Chicken breast slow cooked in a creamy sauce made from chicken stock, cream cheese and basil pesto served with pasta, peas and cheese. An amazing cook-one, freeze-one meal.
This Slow Cooker Chicken Pesto Pasta was created for one of our Cookalong Challenges and the feedback we got was so positive. First of all, the flavours are sensational. Creamy chicken flavoured with basil pesto mixed through penne pasta and peas, then topped with golden cheese. Need I say more? I will anyway. The second reason our readers love this meal is because it's a cook-one, freeze-one. And who doesn't love to get ahead? For another great double meal-prep recipe, be sure to check out Vanya's Lasagne.
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Ingredient notes:
- Chicken: Chicken breast is perfect for this recipe. It gently cooks in the creamy sauce over a long period of time keeping the meat nice and tender.
- Pasta: I've used penne in this recipe. But any type of similar sized pasta will work from bowties to spirals to macaroni.
- Basil pesto: You can either use basil pesto or the more affordable pesto dip. Alternatively, if you have an abundance of basil in the garden, make your own Homemade Cashew Pesto.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
In a jug, dissolve the stock cube in 1 cup of boiling water. Add this to the slow cooker along with the pesto and stir to combine. Cut each chicken breast in half and place in the slow cooker coat well in the pesto mixture. Add the cream cheese in chunks on top of the chicken.
Cook on high for 4+ hours or low for 7+ hours, until the chicken is cooked through and is easy to pull apart. If possible, turn the chicken over half way through the cook time.
30 minutes before serving, boil the pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente, then drain. Use two forks to shred the chicken in the slow cooker and stir it through the creamy pesto sauce. Add the cooked pasta and frozen peas then mix to combine.
Divide the mixture between two ovenproof dishes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of each.
Bake one immediately at 200°C fan grill for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve with garlic bread or a side salad.
Cover the second dish with foil, label then freeze once it cools to room temperature.
Recipe FAQs:
You can swap it for a sun-dried tomato dip, spinach dip, or even a cream-based dip for a different flavour twist.
Absolutely. Penne holds the sauce well, but other short pastas like rigatoni, fusilli or macaroni will also work.
Yes - you can cook the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker earlier in the day, then add the pasta, peas and cheese topping just before baking. It also freezes well for later.
Storage:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat until piping hot.
This is a cook-one freeze-one recipe. Each of the two containers makes 4 servings. The second pasta bake can be stored, covered in the freezer for up to three months. Simply defrost in the fridge overnight, then bake in the oven until golden and cooked through.
Top tips:
Feel free to add in your favourite fresh or frozen veggies. Any similar-sized pasta can be used in this recipe including bows, spirals, macaroni or penne.
Related Recipes:
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Slow Cooker Chicken Pesto Pasta
Chicken breast slow cooked in a creamy sauce made from chicken stock, cream cheese and basil pesto served with pasta, peas and cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 1 cup boiling water
- 135 g basil dip (or pesto)
- 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 250 g cream cheese
- 500 g penne pasta
- 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 150g cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a jug, dissolve the stock cube in 1 cup of boiling water. Add this to the slow cooker along with the pesto and stir to combine.
- Cut each chicken breast in half and place in the slow cooker coat well in the pesto mixture. Add the cream cheese in chunks on top of the chicken.
- Cook on high for 4+ hours or low for 7+ hours, until the chicken is cooked through and is easy to pull apart. If possible, turn the chicken over half way through the cook time.
- 30 minutes before serving, boil the pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente, then drain.
- Use two forks to shred the chicken in the slow cooker and stir it through the creamy pesto sauce. Add the cooked pasta and frozen peas then mix to combine.
- Divide the mixture between two ovenproof dishes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of each.
- Bake one immediately at 200°C fan grill for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve with garlic bread or a side salad.
- Cover the second dish with foil, label then freeze once it cools to room temperature.
Notes
- Defrost the frozen pasta bake in the fridge overnight. Then baking until golden and cooked all the way through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 547Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 430mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 52g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Stef says
Hi, our son has a dairy allergy - instead of cream cheese could I use a small amount of coconut cream instead? Thanks!
VJ cooks says
Yes that would be fine 🙂
Nikki says
Delicious comfort food. We did add a second tub of pesto. Its like an elevated Mac n Cheese.
Would make again. Thanks!!
VJ cooks says
Yum! Thanks for the feedback, Nikki.