Crock Pot Crack Chicken Casserole (Printable Version)
Creamy bacon-ranch chicken and pasta bubbling in your slow cooker for the ultimate comfort meal.
# 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 optional
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
# Directions:
01 - Place chicken breasts in single layer at bottom of 6-quart slow cooker.
02 - Sprinkle ranch seasoning evenly over chicken. Top with cubed cream cheese.
03 - Pour chicken broth around chicken. Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours or HIGH 2 hours until chicken shreds easily.
04 - Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Return to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream, cooked bacon reserving some for topping, and 1.5 cups cheddar cheese.
05 - Boil pasta in salted water 1-2 minutes less than package directions. Drain well.
06 - Add cooked pasta and frozen peas if using to slow cooker. Stir until fully combined.
07 - Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and reserved bacon on top. Cover and heat 10 minutes until cheese melts.
08 - Top with sliced green onions before serving.
# Top Tips:
01 -
- Its practically foolproof your slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you go about your day
- The combination of ranch bacon and gooey cheese creates that addictive restaurant-quality flavor everyone keeps asking for
02 -
- Dairy can separate if you cook it too long on high heat so stick to the low setting and add sour cream at the very end
- Undercooking the pasta by a couple minutes is crucial since it continues absorbing liquid in the slow cooker
03 -
- Crisping your bacon until its extra crunchy in the oven means it will still have texture after sitting in the creamy sauce
- Letting the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving gives the sauce time to thicken up slightly