I love this pasta bake, it is a family favorite in my house, and you all know I am a huge buffalo chicken fan. This spicy pasta bake is a simple dish the whole family can enjoy. With just a few simple ingredients this dish is so easy to make. Personal point range of 4-8 per serving, 6SP on blue, 4SP purple and 8SP on green. Makes 6 servings in a 9×13 casserole dish, each serving is about 1 heaping cup.
SHREDDED CHICKEN
I like to make my shredded chicken in the crockpot. I typically make a batch a week and store it in the fridge, it will last up to 4 days and I am always making chicken recipes. You can also make a huge batch and freeze it for easy use later on. I add some chicken broth to my crockpot, about 1-2 cups depending on how many chicken breast you are cooking. I have even just used water sometimes if I have been out of broth. Add the boneless skinless chicken breast to the crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours. I then use a couple of forks to shred it up, if it is not shredding easily then it needs some more time in the crockpot. You can also use an electric mixer to shred the chicken.
If you don’t have time to make up a batch of shredded chicken you can use any chicken for this recipe, grill some up on the BBQ and cut into cubes, buy a pre-made rotisserie chicken and cut up into small pieces.
WHAT PASTA SHOULD I USE?
I like using penne or rotini pasta for this dish but honestly, any pasta will work. If you are following the purple program be sure to use whole wheat pasta to keep the points low.
TOO SPICY…
If you are not a fan of too much spice then try adding in less Franks hot sauce, the recipe calls for 1/2 cup, you could use 1/4 cup of Franks and a 1/4 of water.
STORING AND REHEATING
You can store any leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days. This recipe freezes very well.
To reheat, let thaw (if frozen) and bake in the oven at 350F for about 15 minutes, or if you have an air fryer that will work too.
Buffalo chicken pasta bake
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat high fiber pasta I measure uncooked. (I use a Canadian product called PC blue menu penne, 2 cups uncooked pasta is 15pp based on my labels)
- 10 oz about 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 6 oz softened light cream cheese
- 1/4 cup light ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup franks hot sauce
- 2/3 cup reduced fat shredded cheese
Instructions
- Boil your pasta according to package, drain. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9x13 casserole dish.
- In a large bowl add your pasta and chicken. In a small bowl cream together your cream cheese, dressing and hot sauce.
- Add mixture to your chicken and pasta and add 1/3 cup shredded cheese, leaving the other 1/3 cup aside.
- Mix well and pour into your casserole dish, pat down. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Add remaining cheese and bake another 5 minutes.
- Cut into 6 servings, 6 smart points blue, 4SP purple, 8SP green, or 7 points plus (old ww program) * smart points were determined using the freestyle WW recipe builder
- Nutritional info (adapted from my fitness pal) Per serving.. Calories 268... Fat 10.3g.. saturated fat 4.6g... Carbohydrates 20.4g... Fiber 2.1g... Sugars 3.3g... Protein 20.6g
Notes
105 Comments
This sounds awesome!!! Can you tell me the caloric content for 1 cup?
Sorry, I haven’t gotten to counting calories etc for main meals, just trying my baking recipes to start.. its a lot of work figuring it all out, and since I offer WW recipes I focus on the points..
Do you know what the old point value is? Cal/fat/fib? Love your site! Thank you!
I really want to make this, but I can’t eat ranch dressing? Any substitute suggestions? Would greek yogurt be a terrible idea?
What about another cream type dressing, blue cheese or even ceasar? Yogurt might work..
What about Greek yogurt mixed with dry ranch season
Sure 🙂
I do this cause it’s now free on the program. I think it’s tastes just fine. Texture too!
I made this last night…it was so delicious!!
Yay.. Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Can I use canned, drained chicken breast for this?
Yeah I think that would be ok, I just never buy canned chicken, but I don’t see it making any point difference..
I just made it with canned chicken breast and it came out sooooo good!! I love it
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Just had this for dinner!!!! Amazing!!!! Can’t wait to have it again tomorrow!!!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it Debbie 🙂
This casserole is addicting! So good!
So glad you enjoy it Terri 🙂
Any idea if I could make this and freeze to cook for a later date?
Yes I think it will freeze well
This is really good. I did change it up just a bit. I heated the cream cheese up on the stove and added 1/2 cup of chicken broth to that then added everything else per the recipe. It’s really good. This is the second time I’ve made it in the last couple of weeks.
Yay, so glad you have enjoyed it, and made it your own.. 🙂
How do you normally make your shredded chicken for recipes?
Hi, I cook mine in the crock pot, little broth on high about 3 hours depending how much chicken you put in (use boneless skinless) then shred it up like you would pulled pork, works great 🙂
I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Sauteed 2 minutes per side w/salt and pepper in my Instant Pot, added the water, and cooked for 8 minutes. AMAZING!
Awesome, thanks for the tip with the instapot (I don’t have one… yet)
I cant wait to try this tonight for my family.
Hope you all enjoy it 🙂
This was delicious quick and easy to make
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I’m making this again today, it would be the 3rd time in the last few months. This gives you the buffalo taste you love without the guilt! I cook my chicken in the crockpot and shred it after work because most of the time it’s still frozen. This recipe is one of my top fives with Drizzle.
I am so happy to hear you love it!! It is one of my favs too and I cook my chicken the same way 🙂 Have a great weekend..
Have you tried it with fat free cream cheese to lighten the points a bit more?
No, but I am sure it would be fine, but ff cream cheese won’t lower the over all points too much
My family and I love this dish! It is the first buffalo dish I can get any of them to eat, let alone LOVE! Thank you!
That’s so awesome to hear Melissa 🙂 Glad your all enjoying it!
The good news is that my husband said this was too hot for his taste so I get it all to myself! Yay, I love it. Thanks for the awesome, easy recipe!
Ha! Well sorry your husband did’nt like it but yay for you 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
I don’t see why not, should be fine 🙂
Made this tonight. Delicious! I will say I added some tri color pepper strips and frozen riced cauliflower to veg it up a little. I’ve enjoyed every recipe I’ve tried from this site and from the app, so thanks for all the great recipes!
Hi Lori, so happy to hear you enjoyed the pasta bake and all the other recipes you have tried, thanks for sharing 🙂
Do you know the Sodium Mgs? Is this recipe in the MFP database, for easier logging?
Hi there, I am not too sure how recipes go into the MFP database, I just use it on my App to figure out nutri info, sodium is 946.6mg per serving
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I love this recipe and make it all the time. Has anyone ever tried freezing it either unbaked or afterwards?
Glad you enjoy it and yes it will freeze just fine 🙂
Can you make this ahead of time and bake the next day?
Hi, yes I think that will work out fine 🙂
AMAZING is all I can say I made this for my two boys 15 and 18 not only did I get just a small scoop for myself they ate the entire thing.
They have been begging me to make it again ever so I’m making a double batch tonight !!!
Thank You ????
That is great!! I love that they love it but I am glad you will be able to have a little more this time 😉
I made this last night and it was DELICIOUS!!
my recipe turned out at 11 smart points/serving because of my pasta. I measured out 2 cups of pasta (comparable in points to your pc blue menu). The 2 cups weighed 311grams which meant 32 smart points…..will have to be careful next time and add pasta according to points you mentioned.
I have downloaded your app because I felt bad just making your recipes without any financial contributions and I quite like it: I do have a comment/suggestion/request. If you could include a shopping list option, like mealime and other such apps, it would make it FANTASTIC.
So glad you enjoyed the pasta dish and thank you for purchasing the App, I greatly appreciate the support 🙂 I have considered the shopping list and it’s something I might work towards, it’s just a little tricky to add to the App
Loved this!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it Cathy 🙂
I love this recipe.
Can you make this is a slow cooker?
If so can you share the details please.
This particular recipe I did not make in the crock pot but I do have a old one on there that I made in the crock pot, use my search bar at the top right and search “buffalo chicken” it should come up
Making it right now and it seems so good.
I saw a buffalo chicken pasta bake on facebook looked good but so many calories.
Love the healthier version option.
I will follow you!
Thank you!
Hope you enjoyed it Susan 🙂 sorry for late reply I have been on holidays
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Made this today and love it!! I am really enjoying your recipes.
So happy to hear that 🙂 I hope you continue to enjoy them!
How did you cook your chicken? I was thinking about putting it in the crock pot all day so then it would be ready for me to shred at supper time?
Hi Kayla, yeah I cook mine in the crockpot, I usually do a batch a week up to have handy, I cook on high about 3 hours in a little broth (only about 1/4 cup) and then shred 🙂
This is ready to go in the oven later for dinner tonight! We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Buffalo Chicken Dip and have been craving it. Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to eat!
Yum! I have to admit when I saw it out of the oven I was like well this looks boring. But omg it’s SO GOOD. definitely a keeper. I made 7 (!) of your recipes for this week. They’re all so tasty. Thanks!
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I love the idea of everything in this… but I don’t eat cream cheese or ranch (creamy things in general). I don’t mind a cream of mushroom soup in other casseroles as it dries up isn’t so creamy. Would that work as an ok substitute?
It is hard for me to say as I only know the way I made it, all I can say is give it a try to see, feel free to share how it went 🙂
Hi!
What kind of shredded cheese is used for this? Is it a mix/blend or mozzarella?
Hi Lea, you can use any, yes I generally use a 3 cheese blend and a reduced fat brand
This is a keeper!! I tasted sauce before mixing into chicken & pasta. To me it needed a little more kick so I put in a teaspoon of tobasco. YUMMY! Thank you for such a great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it Rhonda, I love spicy so that sounds great to me 🙂
I just made this today! Because I fell off the WW wagon years ago, the caloric values weren’t so much my focus, so I added some blue cheese crumbles. Because Buffalo chicken! It’s fantastic. Also, not so fantastic, I learned that one of my cats can tolerate Frank’s RedHot. This can’t be good.
Haha Oh No! Either way so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I’m making it again. This is now a go-to for me. I *LOVE* it. (The cat who tries to steal it has been closed up in the den, heh.)
This buffalo chicken pasta is amazing! This will be a new family favorite. I subbed 3/4 cup Moore’s Buffalo Ranch Sauce for the hot sauce and ranch dressing and it was delicious!
Hi Sarah, so glad everyone enjoyed it 🙂
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How many cups for 268 calories? Yum!🤗❤️
Sorry I didn’t measure by cups, I bake in a 9×13 casserole dish and cut into 6 equal servings, you can weigh them if you want to make sure you are cutting them equally 🙂
This was delicious! My chicken wing loving husband kept saying how good it was. I used blue cheese dressing instead of the ranch and simmered it with a bit of broth the cream cheese and wing sauce. Just made it easier to mix. Definitely make again!
Awesome, so glad you both enjoyed it 🙂
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I put this into the WW recipe builder and it came to 8pts per serving on blue…?
Hi Shannon, it usually will come down to products used, I can only go based on what I use and what my WW app says which I buold everything in, maybe you used a different cheese, ranch dressing or pasta, products can vary pending where you live
YUMMY!! This was so easy and so good! My husband and I approve of anything “buffalo” style. Because I’m sensitive to gluten, I used gluten-free brown rice-quinoa penne pasta. At least a couple of times a week, I have my husband grill up a bunch of different meats for several lunches and dinners. The smoky flavor of the chicken was perfect in this dish. I also put it in two meat loaf pans for ease of cleanup and storing second one in fridge for next night, but I may try freezer next time. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Thanks Kim, sounds delicious and I am so glad you made it work for you 🙂
Whoops forgot one thing! We don’t like ranch, so we used chunky blue cheese, and it gave it an extra zing that we adore! Thanks again!
Sweet! I know some people are very pro- blue cheese for anything “buffalo chicken” I am the opposite, I hate blue cheese, yuk lol.. so ranch works well.. so glad you both enjoyed it 🙂
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This is very good!
However, it is just a little too hot for me. I prefer a comfortable spicy hot, but I am a bit uncomfortable. My mouth is burning.
Next time, I will use a little less hot sauce and a little more ranch. That is just my heat tolerance level.
It is nice to try a recipe that came out good and that I will make again, for a change.
Thank you!
Hi, glad you enjoyed it 🙂 yup we all definitely have different spice levels, I know some who would triple it haha and that is the great thing about this recipe is you can cater it to your own liking as far as the “heat” goes 🙂
Yummy! I made some buffalo chicken sweet potatoes last night. Using this to use up the leftovers. 😍
I hope you enjoyed it 🙂
What brand of light ranch do you use? Would bolthouse ranch work?
HI, any light ranch dressing is fine, we have a calories wise one where I live but bolthouse should be fine
Made this tonight and my whole (very picky) family loved it! Thanks!!
Hi Kasey, yay so glad everyone enjoyed it 🙂 believe me I understand picky haha
Delicious but a bit too spicy for men my eyes and nose were running so bad… will decently make again but will put half the amount of Frank’s.
Hi Kerri, so glad you enjoyed it, yeah I get it, everyone has different levels of spice they can handle 🙂
Hi! When you say cream together the cream cheese and hot sauce and ranch, do you mean actually cream like in baking? Or just “vigorously stir?” LOLOL
Hi, just stir well 🙂