Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo (Printable version)

Comforting creamy chicken and pasta bake prepared in a slow cooker with rich Alfredo sauce.

# What you need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz uncooked penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Dairy

03 - 2 cups heavy cream
04 - 1 cup whole milk
05 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
06 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
08 - 4 oz cream cheese, cubed

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

09 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 cup frozen peas (optional)

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp salt
12 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
13 - 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
14 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# Steps to follow:

01 - Place chicken breasts at the bottom of the slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, Italian herbs, nutmeg, and minced garlic.
02 - Pour heavy cream and whole milk over the chicken. Evenly distribute butter pieces and cubed cream cheese atop.
03 - Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours until chicken is fully cooked and easily shredded.
04 - Remove chicken, shred using two forks, then return shredded meat to the slow cooker.
05 - Stir in uncooked pasta, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and peas if using; mix thoroughly.
06 - Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until pasta is tender and sauce is creamy.
07 - Dish warm portions garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pot while you do literally anything else—work, laundry, actually sit down.
  • The sauce gets velvety and rich without you standing over it stirring, which feels like cheating in the best way.
  • It feeds a crowd and tastes fancy enough to serve at dinner, but your secret is safe with me.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta until step 6—if you put it in at the beginning, it'll turn to mush and you'll have soup instead of a casserole.
  • Cream cheese might look like it's not melting, but trust the process; it emulsifies into the sauce by the end and creates that silky texture.
  • If your sauce is too thin after cooking, the pasta soaked up more liquid than expected, which is fine—it means the pasta is tender.
03 -
  • Buy whole nutmeg and grate it fresh if you can; it's so much more fragrant than the pre-ground version and makes a real difference.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check the pasta at 25 minutes instead of 30—slow cookers vary wildly, and overcooked pasta in a creamy sauce becomes glue.
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