If you want chicken pot pie flavor without making pastry, this Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie Pasta gives you the creamy filling and tender chicken in a much more practical dinner. The slow cooker handles most of the cooking, while the pasta is added near the end so it does not sit in the sauce for hours and turn soft.
The key is keeping the chicken whole while it cooks. It stays moist and is much easier to shred once tender. Frozen mixed vegetables save prep time, and condensed chicken soup gives the sauce the thick, creamy base you expect from pot pie filling.
Plan on about 6 hours on LOW or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH, plus roughly 20 minutes to finish the pasta and bring everything together. The hands-on work is short, so this works well on days when you want dinner cooking while you handle other things.
You will need a 6-quart slow cooker for the amounts below. Smaller slow cookers can become too crowded once the vegetables and sauce are added.
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
- Season the chicken evenly.
- Pour in the creamy soup mixture.
- Add the vegetables over the chicken.
- Cook until the chicken is tender.
- Shred the cooked chicken.
- Stir the chicken back into the sauce.
- Cook the pasta separately until barely tender.
- Fold the pasta into the chicken filling.
- Rest the pasta until the sauce thickens.
- Serve the chicken pot pie pasta warm.
Add the chicken to the slow cooker
Place 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a single layer across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Try not to stack thick pieces directly on top of each other. A single layer helps the chicken cook at a more even rate and makes it easier to check later.
If one breast is much thicker than the others, place it toward the outer edge of the cooker, where the heat is usually a little stronger.
Season the chicken evenly
Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Cover as much of the exposed surface as you can instead of dropping all the seasoning in one spot. The chicken will release liquid as it cooks, so these seasonings will also flavor the sauce around it. There is no need to brown the chicken first.
Pour in the creamy soup mixture
Whisk 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 cup chicken broth, and ½ cup heavy cream in a bowl until no thick streaks remain. Pour the mixture over the seasoned chicken, making sure most of the meat is covered.
Keep the sauce fairly thick at this stage. The chicken and frozen vegetables will release more moisture while cooking, so adding extra broth now can leave the finished pasta watery.
Add the vegetables over the chicken
Scatter 12 ounces frozen mixed vegetables evenly over the sauce. A blend of peas, carrots, corn, and green beans works well. Keep the vegetables frozen; thawing them first can add extra liquid and make them softer by the time the chicken finishes cooking.
Spread them across the surface rather than piling them in the center so they heat more evenly.
Cook until the chicken is tender
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 5½ to 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Keep the lid closed as much as possible because lifting it releases heat and can extend the cooking time.
The chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C) and pulls apart without much resistance. Very thick chicken breasts may need a little longer, so check the temperature rather than relying only on the clock.
Shred the cooked chicken
Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate or shallow bowl. Let it sit for about 3 minutes, then pull it into bite-size shreds with two forks.
Keep the pieces fairly small so every serving gets chicken throughout the pasta. Avoid shredding it into very fine strands, which can disappear into the thick sauce and lose some of their texture.
Stir the chicken back into the sauce Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir until it is evenly coated with the creamy sauce and vegetables. Scrape gently along the bottom and sides so the thicker sauce blends back into the center. At this point, the filling should look rich and spoonable rather than watery. If it seems unusually thick, stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons chicken broth, adding a little at a time. Cook the pasta separately until barely tender Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 12 ounces rotini or another short pasta. Cook it for about 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta well, but do not rinse it. Leaving a little starch on the surface helps the creamy chicken mixture cling to every piece.Fold the pasta into the chicken filling
Add the drained pasta to the slow cooker while it is still warm. Use a large spoon or silicone spatula to fold it through the chicken, vegetables, and sauce until every piece is coated.
Work gently rather than stirring hard, especially if you are using a softer pasta shape. The mixture may look a little loose at first; the pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it rests in the next step.
Rest the pasta until the sauce thickens
Turn the slow cooker to WARM or switch it off, then let the pasta sit uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. This short rest gives the noodles time to absorb a little more sauce and helps the filling thicken around them.
Check the texture before serving. If the sauce becomes thicker than you like, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons warm chicken broth until it loosens slightly.
Serve the chicken pot pie pasta warm
Spoon the pasta into bowls while it is warm and creamy. Finish with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley if you want a little fresh color and flavor.
Serve it right away for the best texture. The sauce will continue to thicken as the pasta sits, so avoid leaving the finished dish on HIGH heat. If you are serving it later, keep the slow cooker on WARM and stir occasionally.
| If This Happens | Try This |
|---|---|
| The sauce looks too thin | Leave the slow cooker uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes after adding the pasta. The noodles will absorb some of the extra liquid. |
| The sauce is too thick | Stir in warm chicken broth 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches the texture you want. |
| The pasta turned too soft | Cook the next batch about 1 minute less than al dente before mixing it into the slow cooker. |
| The chicken seems dry | Check the chicken as soon as it reaches 165°F (74°C). Cooking far beyond that point can dry out lean chicken breasts. |
| The filling tastes bland | Taste after the pasta is mixed in, then add a small pinch of salt, black pepper, or thyme. The pasta can soften the flavor of the sauce. |
Cooking the pasta separately gives you better control over its texture. Pasta left in the slow cooker too long can absorb too much liquid and become soft.
Yes. Add 12 ounces of frozen mixed vegetables without thawing them first. Peas, carrots, corn, and green beans all work well.
Short, sturdy shapes such as rotini, penne, or bow ties hold the creamy sauce well and are less likely to break while you stir.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can work in place of chicken breasts. Check that the chicken is fully cooked before shredding it.
Cool the leftovers and place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The pasta will keep absorbing sauce as it sits, so expect the mixture to become thicker.
Add a small splash of chicken broth or cream before reheating. Stir gently as it warms until the sauce loosens and coats the pasta again.
• 2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 12 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
• 12 ounces rotini or other short pasta
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional
- Place the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Season with garlic powder, thyme, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the soup, broth, and cream mixture over the chicken.
- Add the frozen mixed vegetables.
- Cook on LOW for 5½ to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- Shred the cooked chicken.
- Return the chicken to the creamy filling.
- Cook the pasta separately until slightly firmer than al dente.
- Fold the drained pasta into the slow cooker.
- Rest uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve warm with parsley if desired.
Conclusion
Your Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie Pasta is ready when the pasta is coated in thick, creamy sauce and every bowl has plenty of tender chicken and vegetables.
Cooking the pasta separately keeps the texture under control, while the slow cooker handles the filling with very little hands-on work.
Serve it warm for dinner, then save any leftovers for another comforting meal the next day.
If this recipe worked well for you, save it to your Pinterest dinner board so you can find it again when you need another cozy slow-cooker meal.
Ingredients
Tap items as you use themChicken and Sauce
Pasta and Garnish
Equipment
Method
Your progress is saved on this device- Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Season the chicken evenly with garlic powder, dried thyme, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Whisk the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and heavy cream together until smooth, then pour the mixture over the chicken.
- Scatter the frozen mixed vegetables evenly over the sauce.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5½ to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, let it rest for about 3 minutes, then shred it into bite-size pieces with two forks.
- Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the creamy sauce and vegetables.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for about 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente, then drain without rinsing.
- Fold the warm drained pasta into the chicken mixture until evenly coated.
- Turn the slow cooker to WARM or switch it off, then let the pasta rest uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes so the sauce thickens.
- Serve warm and garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Chef’s Notes
- * Keep the pasta slightly firm before adding it to the slow cooker because it will continue absorbing sauce.
- * If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in warm chicken broth 1 tablespoon at a time.
- * If the sauce seems thin, leave the slow cooker uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- * Add the frozen vegetables directly from the freezer without thawing.
- * Rotini, penne, and bow-tie pasta all work well.
- * Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- * Add a splash of chicken broth or cream when reheating if the pasta has absorbed too much sauce.
