Olive Garden Dressing Chicken Pasta

I saw this awesome recipe on Kari Buys McFee Facebook Page. It looked great and easy. I googled it and apparently, I am the last to know about this. I took about 5 recipes and took their suggestions and it turned out amazing.

Olive Garden Dressing Chicken Pasta

(Slow Cooker or Insta-pot)

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed

1 Cup Olive Garden Italian Dressing or your favorite Italian Dressing

1 Cup Chicken Broth

½ teaspoon Black Pepper

8 Ounce block of Cream Cheese or lower fat Neufchatel Cheese

¼ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

16 Ounces Penne Pasta

¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese

¼ Cup Diced Sun-Dried Tomatoes, optional

2 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Basil, optional

Add the chicken Breast to the bottom of your at least 6 quart slow cooker. Pour on the dressing, pepper, chicken broth. Add the cream cheese block to the top of the chicken, sprinkle the parmesan cheese.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

When you are ready to serve, cook the pasta according to directions on the box. Remove the chicken and shred the chicken with 2 forks. You can also shred it by using your hand-held mixer. It is a weird way to shred it, and it really shreds it. I don’t like it so shredded, I just sliced it into bite-sized pieces.

Return the shredded chicken to the sauce in the slow cooker, add the cooked pasta. Stir to cover all the pasta and chicken with the sauce. Serve and sprinkle with more Parmesan Cheese. Sprinkle with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil if using.

I love the slow cooker liners to make up clean up easy.

To make in an Insta-Pot cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, natural release for 15 minutes. I made it in the Insta-Pot and used frozen chicken breasts and increased the cook time for 20 minutes.

Gluten Free use Gluten Free Pasta.

Jan Dairy Keen – Home of the Train