Description
CrockPot Cheddar Bacon Chicken Rigatoni is an easy dinner packed with tender chicken and smoky bacon and a creamy cheddar sauce that clings to every tube of pasta and this quick prep and simple slow cooker method make it one of the best ideas for a busy weeknight dinner or relaxed meal prep and you can serve it with a healthy green salad or steamed vegetables for balance and bring it to a potluck or party when you need a cozy crowd pleasing dish that travels well.
Ingredients
- 2 large breasts about 1 1/2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 8 ounces cubed Cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon plus more for pasta water Salt
- 12 ounces dry Rigatoni
- 2 cups freshly shredded divided Sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 slices crumbled divided Cooked bacon
- 1/2 cup as needed Reserved pasta water
- 2 tablespoons chopped Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place the 2 large chicken breasts in an uneven single layer and pour the broth around them before scattering the garlic powder and onion powder and smoked paprika and black pepper and salt across the top so the pale chicken becomes visibly speckled and partially surrounded by liquid. Add the 8 ounces of cream cheese in irregular cubes over and beside the chicken so some pieces touch the broth while others rest on the seasoned surface and the ingredients remain layered rather than fully mixed.
- After slow cooking the chicken changes from pale and firm to opaque and tender while the cream cheese and broth become a thick ivory sauce with warm paprika streaks and small soft lumps that are not perfectly smooth. Pull the meat from exactly 2 breasts into irregular strands and fold it through the sauce so some chicken remains piled near the center while other strands spread toward the edges and the mixture looks creamy and visibly thicker.
- The 12 ounces of dry rigatoni soften and expand in the large pot until the tubes look plump and pale golden with a slight sheen and a few pieces leaning against one another at different angles. Drain the pasta while saving 1/2 cup cooking water so the rigatoni remains separate and slightly firm rather than broken or mushy and the pieces settle into a loose uneven mound.
- Transfer all 12 ounces of cooked rigatoni into the creamy shredded chicken and fold the tubes through the sauce so their pale surfaces become partially coated and chicken strands begin catching inside some openings. Add reserved pasta water only as needed until the sauce loosens enough to flow between the pasta while still clinging in uneven patches and leave some rigatoni more heavily coated than others for a natural homemade appearance.
- Fold in 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar and 6 slices of crumbled bacon so the sauce changes from ivory to golden orange and stretches lightly between some rigatoni while uneven cheese pockets remain visible. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and crumbs from the remaining 2 bacon slices over the top and cover briefly until the cheese softens into irregular melted patches with a few deeper golden areas and crisp bacon still visible.
- Scoop one sixth of the finished rigatoni onto a white plate so the pasta forms a loose mound with several tubes facing outward and visible chicken strands and cheddar sauce settling naturally between them. Finish the single portion with a share of the bacon and chopped parsley so the top has casual green flecks and crisp brown crumbs and show uneven melted cheese and non-uniform color that make the serving look homemade.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Cook the rigatoni just until firm because it softens slightly after being folded into the hot cheddar chicken sauce.
- Use freshly shredded sharp cheddar because packaged shreds can melt less smoothly and make the sauce feel grainy.
- Reserve the pasta water before draining because a small splash restores a creamy texture if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Add most bacon during mixing and save a little for the top so every serving has both smoky flavor and crisp texture.
Storage: Cool leftovers until they are no longer steaming and transfer them to a covered container and refrigerate them within two hours so the chicken and dairy sauce remain safe and fresh. Store the pasta in the refrigerator for up to four days and keep any extra bacon in a separate small container when possible so it stays crisper when added after reheating. Reheat individual servings with a small splash of broth or milk and stir gently as the sauce warms so the cheddar becomes creamy again without breaking the rigatoni. Freeze cooled portions for up to two months in airtight containers and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator although the sauce can become slightly grainy because cream cheese and cheddar change texture after freezing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American