Ingredients
- 10 oz canned chicken, drained *reserve liquid*
(if you're not a fan of canned chicken, see another option below) - 1 box elbow macaroni pasta (16 oz)
- 2 blocks (8 oz each) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup ranch dressing (made from: ½ cup low-fat mayo, ½ cup regular mayo, 1 cup fat-free milk, 2 tbsp Hidden Valley ranch seasoning — you will have extra)
- 2 tsp Kinder’s Woodfired Garlic seasoning, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s buffalo sauce
Instructions
- Start the sauce
- Drain the liquid from the canned chicken into a large saucepan (set chicken aside for later).
- Add cubed cream cheese and buffalo sauce to the pan. Whisk over medium-low heat until smooth and creamy.
- Season the sauce
- Stir in the Kinder’s Woodfired Garlic seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.
- Reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook the pasta
- While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the elbow macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Strain.
- Combine pasta and sauce
- Stir the ranch dressing and chicken into the sauce and let it warm through for 1–2 minutes.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss until evenly coated.
- Finish & serve
- Sprinkle additional Kinder’s Woodfired Garlic seasoning on top to your own taste.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
(I like to portion the pasta into individual servings and store them in freezer-safe containers to enjoy throughout the week at work. I add a hearty side of roasted broccoli.)
Optional Add-Ons & Variations
- Crumbled blue cheese for extra tang.
- Chopped green onions for a fresh bite.
- More chicken for a heartier, protein-packed meal.
- If you're not a fan of canned chicken, substitute it with another option, such as rotisserie chicken, and use 1/2 cup of Chicken broth to replace the liquid from the canned chicken
Nutrition Facts*
*Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on exact ingredients and brands used. (Broccoli not included in nutrition information.)
Per 1 cup serving (serves 9)
- Calories: 440 kcal
- Protein: 15.5 g
- Total Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: ~10 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Sugars: ~8 g
- Fiber: ~2 g
- Sodium: ~600 mg