Cream cheese and chicken in crock pot? Yes, please! Guests will be screaming for more

Cooktop Cove: Cream cheese and chicken in crock pot? Yes, please! Guests will be screaming for more

By John Jasins

Chicken, cream cheese, bacon and ranch dressing all over pasta? Ummm — yes, please! This creamy bacon ranch chicken is sure to be a hit at home or at a party, and it's super easy to make. In this recipe, we toss everything with penne for a creamy pasta dish. If you're not in the mood for pasta, you can skip the pasta and use the chicken mixture to make a sandwich with your favorite bread or burger buns.

Cream cheese goes with everything. It's extremely versatile, working well in both savory and sweet dishes. Even slathered as is on any type of bread tastes great. The cream cheese in this recipe adds a super richness, and pairing it with the pepperoncini peppers brings just enough spice to cut the creaminess. The bacon gives it just the right amount of smokiness. Tossing the saucy chicken with pasta makes this recipe a simple, hearty meal everyone will love.

Creamy bacon ranch chicken in a slow cooker

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours, 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
10 ounces cream cheese, cut into 2-ounce chunks
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried chives
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dried dill
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup roughly chopped pepperoncini peppers, drained
1 cup buttermilk (add 1 cup if making pasta)
8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley, for garnish
1 pack slider buns (optional to make sliders)
8 ounces penne pasta cooked according to package (optional to make a creamy pasta dish)

Directions

1. Arrange chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker.

2. Add cream cheese on top of chicken.

3. Sprinkle evenly over chicken and cream cheese everything from dried parsley to pepperoncini peppers. Pour buttermilk on top (if you plan to mix with pasta, add an additional 1 cup of buttermilk).

4. Mix. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 7 hours.

5. Mix the chicken and sauce. Top with bacon and parsley.

For sliders: Serve on buns and top with your favorite cheese.
For pasta: Toss with cooked penne pasta.

Pro tip: For a quick and easy ranch mix, substitute all dried herbs, salt and pepper for 1 package of ranch dressing mix.