King Ranch Mac and Cheese

King Ranch Mac and Cheese is packed with chicken, diced tomatoes, green chilies, lots of cheese, and more. It’s simple to make and will bring pure comfort to your dinner table!

I’m taking things up a notch with this King Ranch Mac and Cheese! This hearty meal is loaded with plenty of pasta, tons of melted cheese, tender chicken, and more. It always makes my kids very happy when I serve this. It makes me happy too because these are some of my favorite components to a satisfying meal. You’ll love everything that goes into this dish. It brings in so much flavor to the table that everyone will devour it! 

KING RANCH MAC AND CHEESE

Now when it comes to mac and cheese, I like to consider myself a professional. It’s one of my favorite foods, no matter the shape, size, or cheese that it comes with. I don’t care if it comes out of the box, or is made from scratch, I’ll eat it. This recipe is packed with everything you love about the classic but with so much more!

Tender al dente elbow pasta is cooked then mixed with two kinds of cheeses! Shredded cheddar cheese and creamy Velveeta. This combination is the essence of this dish. Cooked chicken goes in to make sure each bite is packed with protein for both kids and adults, and we aren’t going to stop there! Diced white onion, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, Rotel, and spices are all added to take it to the next level.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces elbow pasta
• 1 can (10 ounces) Rotel tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup white onion, chopped very fine
• 8 ounces Velveeta cheese
• 1-pound cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
• 1 can (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of water, boil noodles according to package directions. Drain water. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, add Rotel tomatoes, chopped onion and Velveeta cheese. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.

In a large bowl, add cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chili powder, and cumin. Mix to combine. Slowly add in melted Velveeta mixture, and the cooked noodles. Stir to combine.

Pour mixture into a 7×11-inch baking dish. Spread out evenly. Top evenly with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

SERVINGS

You can easily get 6 servings out of this wonderful recipe.

STORING

Place any leftovers in a glass container with a lid and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

ADDITONS

If you are looking to amplify this dish even more, try adding crumbled bacon over the top just as the dish is finishing. It will blow your mind at how much flavor it adds to the dish. If you want to really make this a 5-star presentation just add a little minced parsley over the top after it’s finished baking for add a pop of color.

PASTA OPTIONS

You can use whatever pasta you desire, but I recommend staying with a shorter noodle like penne, rigatoni, macaroni, ziti, Farfalle, or orecchiette. You can also sub for a gluten free noodle if you’d like!

THE HOMEMADE TOUCH

If you really want to pour all of your love into this dish, then make sure to use my recipe for Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup. You can make it ahead of time and store or make and use it on the same day. This will just add that extra layer of love that is undeniable when you have a good homemade mac and cheese.

VEGETARIAN OPTION

Do you have a picky eater in the family? I am sure that you have at least one of the kids, or parents, that doesn’t eat meat at all. Don’t throw this recipe to the side because it can still serve you. It is so easy to omit the chicken if need be. If you choose to do so, I recommend adding more cheese to the dish. If you still want to get a little bit of protein with this meal you can substitute a can of beans. Black beans, pinto beans, or red beans would be a great substitution.

ENJOY THIS RECIPE? HERE ARE A FEW MORE FAVORITES!

Skillet Creamy Mac and Cheese – You don’t need your oven to make an incredible, gooey homemade mac and cheese. This recipe is stovetop ready!

Baked Penne – Tender al dente penne noodles are baked in a large pan with tons of shredded cheese, red tomato sauce, and crumbled ground beef.

Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake – A large baking dish is overflowing with pasta noodles, a creamy ranch sauce, and tons of chicken.

Red and White Pasta – My kids favorite pasta dish! A filling meal with penne noodles baked with both red and white pasta sauce. The best of both worlds!

King Ranch Mac and Cheese

King Ranch Mac and Cheese is packed with chicken, diced tomatoes, green chilies, lots of cheese, and more. It’s simple to make and will bring pure comfort to your dinner table!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Holly

Ingredients

• 8 ounces elbow pasta
• 1 can (10 ounces) Rotel tomatoes undrained
• 1/4 cup white onion chopped very fine
• 8 ounces Velveeta cheese
• 1 pound cooked chicken cubed or shredded
• 1 can (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of water, boil noodles according to package directions. Drain water. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, add Rotel tomatoes, chopped onion and Velveeta cheese. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until cheese is melted.
• In a large bowl, add cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chili powder, and cumin. Mix to combine. Slowly add in melted Velveeta mixture, and the cooked noodles. Stir to combine.
• Pour mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Spread out evenly. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

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