Sweet Spot: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Hello friends! I recently tried a new recipe based off of one I saw online, and it was delicious (the picture does not do it justice!). I changed it up a bit, so here's my take on an easy weeknight dinner.

The Lineup:
     6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
     Approx. 2 cups chicken, cooked and diced or shredded
     Pasta (the original says 8 ounces, but I used as much as I needed and didn't measure)
     2 tbsp. butter
     3 cloves garlic, minced
     1 cup heavy cream
     2 tbsp. ranch dressing/dip powdered mix
     1/4 cup grated Parmesan
     1/4 cup mozzarella
     Salt and pepper, to taste
     Fresh chopped parsley or chives, optional

The Play-by-Play:
     1. Start cooking pasta in liberally salted water for directed amount of time.
     2. In a saucepan, melt butter and whisk in garlic, stirring until fragrant.
     3. Add cream slowly to garlic butter, whisking until combined.
     4. Add ranch mix and Parmesan to cream, whisk together. Add salt and pepper. Cover
         over low heat.
     5. When pasta is draining, add mozzarella to cream mixture to thicken and mix well.
     6. Return pasta to pot, add in bacon, chicken, and sauce. Top with herbs, if desired.
         Enjoy!

Quick Play: The original recipe is a casserole, but I decided to make it more like stovetop mac and cheese. To make things easier, I highly suggest using a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (I used half for this and am using half for another recipe), and I always slice the bacon before it's cooked so it's ready to go as soon as it's done.

The Playmaker: http://damndelicious.net/2016/01/03/chicken-bacon-ranch-casserole/

I wish you all the best,
Erin