Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo (Printable)

Comforting dish with tender chicken, pasta, and a creamy Alfredo sauce prepared hands-free in slow cooker.

# What you'll 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 - 1.5 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 - 0.5 tsp black pepper
13 - 0.5 tsp dried Italian herbs
14 - 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# Preparation steps:

01 - Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker base. Season with salt, pepper, Italian herbs, nutmeg, and add minced garlic.
02 - Pour heavy cream and whole milk over the chicken. Evenly distribute butter pieces and cubed cream cheese on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours until chicken is cooked thoroughly and tender.
03 - Remove chicken from the slow cooker, shred using two forks, then return shredded chicken to the pot.
04 - Add uncooked pasta, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and frozen peas if desired. Stir thoroughly to combine.
05 - Cover and set slow cooker to HIGH. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once halfway, until pasta is al dente and sauce is creamy.
06 - Dish out hot pasta bake, garnished with chopped fresh parsley if preferred.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely hands-off once you layer everything in—perfect for when you need dinner ready but your energy is depleted.
  • The creamy sauce clings to every piece of pasta without any of the fuss of standing over a stove.
  • Feeding six people feels effortless, and somehow it always tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
02 -
  • Do not cook the pasta before adding it—I learned this the hard way and ended up with mush; uncooked pasta absorbs the creamy sauce perfectly.
  • If your sauce seems thin, that's normal at first; the pasta will release starch that thickens everything as it cooks, and cream cheese will finish the job.
  • Stir halfway through the second cook to prevent the bottom from sticking and to ensure the pasta cooks evenly.
03 -
  • Buy pre-minced garlic if you're short on time—nobody will know and your hands won't smell like garlic for a week.
  • Nutmeg might seem like an odd ingredient, but that quarter teaspoon is what makes people pause and ask what your secret is.
Go back