Crock Pot Chicken Spaghetti

I made crock pot chicken spaghetti last Tuesday after work and I’m still thinking about how the cheese melted into this thick sauce that coated everything without being gloppy. You dump stuff in a slow cooker and wait. That’s it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Only 15 minutes of actual work before you walk away
• The Velveeta and cream cheese melt into something that doesn’t separate or get grainy like other cheese sauces I’ve tried
• Chicken comes out tender if you pull it at exactly 4 hours, not a minute later
• You don’t dirty a separate pot for browning or sautéing anything first
• The garlic powder and onion powder do more work than you’d think for such a small amount
• It reheats well the next day which almost never happens with pasta dishes

The Cheese Situation

I used to think Velveeta was weird but it’s the reason this sauce stays smooth in a slow cooker dinner without breaking. Cream cheese adds body. 8 ounces of each sounds like a lot until you realize it’s feeding six people and suddenly it makes sense. The cheddar you sprinkle at the end is different — it adds a sharper bite that cuts through all that creaminess.

Don’t skip the nonstick spray on the slow cooker insert. I forgot it the first time and spent 20 minutes scrubbing dried cheese off the sides.

Timing Is Everything Here

4 hours on low. Not 4 and a half, not “I’ll check it when I get home.” I set a timer on my phone because I kept overcooking it and the chicken would shred into these dry strings instead of staying juicy. The sauce can scorch around the edges if you leave it too long — you’ll smell it before you see it and by then it’s too late.

When you pull the chicken out to shred it the sauce looks thin and separated. Don’t panic. Stirring it while the chicken cools brings everything back together and you’ll see it thicken up as the Velveeta fully melts into the condensed soup and tomatoes.

The Pasta Part

Cook your pasta separately. I tried adding uncooked pasta directly to the slow cooker once because I saw someone do it online and it sucked up all the sauce and turned into mush. Just boil it like normal, drain it completely (shake the colander a few times), then fold it in at the end when everything’s done.

Al dente matters here because the pasta keeps cooking a little bit in the residual heat. If you cook it until it’s fully soft it’ll get mushy sitting in that creamy chicken recipe mixture.

The shredded cheddar on top needs about 5 minutes with the lid on to melt. I usually just leave it while I set the table and pour drinks.

What I Messed Up

First time I made this I used chicken thighs instead of breasts thinking they’d be more forgiving. They were too fatty and the sauce got oily on top. Breasts work better even though I usually prefer thighs for everything else.

I also didn’t drain my pasta well enough once and the extra water thinned out the sauce. Now I drain it, then let it sit in the colander for a minute while I stir the slow cooker mixture one more time.

The undrained tomatoes are important — don’t drain them. That liquid helps thin the cheese mixture just enough so it’s not like fondue.

Crock Pot Chicken Spaghetti

By Emma

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Prep:

15 min

Cook:

4h 30min

Total:

4h 45min

Servings:

6 servings

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 can condensed soup undiluted
• 1 can undrained tomatoes
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz Velveeta cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 chicken breasts
• Cooked pasta
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Method

1. 1 Spray the inside of a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add undiluted soup, undrained tomatoes, cream cheese, Velveeta, garlic powder, and onion powder, stirring until blended well. Nestle chicken breasts into the mixture.
2. 2 Cover with the lid and cook on low about 4 hours until chicken is just cooked through. Watch carefully; cooking longer risks tough chicken and a scorched sauce. You’ll start smelling the rich cheesy aroma as the timer nears done.
3. 3 Remove chicken with tongs and let cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, stir the sauce left in the slow cooker to blend the melted cheeses and spices evenly, noticing how the sauce thickens and glistens.
4. 4 Shred chicken finely and return it to the slow cooker. Mix thoroughly with the sauce. Cover again to keep warm while you prepare the pasta.
5. 5 Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain completely and fold it gently into the slow cooker mixture. Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the surface, replace the lid, and wait for the cheese to melt fully before serving.

Nutritional information

Calories

835

Protein

40g

Carbs

40g

Fat

55g

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Serving This Thing

I put it in bowls not on plates because it’s saucy. Garlic bread on the side soaks up what’s left at the bottom. A simple green salad with ranch works if you want something fresh to balance all that cheese and cream.

You can keep it warm in the slow cooker on the warm setting for about an hour if people are eating at different times. Beyond that the pasta starts breaking down.

Leftovers go in a container in the fridge and reheat fine in the microwave. Add a splash of milk when you reheat it if the sauce has thickened up too much overnight.

If You Want to Change It

Swap the cheddar for pepper jack if you want some heat. Use rotisserie chicken instead of raw breasts — just shred it and add it in the last 30 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. Rotel tomatoes instead of regular diced tomatoes give it a kick without being too spicy.

Sometimes I add a can of mushrooms (drained) or some frozen peas in the last hour. Bacon crumbles on top are good if you’re feeling it.

You could use different pasta shapes but nothing too small or it gets lost in the sauce. Penne works. Rigatoni works. Those tiny shells get weird.

FAQ

can you make chicken spaghetti in a slow cooker without cream cheese

You can but it won’t be as thick. Try adding an extra 4 ounces of Velveeta or a couple tablespoons of flour mixed into the condensed soup before you start. It won’t taste quite the same though.

how long does crock pot chicken spaghetti last in the fridge

3 days max. The pasta absorbs more sauce as it sits so by day four it’s pretty dry and the texture’s off. I wouldn’t push it beyond that.

why is my slow cooker chicken spaghetti watery

Either you drained the tomatoes when you shouldn’t have or your pasta was too wet when you added it. Next time shake that colander hard and maybe even pat the pasta with a towel if you’re worried about it.