Description
This Spaghetti Slow Cooker Chicken is the ultimate comfort food meal, famously known in many households simply as “Chicken Spaghetti.” It combines tender shredded chicken, a creamy and cheesy sauce, and a hint of spice from green chiles for a dinner that warms you from the inside out. With a rich, velvety texture and savory flavors that develop slowly over hours, this dish is a crowd-pleasing favorite that requires minimal effort just dump the ingredients in and let the slow cooker do the work.
Ingredients
The Slow Cooker Base
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (e.g., Rotel), do not drain
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
The Cheesy Finish & Pasta
- 4 ounces cream cheese, diced into small cubes
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 package (16 oz) spaghetti noodles
Instructions
Combine Base Ingredients
In the slow cooker, add the chicken breasts, undrained diced tomatoes with green chiles, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, diced onion, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning. Give it a quick stir to mix the soups slightly around the chicken.
Slow Cook
Cover and cook on High for 3–4 hours or on Low for 6–8 hours. The chicken should be completely cooked through and tender enough to shred.
Shred Chicken
Remove the chicken breasts from the pot. Shred them using two forks (or a hand mixer), then return the meat to the slow cooker.
Melt Cheeses
Add the diced cream cheese and the shredded Cheddar cheese to the slow cooker. Stir well. Cover and cook on Low for another 20–30 minutes, or until the cheeses are fully melted and the sauce is creamy.
Cook Pasta
While the cheese melts, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
Combine and Serve
Add the cooked spaghetti directly into the slow cooker. Toss efficiently with tongs until every noodle is coated in the thick, cheesy sauce. Serve hot.
Notes
Dice the Cream Cheese: Do not throw in a solid block of cold cream cheese. Dicing it into small cubes ensures it melts evenly into the sauce without leaving lumpy white bits.
Pasta Method: Cook the pasta separately on the stovetop. Cooking dry spaghetti directly in this thick sauce usually results in gummy, unevenly cooked noodles.
Grate Your Own: For the smoothest sauce, buy a block of Cheddar and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can make the sauce slightly grainy.
Spice Level: The tomatoes with green chiles add a very mild kick. If you want it spicy, add a diced jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne pepper in step 1.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American Comfort Food
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving (approx. 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: crockpot chicken spaghetti, slow cooker pasta, creamy chicken pasta, easy weeknight dinners, dump and go recipes, rotel chicken spaghetti, cheesy chicken noodles