Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Pasta is a comforting and hearty meal perfect for busy days. Tender chicken breasts are slow-cooked with mushrooms, red onions, bacon, and a flavorful spaghetti sauce, then combined with cooked bow-tie pasta and fresh baby spinach. Finished with parmesan cheese for a satisfying creamy texture, this recipe delivers a delicious one-pot dinner with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein & Meat
- 1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 slices cut bacon, cooked
Vegetables & Herbs
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups sliced baby spinach
Seasonings & Cheese
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, plus more for topping and serving
Other
- 46 oz. spaghetti sauce (two 23-oz. jars)
- 1 lb. cooked bow-tie pasta
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker: Place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and dried oregano to season the meat well.
- Add vegetables and bacon: Add the diced red onion, sliced mushrooms, and cooked bacon pieces on top of the chicken. These ingredients will infuse great flavor as they slow cook together.
- Pour in pasta sauce: Pour the spaghetti sauce over all the ingredients in the slow cooker, covering everything to ensure moisture during cooking.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and set it to cook on HIGH for 4 hours, allowing the chicken to become tender and absorb the rich flavors.
- Shred chicken and combine: After 4 hours, remove the chicken breasts and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and add the parmesan cheese and sliced baby spinach.
- Add cooked pasta: Stir in the cooked and drained bow-tie pasta until everything is well combined and the spinach wilts slightly from the heat.
- Serve: Sprinkle additional parmesan cheese on top before serving for an extra cheesy finish. Enjoy your warm, comforting pasta meal!
Notes
- For a healthier or bacon-free alternative, use turkey bacon, vegan bacon substitutes, or omit the bacon completely.
- Feel free to switch the bow-tie pasta with penne, fusilli, rotini, or any pasta shape you prefer for varied texture and sauce holding.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
