Description
How to make tender chicken pasta with creamy garlic parmesan sauce in your crockpot that creates the most comforting weeknight dinner ever.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 12 oz penne pasta
- 1 cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 cup heavy cream
Flavor Builders
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Seasonings
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Finishing Touches
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Extra Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Cut chicken into uniform bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. This ensures even cooking and maximum flavor absorption throughout the long cooking process.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté diced onion and minced garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. This step builds crucial flavor depth you can’t get otherwise.
- Layer Crockpot: Add seasoned chicken, sautéed aromatics, chicken broth, and all seasonings to your crockpot. Stir gently to combine and ensure chicken is mostly submerged in liquid.
- Cook Low: Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours until chicken is tender and cooked through. Resist lifting the lid frequently as this releases heat and extends cooking time.
- Add Pasta: Stir in uncooked pasta, heavy cream, and softened cream cheese. Make sure pasta is submerged in liquid. Cook 30 more minutes until pasta is tender.
- Finish Sauce: Stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese until melted and creamy. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken slightly before serving with fresh parsley and extra cheese.
Notes
- Don’t add pasta until the final 30 minutes or it will become mushy and overcooked.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts much better than pre-shredded cheese for smooth sauce.
- Let the dish rest 5 minutes after cooking to allow sauce to thicken properly.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.
- Double the recipe easily for meal prep or feeding a larger crowd.
Allergy Information: Dairy, Gluten
Nutrition
- Calories: 485 calories
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Protein: 35g