Chicken breasts made in the slow cooker with pesto and butter then made into a cheesy pasta casserole with mozzarella cheese and parmesan.
This new recipe for Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Chicken is a spin-off from a freezer meal I made a few months ago called Lemon Pesto Chicken. Looking back at that recipe I wish I would have done this to it from the start. Adding the pasta and parmesan in the slow cooker at the end of the cooking time THEN topping with mozzarella cheese turned that basic recipe I made a few months ago into a meal I want to make weekly now.
For this recipe I tried the Mezzetta pesto, It did well in this recipe! Of course, homemade pesto would be better but I don’t have time for that! Besides topping the chicken with the pesto I also add fresh lemon juice and butter. The way the butter tastes with the pasta can’t be beat.
Start with chicken breasts, salt, pepper, lemon juice, pesto and butter. Yes, that is all you put in at first. It’s that easy.
After the chicken is cooked I add a pound of cooked pasta and top with mozzarella cheese.
This meal is beautiful enough to have dinner guests over! Just add a salad and French bread for sides,
I was afraid my daughter wouldn’t like this meal because of the green stuff on it. She didn’t even blink an eye and ate a whole plate! What I love about this meal is how there is not much prep to do to get this in going in the crock pot. Putting the chicken and sauce ingredients in the crock pot takes less than 10 minutes.
You may also like these easy slow cooker recipes:
- Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
- Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken and Pasta
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
- Slow Cooker Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti
- Slow Cooker Zucchini Bolognese
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Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Pasta
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (1.5-2 pounds works fine, 3 chicken breasts)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 cup jarred pesto I used Mezzetta
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 lemon
These items don’t get added until the end
- 1 lb. rotini cooked and drained
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil to garnish
Instructions:
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Spread over the pesto, squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Cut the butter into slices and lay over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Near the end of the cooking time, cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain well.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Add the cooked pasta and the parmesan cheese, stir everything until the pasta is coated with the buttery pesto sauce and the chicken is evenly dispersed throughout the pasta. Add the mozzarella cheese over the pasta. Cover for about 15 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Love this recipe! I added a jar of sun dried tomatoes, a couple more cloves of garlic and some fresh spinach eat the end. Very yummy!
Just made this for the first time, husband took two
I can’t find how many servings this is. Could you please let me know. I am cooking for 6-7 depending on work schedules.
This serves about 8. It’s at the top of the recipe card.
Oops! Sorry and thank you!
I live in the UK. What is Alfredo sauce? Also, if I halve the recipe ( with a smaller slow cooker) would I cook it on Low for less time? Thanks
Alfredo sauce is a sauce made from heavy cream, parmesan cheese and garlic. Yes, if you cut in half I’d cut down on the time by an hour or so.
How long on high?
3.5-4 hours
Made this a while back, Loved it! I did take the chicken out, shred it and put it back in the cooker. Today I’m going to add broccoli and spinach that I need to use up anyways. So creamy and delish!
Sorry didnt see your shred chicken part on here..lol It was 1 1/2 yrs ago since Ive made it.
Trying this with bone in chicken thighs. I’ll brown them in the pan before putting them in the slowcooker. I also pre marinated the thighs. I’m opting out of the cheese and pasta and will add that separately. Wish me luck. Will update .
maybe i am reading it wrong, but arr there 492,000 calories in 8 servings lmao
Kcal is short for kilocalorie which is the same as Calorie
Little dry. I added some Alfredo and it made it much more creamy. Good flavors though.
Loved the flavor of this recipe but it came out suuuuper dry. Any thing I can do to moisten it up a bit?
I added Alfredo and it helped a lot
Before or after you cooked it?
Can’t wait to try. I’m always looking for crockpot recipes, especially in the spring. My husband and I have a greenhouse on our acreage, and raise bedding flowers for a neighboring city. My kids eat anything and don’t mind being guinea pigs.
This is one of our favourites!
Sadly I can’t change the ingredients in metric anymore??
I absolutely love this recipe and we make it often. How can I make this in my Instant pot?