unhealthy but if I do, I only use half)

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3. Melt butter in a 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 with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.
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4. Preheat broiler.

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5. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and colby-Jack (or cheddar) cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

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Nutritional Information
Calories:497
Fat:17g (sat 9.2g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.4g)
Protein:33.3g
Carbohydrate:51.7g
Fiber:2g
Cholesterol:74mg
Iron:2.4mg
Sodium:767mg
Calcium:368mg