Description
This Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo is a rich and creamy slow-cooked pasta dish featuring tender chicken breasts simmered in a luscious Alfredo sauce made from heavy cream, butter, cream cheese, and Parmesan. The rigatoni pasta cooks directly in the sauce, absorbing all the flavors for a comforting and fuss-free meal that serves 8.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless raw chicken breast tenders
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (low sodium recommended)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (sliced)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (cubed)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pasta and Garnish
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta (uncooked)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken and sauce: Place the chicken breast tenders in a large slow cooker. Pour heavy cream and chicken broth over the chicken. Add sliced butter, cubed cream cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the slow cooker.
- Slow cook the chicken: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender enough to shred with a fork.
- Shred chicken and mix sauce: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer it to a large plate. Whisk the sauce in the slow cooker thoroughly until smooth. Shred the chicken using two forks, then return the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker.
- Add pasta and Parmesan: Stir in the uncooked rigatoni pasta and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the slow cooker. Re-cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until the pasta is tender to your liking.
- Serve and garnish: Once the pasta is cooked, serve the Chicken Alfredo hot. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired for color and freshness.
Notes
- Use low sodium chicken broth to better control the salt content of the dish.
- Ensure the rigatoni pasta is fully submerged in the sauce when cooking so it cooks evenly.
- Slow cooker times may vary depending on your model; check the chicken doneness before shredding.
- If the sauce is too thick after pasta is cooked, you can add a splash of chicken broth or cream to loosen it.
- For a lighter version, you can swap heavy cream with half-and-half but the sauce will be less rich.
