Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Crock-Pots and slow cookers are a lifesaver during busy work weeks or when you don't feel like spending extra energy in the kitchen. Just prep a few ingredients, toss them into the appliance, and let it work its magic. The longer cooking duration allows the ingredients to mingle, layering the different flavors into one rounded bite. This cooking method is great for comfort food recipes, as Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone proves. Her crock pot chicken Alfredo is simple and requires almost no hands-on time. 

Morone concurs, "My favorite thing about this is how easy it is," and adds, "you don't have to spend a lot of active time doing things for this recipe, and it's actually a pretty short cook time for a Crock-Pot recipe, so its something you could even make after you get home from work for dinner." Indeed, there's no need to get a headstart in the morning to plan for dinner. If the craving for a rich and creamy chicken pasta dish comes about during the day, simply pop the ingredients in the slow cooker the moment you get home. Flexibility and ease — what more could you want?

For this recipe, you'll need heavy cream, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper for the sauce. Next, get boneless skinless chicken breasts to bulk up this dish into a main course. Cut butter into cubes and pick up a box of penne pasta. Morone comments, "I haven't tried other pasta shapes, but I think pretty much of all [of] them would work," however, she advises checking if the cooking time differs significantly from penne. Finally, you'll need freshly grated Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley for garnish, if desired.

Get out your Crock-Pot and pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth. Season the mixture with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper and whisk the contents to distribute.

Next, lay the chicken breasts in the Crock-Pot and scatter the cubed butter over top. Close the pot and cook the chicken on high for 2 hours or on a low setting for 3 to 4 hours until the chicken is fully cooked. Then, take the meat out of the pot and transfer it to a cutting board. Dump the penne pasta and grated Parmesan into the crock pot and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the pasta is tender and cooked to your liking. 

While the pasta is cooking, use two forks to shred the chicken breasts. When the pasta is ready, add the shredded chicken back to the pot and stir the contents to distribute it evenly. Garnish the pasta dish with chopped parsley and more Parmesan if you want, then scoop it onto serving plates and enjoy.

Morone suggests, "I like to serve this with something like salad or bread on the side," or she adds, "Any veggie would also be good." As for leftovers, she recommends keeping them in a sealed container in the fridge for three to five days and reheating portions in the microwave. Aside from an excellent weeknight dinner, this could be a great option for meal prep!