Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta Casserole
Even picky eaters enjoy this Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta Casserole recipe which make dinnertime more enjoyable!
This easy chicken casserole with bowtie pasta takes five minutes to get started and only requires 5 ingredients. Definitely one of the best crockpot chicken casseroles we’ve ever eaten!
If you like this recipe you may also enjoy Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu, Crock Pot Pork Chops with Gravy, and Chicken Pasta Bake with Alfredo.
Creamy Chicken Bowtie Pasta Recipe
Chicken breasts cook in the crockpot with a packet of Italian salad dressing mix, cream cheese, and cream of chicken soup.
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta Casserole only takes about five minutes to toss in the crock pot! Once the chicken is tender it is shredded and bowtie pasta is stirred in to make a simple meal the whole family enjoys!
Any type of bite sized pasta can be stirred in, but we love how the larger parts of the bowtie catch the cream and shredded pieces of chicken.
The shredded chicken stays moist with the cream of chicken soup and cream cheese, so it can be shredded and kept on keep warm in the slow cooker. Just make the bowtie pasta and stir into the creamy chicken when your family is ready to enjoy!
We’ve tried the same creamy chicken recipe with a packet of ranch seasoning and compared it to the packet of Italian seasoning. We think the Italian seasoning adds a nice pop of flavor, but it’s milder so the kids enjoy it more. The ranch packet has a more distinct flavor. Both flavors mix with pasta just fine.
Use a bigger crock pot to double the amount of chicken and cream sauce. Once the chicken is shredded it can be refrigerated or frozen for future meals.
Crockpot Chicken Casserole Recipe
This recipe is one of my favorites because we have all five basic ingredients, chicken breasts, Italian salad dressing mix, cream of chicken soup, cream cheese and bow tie pasta on hand nearly all of the time. A mid-sized 4 quart Crock Pot works well for this recipe but we will often use a 6-quart Crock Pot and make some extra chicken.
This shredded chicken tastes great on a sandwich, slider or in tacos. I haven’t tried it yet, but this shredded chicken would be a great way to put a spin on our BBQ Pulled Chicken Sliders.
Ingredients Needed to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole
- Chicken breasts
- Packet of Italian salad dressing mix
- Cream cheese
- Cream of chicken soup
- Box of bowtie pasta
Easy Step By Step Notes
Use non-stick cooking spray or a liner in a 4 or 5 quart crock pot.
Place chicken breasts in crock and sprinkle a packet of Italian salad dressing mix over chicken.
Pour can of cream of chicken over top of the chicken or around the edges. Slice up block of cream cheese in a few chunks and lay on top of the chicken.
Cook on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours or on low for 5 to 7 hours until chicken is easy to shred.
Shred chicken and turn down to keep warm. Prepare pasta according to the directions on the box and stir into slow cooker creamy chicken casserole.
Serve warm and enjoy! Leftovers can be store well in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator for up to 3 – 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
OTHER EASY CASSEROLE RECIPES
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 packet Italian salad dressing mix
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 pound bow tie pasta
Instructions
- Place liner in Crock Pot if desired. Add chicken breasts. Sprinkle packet of Italian salad dressing mix on chicken.2 large chicken breasts, 1 packet Italian salad dressing mix
- Dump can of soup over chicken and set cream cheese on top.10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup, 8 ounces cream cheese
- Cook on high for 3 – 4 hours until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Make pasta according to instructions on the box.1 pound bow tie pasta
- Shred chicken with one or two forks. Chicken should shred easily. Add cooked pasta to Crock Pot and stir well. Serve immediately or turn to keep warm.
- Garnish with fresh diced tomatoes and parsley if desired.
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Rate This Recipe Pin This RecipeRecipe originally published on September 25, 2018 and photos updated on January 22, 2021.
A Meal For Picky Eaters
This is a great crock pot meal for picky eaters. My kids will eat the creamy shredded chicken casserole with pasta mixed in, but it is super easy to serve plain pasta next to the chicken too. Whatever we can do to get them to eat more and argue less is a win!
My husband found an extra tomato on the counter and diced it up to add to his plate. I did the same and was surprised to say that I enjoyed it! One of the kids enjoys the chicken and pasta alone, the other likes the tomatoes on the side.
Delicious and easy!
I am making this tomorrow. Do you think it would taste good if I added Parmesan cheese when I stir in the cooked pasta?
Yes! I think parmesan cheese would be a wonderful addition to this recipe! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂
Can I use frozen chicken?
Hey There! Great question! I have always defrosted my chicken so that I could ensure safe and even cooking. It may also affect the cream cheese to increase cooking time with frozen breasts. So not sure that I would try it, but please let me know if you do and it works out. Thanks 🙂
Worked great! Put my cream of chicken in the stuck my frozen chicken breast in and let it sit, came back and shredded it. So easy to make and My kids are so freaking picky when it comes to food. But this on is definitely going in the cook book. Thank you for sharing.
Whole family loved and I shared with friends. Thanks!
Great recipe and so easy to put together! I added peas and tomatoes for a little extra flavor and texture. Came out really well. Thanks for sharing this!
I think I might add broccoli to this. Is I increase the amount of cream cheese and soup, should it come out creamier? I just don’t want to ruin it!
Hey There! We love enjoying broccoli with this meal! We typically serve it as a side dish, so I haven’t tested incorporating it into the main dish. Please let me know if you do. Hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do 🙂
What size can for cream of chicken?
We use a 10.5 ounce can. Thanks for asking and hope you enjoy!
What can u substitute for Italian seasoning.thank u
Hello! I love how much flavor the Italian dressing packet adds to this recipe. I suppose it could be omitted, but the recipe will taste much more plain. You may be able to use prepared Italian salad dressing if you prefer?
Am I supposed to add water to the can of cream of chicken?And pour over chicken?
Hi Brandie – I don’t use any additional water in this recipe. Since the pasta is precooked there’s enough moisture in the condensed soup to make this work well. Hope you enjoy! ~Jennifer
Very tasty recipe, but we found that we had to add another can of cream of chicken, another packet of Italian seasoning and another pack of cream cheese to get the desired result. Our first attempt proved too dry.
I used cream of mushroom instead of cream of chicken and it turned out delish!
I haven’t made this yet, but I am guessing it would also taste yummy using ranch dressing in place of the Italian. Two different meals just changing that one ingredient.
Will using Brest tenderloins effect the cooking time? I’ve made it once already with regular breast and it was so good! My whole family wants the recipe now!
Thanks so much for sharing! I think there are a few factors that can affect cooking time including how big the pieces of meat are and how close together or single layer verses a couple layers. When the chicken shreds easily it is fully cooked. You can always use a digital meat thermometer to be sure. When I’m testing recipes I just check them more often for doneness. Thanks for sharing and continuing to enjoy 🙂
My 5 year old is one of the pickiest eaters alive, and he ate an entire plate of this! I found it delicious as well. Would recommend adding a cup of hot pasta water.
Added broccoli, and therefore was initially a little drier, so added some pasta water with a dash of Better Than Bouillian, and this was amazing!
So easy for a busy work day meal!
Can I cook this in insta pot?
Hey There! I haven’t tested this recipe in an insta pot, but I imagine with some time and effort a variation could be developed. Hope you enjoy!
Can I add cheese on top and bake this?
Hey There! Yes, cheese is a great addition to this meal, but I would wait until after shredding and stirring up the cooked chicken for best results. Hope you enjoy 🙂
Could you add chicken broth and the dry pasta while it cooks to save time? I’m using cut up chicken breast.
Hey There! We have a spaghetti recipe that cook the pasta in the crock pot, but it doesn’t have the finished creamy flavor this recipe does. Here’s the balance of pasta to sauce if you want to try and blend the two: https://plowingthroughlife.com/farmhouse-crock-pot-spaghetti/ I haven’t tested that yet. Hope you enjoy!
What can I use instead of the zesty Italian ?
Can I use sour cream instead of cream cheese??
Hey There! I haven’t tested that, but if you do I would add it towards the end of cooking instead of at the beginning so that it does’t curdle. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Im using boneless skinless chicken thighs. I hope it turns out ok. It smells great.
Loved this, and it’s easy to add to. Thanks!