Crock Pot Crack Chicken (Printable)

Creamy bacon ranch chicken with pasta in a slow cooker—easy, cheesy comfort food ready in hours.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 8 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled

→ Dairy

03 - 8 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
04 - 1 cup sour cream
05 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

→ Vegetables

06 - 1 cup frozen peas
07 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ Pantry

08 - 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
09 - 10 oz uncooked rotini or penne pasta
10 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
11 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Place chicken breasts in a single layer at the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
02 - Sprinkle ranch seasoning evenly over the chicken, then top with cream cheese cubes.
03 - Pour chicken broth around the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours, until tender and easily shredded.
04 - Remove chicken, shred with two forks, and return to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream, cooked bacon (reserve some for topping), and 1.5 cups cheddar cheese.
05 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes less than package directions. Drain well.
06 - Add cooked pasta and peas to the slow cooker. Stir until thoroughly combined.
07 - Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and reserved bacon on top. Cover and heat for 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
08 - Garnish with sliced green onions before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The house smells incredible all day long like someone has been cooking for hours when really you just threw everything in and walked away
  • It transforms ordinary ingredients into something people will rave about and request for every gathering
  • The leftovers somehow taste even better the next day if there are any which is rarely the case in my house
02 -
  • Overcooking the pasta before it goes into the slow cooker will turn your casserole into mush so trust the process and pull it early
  • The cream cheese might look like a weird separated mess at first but keep stirring and it will transform into the most velvety sauce
  • Low and slow cooking prevents the dairy from separating or becoming grainy so resist the urge to crank up the heat
03 -
  • Crisping the reserved bacon in the oven for a few minutes before sprinkling it on top creates this amazing texture contrast against the soft pasta
  • Adding a splash of pasta water to the slow cooker helps loosen the sauce if it seems too thick after adding the noodles

Go Back