Creamy Crockpot Mississippi Chicken (Printable)

Tender slow-cooked chicken with tangy peppers and creamy sauce, tossed with al dente pasta and Parmesan.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken & Seasonings

01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
03 - 1 packet (1 oz) au jus gravy mix
04 - 6 to 8 whole pepperoncini peppers
05 - 1/4 cup pepperoncini juice
06 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Sauce & Pasta

07 - 8 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta, uncooked
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

12 - Chopped fresh parsley, optional

# Steps:

01 - Arrange chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
02 - Sprinkle ranch seasoning mix and au jus gravy mix evenly over the chicken breasts.
03 - Layer pepperoncini peppers and pepperoncini juice over the seasoned chicken.
04 - Distribute butter in several pieces over the chicken.
05 - Cover and cook on LOW setting for 4 hours until chicken is tender and fully cooked through.
06 - Shred the cooked chicken directly in the crockpot using two forks until fully separated.
07 - Add cubed cream cheese and heavy cream to the shredded chicken, stirring gently until combined.
08 - Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cream cheese is fully melted and sauce reaches smooth consistency.
09 - Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente, then drain thoroughly.
10 - Stir cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese into the creamy chicken mixture in the crockpot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11 - Transfer to serving dishes and garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Your slow cooker does almost all the work while you go about your day, and the house smells incredible the whole time.
  • The sauce is rich and silky without tasting overly heavy, thanks to that perfect balance of pepperoncini tang cutting through the cream.
  • It's flexible enough to adjust heat levels or swap ingredients based on what you have, but still feels special every single time.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooking the pasta separately, or you'll end up with mushy noodles that have absorbed all the liquid and lost their bite.
  • Soften that cream cheese beforehand by cubing it and letting it sit out for a few minutes, because cold chunks won't melt smoothly even with all the stirring.
03 -
  • The combination of cooking chicken on LOW and then switching to HIGH for the cream cheese is crucial for texture, low keeps it tender and high ensures smooth sauce emulsification.
  • Always taste and adjust seasoning at the very end since those seasoning packets are pretty salty, and you might not need as much additional salt as you'd think.
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