Shredded chicken, red enchilada sauce, and melted cheddar stirred through cavatappi pasta, all from the slow cooker with 10 minutes of prep. I have made this cheesy chicken enchilada pasta a dozen times, mostly to fix the mushy noodle problem. Cooking the pasta separately solved it, and it's stayed that way since.
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This started as a solution to a Tuesday problem. I had chicken breasts thawing, no plan for them, and a can of enchilada sauce that had been sitting in the pantry since the last taco night.
I threw everything into the crockpot before lunch and stopped thinking about dinner for the rest of the day.
The first few tries were not great, though. I put the dry pasta straight into the slow cooker with everything else, which seemed like the whole point of a one-pot meal.
It came out soft and starchy and took the sauce down with it. Boiling the pasta separately fixed the problem in one go, and after about a dozen rounds of testing, that's still the only real trick here.
The sauce is smoky from the fire-roasted diced tomatoes and mild from the green chiles, so the kids never complain about the heat. Cream cheese melts into it all and makes the pot creamy, while sharp cheddar on top stretches over the hot pasta.
Every noodle comes out coated instead of watery, and it tastes like a chicken enchilada filling without any of the rolling. That same sauce is what I use in my Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Dip, so if you have made that one, you already know what you are getting.
Now it shows up in our rotation about once a month. My husband eats it cold the next day straight from the container, which I have given up arguing about.
The kids like it because they get to build their own bowls with cilantro, jalapeños, avocado, and a dollop of sour cream, and they take that part seriously. I like it because the slow cooker is done by noon and the rest of my afternoon belongs to me.
It also holds up when I am feeding more than four people. Doubling it is easy as long as your crockpot is big enough, and the sauce stretches further than you expect once the pasta goes in.
When I need two dishes on the table for company, I serve it next to my Cheesy Chicken and Potato Bake, and nobody leaves hungry.
This crockpot chicken enchilada pasta is about as easy as a weeknight meal gets, and it always leaves us leftovers for lunch. Here is exactly how I put it together.
Ingredients
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts stay lean and mild, and they pull apart into soft shreds after a few hours in the pot. Red enchilada sauce carries most of the flavor on its own, with a smoky chili base that comes mild, medium, or hot. Taco seasoning fills in the rest, since one envelope already measures out the chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cream cheese is what makes the sauce creamy instead of thin. Sharp cheddar cheese brings the tang and the stretch, and a block you shred yourself melts more smoothly than pre-shredded bags.
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
Top Tips for Making Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Salt the pasta water well: The pasta is the only part of this dish that is not already seasoned, so a good spoonful of salt in the water keeps it from tasting flat against the sauce.
Use block cream cheese: The tub kind holds more water, which thins the sauce out instead of making it creamy.
Wait on the salt: Between the enchilada sauce and the taco seasoning, there is plenty in the pot already, so taste it after the cheese melts before you reach for the shaker.
How to Make Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Pasta
This creamy, easy chicken pasta dish has shredded chicken in a smoky enchilada sauce. Everything goes into the slow cooker at once, then stir in the cheese and pasta at the end. Here's how to make this slow cooker chicken enchilada pasta recipe:
Add the Chicken and Sauce
- Add the taco seasoning, scallions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and green chiles.
- Stir once so the seasoning coats everything instead of sitting in one corner.
- The chicken doesn't need to be fully covered to cook through.
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Cover and Cook on Low
- Cover and cook on low for six hours, or cook on high for four hours if you started late.
- Low is the better choice whenever you have the time. It gives you juicy chicken that falls apart on its own.
- Try not to lift the lid to peek, because every look lets out the heat. That can add another 20 minutes to the whole thing.
Shred the Chicken
- About 30 minutes before you want to eat, remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board.
- Check that it is fully cooked through, with no pink left in the middle. Shred it with two forks, or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to speed things up.
- Set the cooked chicken aside for now, because the sauce needs your attention next.
Stir in the Cheese
- Add the cream cheese and one cup of the cheddar to the sauce left in the pot.
- Stir until the cream cheese disappears into the liquid, which takes about 10 minutes.
- Softened cream cheese melts in much faster than a cold block straight from the fridge.
- The sauce should look glossy and smooth, with no white streaks left. Save the second cup of cheddar for the top.
Return the Chicken to the Pot
- Walk away for 15 minutes and leave it alone. That quiet stretch is when the chicken drinks up the sauce.
- It is also where most of the flavor comes from. By the time you come back, cream cheese has worked its way into every shred.
Cook the Pasta and Fold It In
- Cook pasta according to the package directions while the chicken rests.
- Salt the water well, since the noodles are the only unseasoned part of this dish.
- Pull the dry pasta out a full minute early, because it keeps softening in the hot sauce.
Top and Serve
- Serve it straight from the pot while the cheese is stretchy.
Storage
Let the pasta cool, then move it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to four days. The pasta keeps drinking up sauce as it sits, so it will look thicker the next day than it did the night before.
Warm single bowls in the microwave with a splash of milk or chicken broth stirred through, and it loosens back up.
You can also freeze it for up to three months, though the sauce comes out a little softer once it thaws. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stove so the cheese doesn't split.
FAQs
Yes, and it cuts the cook time to about two hours. Let the sauce cook on low first so the seasoning and tomatoes come together, then stir the shredded rotisserie chicken in when you add the cream cheese. It only needs long enough to warm through and soak up the sauce.
Heat is usually the reason, since cream cheese and cheddar both break when the sauce underneath is too hot. Switch the slow cooker to low before adding either one, and soften the cream cheese first so it melts evenly. If it has already split, stir it hard for a minute.
Take the lid off and cook it on high for 15 to 20 minutes so the extra liquid cooks down. Stirring in the pasta helps too, because the starch thickens the sauce as it sits. If it is still loose, another few ounces of cream cheese will tighten it up.
Recipe
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Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Equipment
- Colander
- Forks
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can red enchilada sauce
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 can chopped green chiles
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar divided
- 8 ounces cavatappi pasta cooked and drained
Instructions
- Add chicken to the slow cooker. Add enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, scallions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. Stir to combine.
- Cook on low 6 hours or high 4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken and shred it.
- Add cream cheese and 1 cup of the cheddar to the slow cooker. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Cover and let sit 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked pasta.
- Top with the remaining cheddar and your choice of toppings. Serve.
Notes
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Shred the chicken with two forks, or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for a faster job.
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Cook the pasta separately and only until al dente. Adding it undercooked keeps it from turning mushy once it sits in the sauce.
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Let the cream cheese melt into the sauce before adding the shredded cheddar for the smoothest texture.
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Set out toppings like avocado, jalapeños, and sour cream so everyone can customize their own bowl.
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Substitutions: chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken for the chicken breasts, penne or rotini for the cavatappi, Monterey Jack or a Mexican cheese blend for the cheddar, green enchilada sauce for a different flavor, and sour cream or Greek yogurt in place of cream cheese for a tangier, lighter version.
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For a baked version, transfer everything to a casserole dish, top with cheese, and bake until bubbly.
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