Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Pasta is a deliciously easy and creamy one-pot meal that combines tender shredded chicken with a flavorful enchilada sauce, beans, corn, and cheese. Perfect for busy weeknights, it melds Mexican-inspired flavors with comforting pasta for a crowd-pleasing dinner that requires minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein and Dairy
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Vegetables and Beans
- 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel)
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
Sauces and Spices
- 1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Pasta
- 12 oz rotini or penne pasta
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in slow cooker: Add the chicken breasts, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with green chiles, black beans, corn, diced onion, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt to your slow cooker. Stir everything together gently so the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Cook the mixture: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender enough to shred.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker, stirring to combine.
- Add cream cheese and melt: Stir in the cubed cream cheese into the slow cooker and mix until it’s completely melted and incorporated, creating a creamy sauce.
- Cook the pasta: While the cream cheese melts, prepare the rotini or penne pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the cooked pasta well.
- Combine pasta with sauce: Add the drained pasta to the slow cooker and stir until all the pasta is evenly coated with the enchilada sauce mixture.
- Melt shredded cheese: Sprinkle the shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese evenly over the top of the pasta mixture. Cover the slow cooker again and let the cheese melt for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve and garnish: Serve the creamy chicken enchilada pasta warm, garnished with chopped cilantro if desired for a fresh, herbal note.
Notes
- For extra heat, swap the mild enchilada sauce for a medium or hot version or add diced jalapeños to the slow cooker.
- You can substitute cream cheese with sour cream for a lighter creaminess.
- Leftovers reheat well and are perfect for meal prep lunches or dinners.
