Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe
This Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta is a creamy, cheesy, and comforting one-pot meal perfect for busy days. Tender chicken breasts slow-cooked with rich parmesan garlic sauce, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese create a luscious sauce that pairs beautifully with al dente rotini pasta. Easy to prepare and packed with delicious flavors, it’s an ideal dinner recipe for family gatherings or weeknight meals.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Chicken and Sauce
- 2–3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)
- 1 bottle (12 ounces) parmesan garlic sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup milk (2% or whole milk recommended)
Pasta
- 1 box (16 ounces) rotini pasta
Instructions
- Prepare the crockpot: Spray the insert of the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking. Add the chicken breasts, parmesan garlic sauce, grated parmesan cheese, and cream cheese into the crockpot.
- Add milk and sauce: Fill the empty parmesan garlic sauce bottle with milk, shake well to get all the sauce remnants, and pour this mixture over the chicken and other ingredients in the crockpot.
- Cook the chicken: Cover with the lid and cook on LOW heat for 6-8 hours or on HIGH heat for 3-4 hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Shred the chicken: Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the crockpot. For perfectly shredded chicken, you may use an electric hand mixer to blend and shred right in the pot, resulting in a creamy, uniform mixture.
- Cook the pasta: Meanwhile, cook the rotini pasta according to package directions to your preferred texture (al dente or softer). Drain the pasta in a colander but do not rinse it, to preserve the starchy coating.
- Combine pasta and chicken mixture: Stir the cooked pasta into the crockpot with the parmesan chicken sauce until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water, milk, or chicken broth a little at a time to achieve your desired consistency.
- Serve: Serve the creamy garlic parmesan chicken pasta warm and enjoy this comforting, cheesy dish.
Notes
- If you don’t have parmesan garlic sauce, you can make a quick substitute with garlic, butter, cream, and parmesan cheese.
- Using an electric hand mixer to shred chicken saves time and creates a smoother sauce.
- Reserve some pasta water before draining; the starch helps loosen and enrich the sauce.
- For a lighter version, use low-fat cream cheese and milk.
- Do not rinse pasta to keep the sauce clinging perfectly to it.
