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Home » Chicken » Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Penne

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Penne

by Sarah Olson on June 23, 2017 | Updated October 12, 2020 211 Comments

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collage of cheesy chicken penne photos for pinterest

This Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Penne has features of mac and cheese but with chicken added too! A great meal to come home to that the entire family will enjoy.

cooked penne pasta in a slow cooker with a wooden spoon in it.

I was on Pinterest and saw this recipe and knew I could make something just as good in my slow cooker. I didn’t realize I was going to make the easiest most delicious and kid-friendly pasta ever! I made this recipe again a week later for a girl scout pot luck and there wasn’t any left!

How to make Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Penne:

I start by cooking 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, chicken breasts, chicken broth, dried tarragon and pepper for 6 hours on low.

3 chicken breasts in a slow cooker cooked in a cream sauce.

Then I shred the chicken and add sour cream and cheese.

cream sauce, sour cream and cheese in a slow cooker.

Then add the cooked penne pasta. I originally planned to make this with egg noodles, I bought an off brand and those fell to bits right before I was going to add to the chicken and sauce.

I went back to the store and bought penne pasta and I am so glad that I did. The penne pasta has a great texture, perfect for this recipe.

penne pasta cooked and creamy sauce in a slow cooker.

Mix it up.

cream of chicken soup in a creamy sauce with penne pasta.

Top with more cheese.

close up of chicken penne pasta.

Heaven on a plate! Plenty of sauce to coat all the noodles. I highly recommend this meal for an easy weeknight meal.

penne pasta cooked with cheese on top in a slow cooker.

Would your family enjoy this pasta dinner? Mine really did! I hope you have a great weekend and I’ll be back next week with another recipe.

Penne pasta in cream sauce with cheese on top.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Penne

4.9 from 69 votes
Family friendly and perfect for a busy weeknight, this hearty Cheesy Chicken Penne will be a crowd pleaser.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cheesy Chicken Penne
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 563kcal
Author: Sarah Olson

Equipment Needed:

  • Slow Cooker – 5 quart or larger

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 21 oz cream of chicken soup (two-10.5 oz cans) Don't add water
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. dried leaf tarragon can substitute oregano or thyme here
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 1 small sweet yellow onion diced

Add at the end

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
  • 1 lb. penne pasta cooked according to package directions on the stove-top
US Customary – Metric

Instructions:

  • Add the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth to the slow cooker, stir until smooth.
  • Add the tarragon, pepper, mushrooms and onions, stir.
  • Add the chicken breasts.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
  • After the cooking time is up, start cooking the pasta according to the package directions to Al dente on the stove-top, do not over cook!
  • Shred the chicken with 2 forks.
  • Add sour cream and half of the cheese, stir.
  • Add the cooked and drained pasta and stir again.
  • Sprinkle over remaining cheese. Cover the slow cooker and cook for an additional 20 minutes on low.
  • Serve and enjoy!

How to Video:

Recipe Notes:

If you have extra picky eaters and want to omit the mushrooms and onions add an additional 1/2 cup of broth. This will replace the moisture from the mushrooms and onions.

Nutrition:

Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 881mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 636IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 274mg | Iron: 2mg
Made this recipe?I want to see your photos! Tag me on Instagram @themagicalslowcooker

More pasta recipes to try next time:

  • Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Fettucine
  • Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken Mozzarella
  • Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Tetrazzini
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Pasta
  • Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce (add your favorite pasta shape!)
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    Filed Under: Chicken, Dinner Tagged With: cheesy, Crock pot, crockpot, dinner, pasta, penne, slow cooker

    Comments

    1. Haley says

      January 22, 2020 at 5:06 pm

      Is the kcal posted the amount per serving or the amount in the entire dish? Thanks

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        January 22, 2020 at 5:30 pm

        One serving (the enitre pot has 8 servings)

        Reply
    2. Leann Kish says

      January 21, 2020 at 6:56 am

      5 stars
      This recipe sounded great for a cold Ohio dinner. I made a few substitutions since that’s what I had in stock. I used a can of cream of chicken and a can of cream of mushroom, and whatever random pieces of cheese in my fridge: cheddar, swiss, Monterey Jack. Skipped the sour cream, my husband hates it. Still came out a delicious, filling dinner. Oh yes, bonus to me, at the end, I threw in some leftover cauliflower and broccoli. No complaints! Thanks Sarah, enjoy your thoughts and recipes.

      Reply
    3. Cheryl says

      January 20, 2020 at 9:46 am

      would lit be ok to not use the sour cream as not a fan?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        January 20, 2020 at 9:55 am

        I would add another can of cream of chicken or add less pasta.

        Reply
    4. Anonymous says

      January 19, 2020 at 8:45 am

      I’m making this right now! I used the 98% fat free chicken soup and added a can of diced tomatoes and a little oregano. Was thinking of adding a bag of mixed veggies too!

      Reply
    5. Denice Kelly says

      January 17, 2020 at 10:05 am

      D’lish
      I used both mushrooms and spinach since it was in fridge and Chickpea noodles
      Thank you
      Denice

      Reply
    6. Shawn says

      December 18, 2019 at 3:23 pm

      Sorry but slow cooker cheesy chicken penne has a pleasant cheesy consistancy but it’s just too bland for our tastes here it is seriously lacking something to spice it up

      Reply
      • Kenneth Miller says

        December 20, 2019 at 5:57 am

        I agree, it needs something else to give it a kick!

        Reply
    7. AmyM says

      December 16, 2019 at 8:41 am

      Does the chicken go in frozen or thawed?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        December 16, 2019 at 8:44 am

        thawed

        Reply
        • Yamicka says

          December 21, 2019 at 11:46 pm

          I am in the process of making the recipe… I accidently used a cup of chicken broth instead of an half cup. Would this make a difference in the taste?

          Reply
          • Sarah Olson says

            December 22, 2019 at 7:55 am

            It will be fine!

            Reply
    8. Heather C says

      December 12, 2019 at 11:14 am

      5 stars
      Love this recipe and my kids always ask for seconds! I subbed broccoli for the mushrooms.

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        December 12, 2019 at 12:53 pm

        I will have to try that! My daughter hates mushrooms but LOVES broccoli. Thanks for the tip.

        Reply
    9. Marlene says

      December 3, 2019 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe came out delicious, but made a few changes. I added 1 tsp granulated garlic, added 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese and substituted mozzarella cheese and used only 8 oz. Of Penne pasta. This will stay in our recipe rotation

      Reply
    10. Sandi Greene says

      November 16, 2019 at 11:51 am

      Has anyone used cream cheese instead of sour cream? I will be making this sometime this week, but sometimes sour cream is stronger than cream cheese. Thoughts?

      Reply
    11. Anonymous says

      November 9, 2019 at 4:15 pm

      Do the noodles have to be pre cooked or can I throw them in the crockpot uncooked?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        November 9, 2019 at 4:25 pm

        They need to be precooked. The crock pot isn’t hot enough to properly cook pasta.

        Reply
    12. Stephanie Miller says

      October 26, 2019 at 8:32 pm

      Can it be frozen afterwards?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        October 26, 2019 at 9:06 pm

        It should do fine!

        Reply
    13. Alexis Luster says

      October 26, 2019 at 4:50 pm

      I’ve been cooking this for about 2 and half hours on low and I was wondering if it was too late to cut the time a little bit by turning the crockpot on high for about another 2 hours?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        October 26, 2019 at 5:18 pm

        That’s totally fine!

        Reply
    14. Nelly says

      October 24, 2019 at 11:39 am

      Hi can I add spinach to pot and cook altogether. I’m just worried if it will become watery or will it be fine thank you .

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        October 24, 2019 at 11:51 am

        Hi Nelly! I would add a few cups of fresh spinach the same time as the hot pasta. It will wilt down in minutes.

        Reply
    15. Theresa says

      October 24, 2019 at 3:57 am

      Can you use canned cheese soup

      Reply
    16. Deb says

      October 21, 2019 at 8:52 am

      Wouldn’t chicken stock be better than chicken broth?? Can’t wait to try it! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        October 21, 2019 at 9:45 am

        If you have it, use stock. That will be great.

        Reply
    17. Kara says

      October 9, 2019 at 12:56 pm

      Did you use fresh or canned mushrooms?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        October 9, 2019 at 12:59 pm

        Fresh

        Reply
    18. Anna Cadwell says

      October 4, 2019 at 3:26 pm

      Is there a way I can cut down the cook time?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        October 4, 2019 at 4:21 pm

        Yes! You can do 3.5 hours on high, no problems.

        Reply
        • Anna Cadwell says

          October 5, 2019 at 8:38 am

          Yes! Thank you! I made this last night and my husband LOVED IT! I subbed the onions for spinach. It was amazing!

          Reply
    19. CHERI DECOUX says

      October 4, 2019 at 8:31 am

      Could sauce and chicken be cooked and then frozen without pasta?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        October 4, 2019 at 4:22 pm

        I’m unsure how the dairy would turn out being frozen. I’ve never tried it on this recipe.

        Reply
    20. Jim says

      September 30, 2019 at 12:20 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this numerous times and it’s very tasty

      Reply
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