Description
This creamy crockpot garlic Parmesan chicken pasta is a comforting, easy-to-make meal perfect for busy days. Tender chicken breasts cook slowly in garlic-seasoned broth before being shredded and combined with creamy cream cheese, Parmesan, and perfectly cooked pasta. The slow cooker does most of the work, resulting in a rich and flavorful dish with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Liquids and Cheese
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Pasta
- 8 oz uncooked pasta (elbow macaroni or shells recommended)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot. Sprinkle the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper evenly over the chicken to infuse flavor during cooking.
- Add broth: Pour the chicken broth over the chicken until it is completely covered. This ensures the chicken stays moist and tender as it cooks.
- Cook chicken low and slow: Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours until the chicken is tender enough to shred easily with forks.
- Shred chicken: Using two forks, shred the cooked chicken directly in the crockpot, then stir the shredded chicken back into the broth.
- Add cream cheese and Parmesan: Stir in the softened cream cheese and shredded Parmesan cheese until fully melted and the sauce becomes creamy.
- Cook pasta: Add the uncooked pasta to the crockpot, stir to combine, then cook on high for 30 to 45 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
Notes
- Use elbow macaroni or small shells for best texture.
- Customize with extra vegetables like spinach or peas added in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- For thicker sauce, reduce the chicken broth by half before cooking.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3 days and reheat nicely.
