Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Recipe

When life gets busy I love to pull out my Crock Pot to make a quick, easy and family friendly meal like this Chicken Parmesan Pasta Recipe.

Chicken breasts get placed inside a slow cooker and then are drenched in your favorite pasta sauce. When you get home all you have to do is add cooked pasta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and dinner will be on the table in no time!

In fact, once I get home I can have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes! Add a few pre-made Garlic Knots and even the pickiest eater will ask for seconds!

Although this isn’t quite a dump everything in the pot and go recipe, there is very little hands on work that you must do. The most time consuming part of this recipe is shredding the chicken.

However, the chicken will be so tender that you can easily shred it with two forks. In fact you will have it completely shredded by the time that the pot of water boils for the pasta.

Once the pasta is at al’ dente consistency, drain and toss it in the crock pot. Mix everything until it is coated and add the cheese on top.

All that is left to do is wait for the cheese to melt. And then you have a delicious dinner that the entire family will love!

However, if you are looking for a more traditional recipe, try this Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe.

Make Ahead Options

However, you can make this Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta recipe even faster with a few make ahead steps.

1. Trim & Cut Down The Chicken Breasts

I always purchase a large, family size package of chicken breasts at the grocery nearly every week. They come in a 3 pound package and contain 5-6 chicken breasts.

When I get home I open the package and separate the amount of chicken that I need for each recipe that I am making that week.

For this recipe, I will typically use 1 large and 1 small size chicken breast. Yes, I could use my Kitchen Scale to weigh the package, however instead, I just tend to eyeball it.

I know that I need to divide the 3 pound chicken package into 3 equal portions. This will give me a pound of chicken for each recipe that I am making.

Once I have them separated, I will trim any excess fat off the breasts and discard. Then for this recipe, I will slice the larger chicken breast in half to make two thinner pieces.

And depending on the thickness of the smaller chicken breasts, I may do the same to it as well. Once the chicken is trimmed and cut into thinner portions I will season both sides with salt & pepper.

Then all that is left to do is to store it in a resealable plastic bag so that is ready when I need it.

2. Pasta Sauce

Although you can make your own Pasta Sauce From Fresh Tomatoes this time of the year, I most often purchase a jar at the grocery. You can find all sorts of seasoned and flavored sauces that can be used for anything from spaghetti, lasagna, shells and cheese and of course this Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta recipe.

They come in various size jars from small to large. Therefore, when shopping for this recipe, I always try to purchase the exact amount that I need.

I will choose a 24 ounce jar and I know I have the exact amount that I need to dump over the chicken breasts. It may seem silly, but not having to measure out how much sauce that you need to pour in the crock pot will save you time when making this Chicken Parmesan Pasta recipe.

Simply pour the entire jar over the chicken and you are done. There is no need to measure, and there are no extra dishes to do!

3. Make The Pasta Ahead of Time

Another great time saving tip is to cook the pasta ahead of time. Take a few minutes to cook the pasta to al’ dente consistency and then drain.

Let the pasta cool completely and then place it in an air tight container. However, before you seal it, drizzle it with a little extra virgin olive oil to prevent the pasta from clumping together.

Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Then when you need it for this recipe, toss it in the chicken and sauce and it will reheat perfectly.

4. Shredding Cheese

In order for the cheese to melt more quickly, it is best to shred the cheese yourself. This is because the bags of shredded cheese that you purchase at the grocery have an anti-caking agent added so that the cheese doesn’t clump while being stored.

Unfortunately, this prevents the cheese from melting quickly when it goes on top of the chicken and pasta. Therefore, if you want the cheese to melt faster, you will need to use fresh grated Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Although a block of Parmesan cheese is easy to grate, mozzarella is a softer cheese and doesn’t grate easily in its refrigerated form. However, if you place the cheese in the freezer for 15-30 minutes, it will grate easily.

In order to save time on the day that you want to make this recipe, have the cheese already grated and stored in the refrigerator. Then sprinkle it on top, and the cheese will melt in half of the time when compared to pre-shredded, store bought cheese.

Now that you know how you can save time making this delicious, family friendly recipe, let’s get to the details of how to get dinner on the table.

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 24 oz. jar pasta sauce
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 3/4 tsp. dried Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 lb. penne pasta, cooked to al’ dente consistency according to package directions
• 3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Spray the liner of your 6 quart slow cooker with non stick cooking spray. Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides and place in the bottom of the crock.

Then sprinkle Italian seasoning over top of the chicken. Next, pour the pasta sauce in the crock pot, completely covering the chicken.

Cook Time

Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.

When the chicken cooking time is about up, cook the pasta per the package directions for al’dente consistency. You want the pasta firm so that it can hold up when tossing it in the crock pot with the rest of the Chicken Parmesan ingredients.

While the pasta is cooking shred the chicken while it is still in the slow cooker with two forks. Mix the chicken strands until the sauce completely coats the chicken.

When the pasta is al’dente, drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Then add the pasta to the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker. Stir so that everything is evenly coated.

This recipe is best when it has a light coating of sauce over the pasta. Depending on the brand of pasta sauce that you use, you may want to thin the sauce out a bit.

If so, add the pasta water to the crock pot and stir. Once everything is at the consistency that you prefer, spread the pasta in an even layer.

The Final Step

Then sprinkle the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook for an additional 15-30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Serve warm.

Enjoy! Mary

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