Crockpot Chicken Pasta

Shredded rotisserie chicken, ranch, Velveeta, and pasta all in the crock pot — a creamy, cheesy, bacon-topped dinner you can start and walk away from.

Did you know that you can make slow cooker pasta dishes?! You can, and this Crockpot Chicken Pasta is proof that they’re delicious! If you’re on the hunt for a brand new, easy slow cooker dinner, this is your winner right here!

So Easy It Barely Counts as a Recipe

We love easy dinners. We’re busy.

I know you get it, you’re busy too. It’s a crazy busy world we live in and gosh darn it, it’s exhausting, isn’t it?

It is! So, this is why my crock pot and I, we’re best friends.

Like, I collect them and I’m the best of friends with each one, because anything that makes my life easier is a win in my book. I haven’t quite named them, but I’m pretty dang close. 🙂

You might have seen my chicken sandwiches recipe on my Recipe Cravings Facebook page. It’s gone crazy viral on social media and people just love it.

My family included. And, it’s perfect the way it is, but I got to thinking wouldn’t it be awesome to also add it to my list of slow cooker pasta dishes and make what could be called a chicken dip into a crockpot spaghetti of sorts?

Why, yes, yes it would!

Even My Mother-in-Law Loved It

And, what’s so funny about this slow cooker chicken pasta recipe is that my mother in law happened to stop by while I was filming the recipe and she had some and … wait for it … she LOVED it! Absolutely loved it!

And, I don’t think she’s much of a chicken breast crock pot recipes kind of a gal. She tends to stick with the recipes that you have to babysit a bit.

The really good, traditional meals that you think that an Iowa born and raised 70+ year old woman would love. I was beaming with pride when she thanked me for it TWICE and then again when she was leaving the house to head on for her hour drive back home.

And, not to brag, but it was pretty darn good. 🙂

How I Make Crockpot Chicken Pasta

So, here’s how I shipped up this crockpot chicken pasta.

(Seriously this is so easy, I don’t even know that it constitutes being called a “recipe” but here goes, anyhow) 🙂

First off, I did use rotisserie chicken in this recipe. I am a HUGE fan of Rotisserie chicken not only for it’s taste, but also because it’s sinfully easy and perfect for those busy days where you forget that your family requires some sort of a meal every night (hey, we all have those days, right?!).

And, the price is comparable. I do think that you could use thawed chicken breasts in this, but I can’t vouch for the taste because I simply haven’t tried it.

So, onward assuming that you’re using a Rotisserie chicken. Cut the meat off your chicken and shred.

I used about 5 cups of shredded chicken.

In your four quart crock pot (this is my favorite one and it’s even on sale!) combine your shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup (here’s a recipe to make your own cream of chicken soup, but I am all good with Campbell’s), add your chicken broth, water and Velveeta. You could totally use American cheese from the meat counter if you wanted to avoid the Velveeta. It would create a less creamy, and sharper cheese taste, but it’s totally doable and of course an option. And, lastly add the Hidden Valley ranch seasoning, stir quick, pop the lid on and let those flavors all come together for three hours on high.

After three hours, remove the crock pot lid from the chicken mixture and add the noodles. Make sure the noodles are covered all the way and place the lid back on the crockpot.

After 20 minutes, give it a good stir and place the lid back on for ten minutes. Give it another good stir and top with the cheese, and lastly the bacon pieces.

Replace the lid and let the cheese melt for about 5 minutes and before you know it, you’re scooping out the cheesy hot pot of goodness for a quick and easy dinner. Awesome ‘eh?!

Print this Crockpot Chicken Pasta:

Ingredients:

• 5 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 8 oz. Velveeta, cubed
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• Packet Hidden Valley Buttermilk Recipe Ranch Dry Seasoning
• 3 cups Penne/Mostaccoli Pasta (uncooked)
• 1 1/2 cups mild cheddar cheese
• 1 cup bacon pieces (I used Oscar Mayer)

Directions:

1. Cut the meat off your Rotisserie chicken and shred – you should use about 5 cups of shredded chicken.
2. In your four quart crock pot combine your shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, water and Velveeta.
3. Replace the lid and cook for three hours on high.
4. Remove the crock pot lid from the chicken mixture and add the noodles. Make sure the noodles are covered all the way and place the lid back on the crockpot for 20 more minutes.
5. Give it a good stir and place the lid back on for ten minutes.
6. Give it another good stir and top with the cheese, and lastly the bacon pieces.
7. Replace the lid and let the cheese melt for about 5 minutes.
8. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

A Closer Look at the Ingredients

Rotisserie chicken

Five cups of shredded rotisserie chicken, which is about one large bird once the skin and bones are off. It is already cooked and seasoned, so the crock pot is only building sauce.

Chicken broth and water

Two cups of broth and a cup of water. That is more liquid than the sauce needs, on purpose. The dry pasta drinks the extra at the end.

Ranch seasoning

One packet of dry buttermilk ranch mix. It goes in with the liquid and flavors the whole pot. Bottled ranch is not a swap here.

Cream of chicken soup and Velveeta

One can of cream of chicken and eight ounces of cubed Velveeta are the sauce. Velveeta melts smooth and stays smooth, which matters over three hours of heat.

Penne

Three cups of uncooked penne, added at the end. Any short, sturdy pasta works. Thin pasta goes to mush.

Cheddar and bacon

A cup and a half of mild cheddar and a cup of bacon pieces on top for the last five minutes. That is the crack chicken part.

Step by Step, With the Details

Shred the chicken

Pull the meat off the rotisserie chicken and shred it with your hands or two forks. Five cups, packed loosely.

Build the sauce

In a four quart crock pot, combine the chicken, cream of chicken soup, broth, water, ranch packet, and Velveeta cubes. Stir once.

Three hours on high

Lid on, high, three hours. The Velveeta melts and the chicken soaks up the ranch. Stir once if you walk past it.

Pasta in, twenty minutes

Stir in the dry penne, push it under the liquid, and put the lid back on for twenty minutes.

Stir, ten more minutes

Give it a good stir from the bottom and cover for ten more minutes. Check a piece. It should be tender with a slight bite.

Cheese, bacon, five minutes

Stir again, scatter the cheddar over the top and the bacon over the cheddar, and cover for five minutes until the cheese melts. Scoop into bowls.

Why the Pasta Goes In Last

Dry pasta that sits in a slow cooker for three hours turns to paste. Thirty minutes on high at the end cooks it through while it thickens the sauce.

If the pasta is not covered by liquid when it goes in, add a half cup of hot water. Dry pieces sticking up stay hard.

Timing It for Your Day

Three hours on high fits an afternoon. If you need it to cook while you are at work, do five to six hours on low, then switch to high for the thirty minutes of pasta.

Longer than six hours on low and the sauce starts to thicken and brown at the edges. Add the pasta as soon as you get home.

Fixing the Texture

Too thick

A splash of milk or broth stirred in before the cheese goes on. It loosens right up.

Too thin

Lid off for ten minutes on high after the pasta is done. The extra liquid cooks off.

Easy Variations

Broccoli

Two cups of frozen broccoli florets added with the pasta. They cook in the same thirty minutes and nobody has to steam anything.

Cream cheese

Eight ounces of cream cheese in place of the Velveeta makes it tangier and a little less smooth. Cube it so it melts.

A little heat

A few shakes of hot sauce in the sauce, or pepper jack in place of half the cheddar on top.

Different pasta

Rotini, shells, or bow ties in the same amount. Check them at the twenty minute mark because shapes cook at different speeds.

Leftovers and Reheating

Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for four days. The pasta keeps absorbing sauce overnight, so it will be thicker.

Reheat with a splash of milk in the microwave, stirring halfway. I do not freeze this one. The pasta goes soft and the sauce separates.

Questions I Get About This Recipe

Can I use raw chicken instead of rotisserie?

Yes. Two pounds of boneless breasts or thighs go in with the sauce on low for six hours. Shred them in the pot before the pasta goes in.

Can I use real cheddar instead of Velveeta?

Two cups of shredded cheddar will melt, but it can go grainy after three hours. If you try it, stir it in at the end with the pasta instead of at the start.

Why did my pasta turn mushy?

It went in too early or sat too long after the thirty minutes. Serve it as soon as the cheese melts.

Can I double it?

Yes, in a six quart crock pot. The sauce time stays the same and the pasta may need five extra minutes.

Is it the same as crack chicken?

It is the pasta version. The same ranch, cheese, and bacon, with penne cooked in the sauce instead of served on a bun.

More Easy Pasta Dinners

• Crockpot Chicken Alfredo
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
• Crock Pot Baked Ziti
• Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
• Shredded Chicken in the Crock Pot