A Rich, Flavorful, Convenient Pasta Dish
This chicken recipe may well be the one to turn to when you need a dish whose leftovers will bring smiles, not groans. With chicken, cheese and spaghetti, it offers a rich and savory goodness the whole family will love. Plus, because the Crock-Pot does the work, it saves you time.
In addition to offering Crock-Pot convenience, this recipe is made with canned soup, which keeps preparations simple, and includes ingredients like the chicken and spaghetti that can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for a day or two. Final preparation will simply involve throwing everything into the Crock-Pot. If you get it going just after lunchtime, you can have it ready for dinner.
Total Time: 2 to 3 hours | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients:
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 quarts water
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 1 package (16-ounces) spaghetti, cooked
- 1 package (16-ounces) pasteurized recipe cheese product, cubed
- 1 can (10-ounces) cream of chicken condensed soup
- 1 can (10-ounces) cream of mushroom condensed soup
- 1 can (14.5-ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
- In a medium-size pot over medium heat, add water, salt, garlic powder and uncooked chicken breasts. Simmer the chicken until fully cooked—about 15 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken and pour the chicken broth into a large bowl.
- Using a fork, shred the chicken breasts in a medium-size bowl.
- Boil the spaghetti in a large pot until it is al dente—about 9 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add it to a 6-quart Crock-Pot.
- Cut the pasteurized recipe cheese product into cubes, about 1-inch in size, and add to the Crock-Pot.
- Pour in the cream of chicken condensed soup, cream of condensed mushroom soup and diced tomatoes.
- Dice the onion and green bell pepper. Add the pieces to the Crock-Pot along with the shredded chicken.
- Add in the low-sodium chicken broth or use 1 cup of the liquid you cooked the chicken in earlier.
- Sprinkle with black pepper and stir.
- Cover and set the Crock-Pot to low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Tip
Prevent the cheese and pasta from sticking to your Crock-Pot by spraying it down with nonstick cooking spray prior to adding the ingredients. Or use a slow cooker liner to make cleanup quick and easy.
Garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, if desired.
To save time, use 3 cups of prepared shredded chicken from the grocery store rather than cooking it yourself.
Feel free to substitute an equal amount of different types of pasta for the spaghetti if you don't have any in the house.
References
Writer Bio
Based in Las Vegas, Susan Paretts has been writing since 1998. She writes about many subjects including pets, finances, crafts, food, home improvement, shopping and going green. Her articles, short stories and reviews have appeared on City National Bank's website and on The Noseprint. Paretts holds a Master of Professional Writing from the University of Southern California.