One Pot Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pasta ****

It was no surprise that this one was yummy. I mean, the name alone can bring the drool on, lol. We really enjoyed it. I don't often make Alfredo from scratch, so the kids were super impressed when I told them it was homemade. I didn't mention how easy it was to make, though. Ha! You can't beat this for something simple that tastes like it took more effort than it actually did. The original recipe only served 4, so I made a double batch to make sure we had leftovers. The recipe below is for 8 servings.

ONE POT CHICKEN BACON ALFREDO PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ EverydayCooking)

16 oz fettuccine
3 cups cooked chicken, diced or cut into strips
2 tablespoon minced garlic (or 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped)
2 cups parmesan cheese
2 cups cream
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup crumbled cooked bacon
4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Place pasta, chicken, garlic, parmesan cheese, cream and broth in an 11″ saute pan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in bacon, garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
*Amy's notes: Recipe is doubled from original post, to allow for 8 servings.

Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Spaghetti ***

I made this basically as written, except that I added crawfish and used angelhair pasta in place of spaghetti. Oh, and smoked sausage in place of andouille. Those are all just personal preferences, though. It was amazing. It technically does take a bit of prep time, but it's worth it. For me, it helped that I had cooked chicken on hand and used a frozen fajita pepper blend in place of the peppers. All I really had to do was cut up the sausage. I actually need to make it again soon, now that I think about it!

SLOW COOKER CAJUN CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Tablespoon)

10 oz (about 2/3 of a 1 lb box) dried spaghetti noodles
1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo sauce
1 medium (about 1 cup) yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 lb andouille sausage, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir GlenOrganic Diced Tomatoes Fire Roasted
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt

To start, cut the chicken into bite-size chunks and slice the andouille sausage.
Dice the whole onion, chop the bell pepper and mince the garlic. (Prep work over.)
Pour 1/3 of the Alfredo sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and stir in the onions and garlic. Layer the chicken pieces on top of the saucy onions and sprinkle half of your Creole seasoning over the chicken.
Layer the bell pepper and sausage pieces over the chicken, then pour in the whole can of tomatoes (including the liquid). Top tomatoes with remaining Creole seasoning and Alfredo sauce.
Close the lid and cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, give everything a stir and add about 1/4 cup of heavy cream to the sauce. Season with salt to taste, and add additional Creole seasoning if desired.
Break the spaghetti noodles in thirds and place them in the sauce. Stir until noodles are completely coated and submerged in the sauce, with no pieces sticking out.
Increase heat to high and cook, covered, for 20-25 more minutes. Give your pasta a good stir or two, and enjoy! NOTE: Keep in mind that once you turn the slow cooker off, the sauce and noodles will continue to cook for a few minutes. If you're not going to eat immediately, reduce the time you cook the noodles so that they are not overcooked by the time you're ready to eat.
*Amy's notes: I subbed angelhair pasta, smoked sausage, and a frozen fajita pepper blend. I also cut back on chicken and added crawfish.

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti****

I really, really, really want to love chicken spaghetti, but I just can't stand Velveeta. For years, I've been trying to find a good recipe that didn't use Velveeta. This is it! At first, I balked at the amount of shredded cheese in there, but you really do need a lot for chicken spaghetti. I don't know exactly the amount that I used, since I just went by what looked right, but I do know it was less than the full 6 cups. Maybe around 4.5-5? Anyway, it was excellent. This is going to be my go-to chicken spaghetti recipe from now on. You could sub Rotel for the chilies, but since I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes anyway, as written works pretty well for us. The recipe on the website was only for 4 servings, which never works for us (two teenage boys and a hubby who takes leftovers for lunch!), so I doubled the amounts. I am so excited to finally have a non-Velveeta chicken spaghetti recipe!

CROCKPOT CHEESY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
*Recipe below is doubled from website, to allow for 8 servings*
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ LaurensLatest)

4 chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 small cans mild diced green chiles
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1.5-2 lbs cooked spaghetti
5-6 cups grated cheddar cheese
a few splashes chicken stock, optional

Place onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a crock-pot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken breasts, shred and return to crock-pot. Pour in cooked spaghetti and remaining cheese. Toss to coat pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock where necessary to get sauce consistency you want. Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.
**Freezer directions: Place onion, bell peppers, green chilies, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a large plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze. To cook, defrost in fridge, place in crockpot and cook according to directions listed above.

Crockpot Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Tortellini ****

This is nothing special, but we all absolutely loved it.  I've made it twice now, and each time, it just seems to get better.  I love how simple it is, and you can use so many different add-ins to mix it up.  We like it as-written, though.  We're pretty plain-Jane when it comes to this one.  You could definitely use thawed chicken and just go for a shorter cook time.  My crockpot tends to run hot, so using frozen breasts gives me a little extra time to play with before supper.  I typically come home on my lunch break and throw everything in the crockpot, so I really need about a 6-hour cook time, if it's going to be ready to eat (and not overcooked or just warm) when we walk in the door after a full day at work and school and activities.  This one just works perfectly for us!

CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND SPINACH ALFREDO TORTELLINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

4 frozen chicken breasts
2 jars Alfredo sauce
1 bag fresh spinach
3-4 cups refrigerated cheese tortellini

Place chicken, sauce, and spinach in crockpot.  Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours (until chicken is fully cooked).
Once chicken is fully cooked, prepare tortellini on stovetop as directed.  Shred chicken in sauce.  Combine cooked tortellini and sauce and serve warm.
Note: You can also add the uncooked tortellini to the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Pasta ***

We all really enjoyed this one.  It wasn't one of our favorites or anything, but it was quick to throw together and tasted pretty good.  I used angelhair pasta, just because it's our preference.  I also just threw in a frozen bag of fajita blend peppers and onions, to cut down on the prep time.  Mine cooked on high for about 6 hours, and it was perfect.  It kind of reminds me of my mom's recipe for Chicken Spaghetti, without the rotel and Velveeta.  I can't stand Velveeta, so this definitely played in its favor for me.  I would definitely make it again, but I think that next time I'll add in a can of diced green chilies.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ MyHeavenlyRecipes)

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Onion, diced
1 Can Diced Tomatoes, drained
1 TSP Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
5-6 chicken breasts
2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Box Barilla Spaghetti or Angel Hair, cooked and drained
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated
3/4 C Chicken Stock (or water)

Place onion, bell pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a crock-pot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked.
Remove chicken breasts from the crock-pot, dice and return to crock-pot. Pour in cooked spaghetti, tomatoes and remaining cheese. Using a pair of tons coat the pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock (or water). Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I used a bag of frozen fajita blend peppers.  Next time I'll add a can of green chilies.

Deconstructed Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Pasta **

This was just kind of "meh."  It wasn't bad by any means, but it just wasn't anything special.  I was pretty disappointed.  To me, it really wasn't reminiscent of chicken parmesan at all, but that is probably because there wasn't flavoring from any breading.  I don't see myself making it again.

DECONSTRUCTED SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PARMESAN PASTA

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ FoodySchmoody)

1 onion, sweet, sliced

3 garlic cloves, smashed

3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 tbsp basil, dried

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 (24-oz) jars pasta sauce

16 oz rigatoni pasta

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup parsley, freshly chopped

Place onion and smashed garlic in slow cooker.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on top of onions. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle dried basil on to the sauce. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

When slow cooker time is up, remove chicken, shred and place back into sauce. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and stir into slow cooker.

Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the top of pasta and replace cover just until cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

Garnish with parsley just before serving.

Crock Pot Salsa Ranch Chicken Pasta ***

This was super yummy.  I found the cilantro lime dressing, but the 11-year-old is pretty adamantly opposed to cilantro (truthfully, I have to agree with him - yuck!).  Instead, I just went with the basic buttermilk ranch.  We all loved it!  It reminded me of some of the other ranch and chicken crockpot meals we've tried, but I really liked the addition of the salsa in this one.  The sour cream and salad dressing obviously soften the spice of the salsa, so I'm thinking that next time I might go with a hotter version (I typically stick with mild when it comes to salsa).  This took me all of 10 minutes to throw together on my lunch break, but the final result tasted like I spent some real time on it.  We'll definitely be having this one again soon!

CROCK POT SALSA RANCH CHICKEN PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheCountryCook)

5-6 frozen chicken breasts
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup salsa
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
1 (1 lb.) box rotini pasta, prepared

Place frozen chicken breasts into the bottom of a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, salsa and minced garlic.
Pour this mixture over frozen chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
About 30 minutes or so before this is finished cooking, begin preparing the rotini pasta according to package directions.
Once chicken is cooked, remove chicken breasts and shred them or cut into chunks.
Whisk sour cream and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing into cream of chicken/salsa mixture in the slow cooker. Add chicken back into the slow cooker and stir in prepared rotini pasta.
Stir well. Then serve with a yummy, green salad!

One-Pot Cajun Pasta ****

I'm sorry I've been gone a bit.  I'm still cooking, but I just started a new job last month, after working from home for the past 4 months.  It's been quite an adjustment, so I've been sticking mostly to old tried and true favorites.  Now that I've (hopefully!) found my new rhythm, I plan on getting back in to trying new recipes again!

This was just absolutely amazing.  The kids and hubs raved.  Both kids begged to take leftovers to school.  And the 10-year-old said that when he sat back down at the table after reheating his in the microwave, his friends were all telling him how it smelled like his mom must be a really good cook.  Proud mama moment. :-)  But seriously, this recipe is so amazingly easy that it would be really hard to mess it up.

I took a few little shortcuts, just because I have so little time after work now (my commute home with my new job is longer than it used to be).  For the onion and peppers, I just used a bag of frozen fajita blend peppers and onions.  I meant to set it out to let it thaw ahead of time, but since I forgot, I just threw them in with the chicken at the beginning.  The only difference was that I had to pour out a bit more liquid after everything had cooked down.  No biggie.  Then I used the pre-sliced mushrooms from the produce section.  Ideally, I would have thought to dice the chicken and sausage ahead of time, but alas, that did not happen.

We will most definitely be having this again.  They were all asking me to make it again the very next night, lol.  I'd really like to try it with some crawfish tails.  I can see them being amazing in something like this!

ONE-POT CAJUN PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ BuzzFeedTasty)

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts, diced
8 oz Andouille or smoked sausage, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
16 oz box of the pasta of your choice (we used linguine)
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Parmesan
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

1. Pour olive oil into the pot. Add diced chicken breast to the pot, cover with Cajun seasoning (You can use a store-bought Cajun spice mix or make your own! We used equal parts cayenne pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.), and stir until the chicken is evenly seasoned. Then, add sliced sausage and stir. Cook the meat on medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
2. Once the meat is cooked, add in the garlic, onion, peppers, and mushrooms, and stir. Continue stirring for 3-5 minutes as the veggies cook down.
3. Add the dry pasta to the pot (if using long, thin noodles, break in half), then pour in the chicken broth. Stir until everything is well-mixed. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, keep covered bring the heat down to a simmer for 10 minutes (stirring every two minutes). If there still extra chicken broth, you can discard it, cook longer until the liquid evaporates, or add a little cornstarch to thicken the liquid.
4. Lastly, add heavy cream and Parmesan and stir until your pasta is well blended. Garnish with green onions, more Parmesan, a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning (if you want some extra spice), and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I used a bag of frozen fajita blend peppers and onions and put them in with the chicken at the beginning.

Easy Chicken Enchilada Tortellini Bake **

We were a house divided on this one.  Hubby and one of the kids loved it.  The other kid and I thought it was just so-so.  Honestly, to me, the enchilada taste is just overpowering.  Combining it with the Rotel makes the sauce way too runny.  If I made it again (which I won't), I would probably use a drained can of stewed tomatoes and a can of green chilies.  To give it a bit more bulk.  I'd also mix a little cheese into it before adding it to the tortellini.  I did add a drained can of corn and a drained can of black olives, just to give it some taste other than the enchilada sauce, and I think that's all that saved it for us.  Oh!  It actually might be better if you just used one can of the enchilada sauce and added a carton of sour cream.  That could be pretty good.  Might have to try that one now!

EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADA TORTELLINI BAKE

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ ThisGalCooks)

2-1/2 cups of cooked chicken breast. I've included instructions below for slow cooking but you could use a rotisserie chicken, too.

2 (9oz) packages of refrigerated tortellini. I used Butoni Roasted Garlic and Cheese.

1 (14.5oz) can of spicy red pepper diced tomatoes

1 (15oz) can of all natural enchilada sauce. I used this brand.

1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican Cheese (you can also used shredded cheddar)

1. To Slow Cook the Chicken: If slow cooking the chicken, spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Place two split chicken breasts (with the bones and skin - keeps it tender) in the slow cooker and sprinkle with salt, pepper and ground chipotle pepper, if desired. Place ½ C chicken broth in the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove from the bones, remove the skin and shred.

For using Rotisserie Chicken: Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken. Pull the chicken breasts from the bones and shred with a fork.

2. Preheat oven to 400.

3. Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Once done cooking, drain and return to the pot.

4. Prepare the sauce. Place the enchilada sauce and the diced tomatoes into a blender and blend. You can also place these two items into a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender.

5. Prepare the tortellini bake. Add the chicken to the pot with the tortellini. Mix well. Then add desired amount of sauce to the pot. I used about 3/4 of the sauce. The remaining sauce can be stored in an air tight container in a refrigerator for up to a week. Mix everything well and then pour into a 1.5 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the shredded Mexican cheese.

6. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. After baking, if desired, turn on the broiler to high and broil for about 5 minutes to brown the cheese.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken (Crockpot) ***

We just love this one.  It's been several years since I've made it, though.  I have no idea why, since it's so darn easy, and the kids just love it.  My stores never carry jars of the mushroom gravy, so I just use two packets of the dry mushroom gravy mix and then put it and the required two cups of water directly into the crockpot. After the chicken is done cooking, I shred it and put it back in the gravy.  I then cook a bag of egg noodles and add them directly to the crockpot.  I also like to sprinkle a little shredded cheddar on each serving.  Really good comfort food.  The chicken totally takes on the flavor of the gravy, so there's lots of flavor in each bite.  The chicken stays amazingly tender and didn't even dry up the time that I put it in frozen and cooked it for 8 hours.  This would be a perfect weekend lunch for us.  It's great as a supper, but it's just so convenient for everyone to be able to grab a quick bowl when they're ready to eat.  Simple!

CREAMY MUSHROOM CHICKEN
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ from "Fix It and Forget It")

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
12 oz jar mushroom gravy
1 c milk
8 oz pkg cream cheese, cubed
4-1/2 oz can chopped green chilies
1 pkg dry Italian salad dressing

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours.
Serve over noodles or rice.
* Amy's notes: I mix two packets of dry gravy mix and two cups of water along with the other ingredients, except for the chicken, into the crockpot.  I stir until mixed well, and then add the chicken.  I've also subbed frozen b/s chicken breasts and then upped the time to 8 hours.  I like to shred the chicken after it's cooked and add cooked egg noodles to the crock.  I then sprinkle a little shredded cheddar on each serving.

Slow Cooker Bacon Ranch Chicken and Pasta ***

This was the second time I made this one, and I made so many changes that it's just easier for me to post the recipe as I did it.  The original recipe is in the link under the title, though.  I definitely did not come up with this amazing dish, so I want to give credit where credit is due. :-)

We loved it even more the second time.  It's just so simple to throw together.  It makes a ton, so you can easily halve the recipe for a smaller crock.  I always make extras so that we have enough for lunches or a weekend meal.  The addition of mushrooms this time around was just an afterthought to use up some that I had on hand, but I will never make it without them again!  Canned mushrooms wouldn't be the same, though, so if you don't have fresh on hand, I'd probably just leave them out.  I'm definitely making this again soon!

SLOW COOKER BACON RANCH CHICKEN AND PASTA
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ original recipe by FamilyFreshMeals)

4-5 chicken breasts, frozen
1 packet real bacon pieces
1 carton sliced fresh mushrooms
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (1 oz) packets dry ranch dressing mix
2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup water
16 oz. angel hair spaghetti, cooked

Spray 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray; place chicken breasts in cooker.
Combine remaining ingredients (except pasta) on top of chicken and stir well.
Cook on low 6-7 hours (until chicken is fully cooked).  Shred chicken and combine well; stir in cooked pasta and serve warm.


Previous posts:
4/15/15 ~ This wowed all of us.  It's unbelievably quick to throw together, but it tastes like you spent longer.  I doubled the recipe so that we'd have enough leftovers for lunches, but it was a little too much.  I think next time I'll multiply it by 1.5 instead.  I used the real bacon pieces in place of strips of bacon, since that's what I had on hand.  I also went with angelhair pasta in place of spaghetti, because that's just our preference.  It seemed senseless to me to dirty an extra dish, so when I threw it all together, I put the chicken in the bottom of the crock and mixed the other ingredients right on top of it.  Worked out perfectly.  I'll definitely be making this one again.

Crockpot Pizza Tortellini ***

This was really good.  I have an old BBC recipe for Crockpot Pizza that we love, but as I was shopping for the ingredients, I decided to remake it into a tortellini dish.  The kids and I love tortellini, so when coupled with pizza, it was just bound to be a slam dunk.  I originally made it with more water and more tortellini, but I've lowered the amounts in the final recipe.  I used the frozen chopped peppers and onions.  You can obviously sub in ground beef.  Ground turkey is just our preference.  I definitely want to make this again!

CROCKPOT PIZZA TORTELLINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

12-oz dried spinach and cheese tortellini, uncooked
1-1/2 lbs ground turkey, browned and drained
8-oz can sliced mushrooms
8-oz can sliced black olives
1 packet sliced pepperoni
3 (14-oz) jars pizza sauce
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green pepper
14.5-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cups water (enough to cover the mixture)
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix all ingredients together in crockpot.
Cook on low 7 hours.
Top each serving with a sprinkle of mozzarella.
Serves 6-8

Crockpot Angel Chicken Rotini****

Holy.freaking.cow.  This is dangerously delicious.  I based it off of our old favorite Angel Chicken recipe, but I made a few changes.  Screw the old recipe.  This new one is our go-to from now on.  The rotini soaks up the sauce beautifully, while still maintaining it's firmness.  My kids rarely ask for leftovers, but they are already asking if they can have the rest for lunch tomorrow!

CROCKPOT ANGEL CHICKEN ROTINI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

4 large uncooked chicken breasts (rotisserie chicken also works well)
1/2 cup butter
8 oz garden vegetable flavored cream cheese (chives and onions is also good)
2 (1-oz) packages dried Italian salad dressing mix
2 (10.75-oz) cans Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup
1 (14.5-oz) can chicken broth
1 container sliced fresh mushrooms
1-1/2 lbs rotini pasta (cook according to box directions)

Place the chicken in crock pot. Cube cream cheese and butter over chicken.  Pour in soup and broth, and then stir in the salad dressing and mushrooms.
Cook on low 5-6 hours.
While pasta cooks, shred chicken in crockpot.
Before serving, stir in cooked rotini pasta.

Crockpot Cajun Chicken Spaghetti ***

We loved this!  I based it off of a recipe on Tablespoon, but I made so many changes that would affect the end result (good or bad) that it felt wrong using their recipe here.  So anyway, this was great.  I will most definitely make it again.  Even the kids were begging for seconds.

CROCKPOT CAJUN CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ inspired by Tablespoon)

3-4 uncooked large chicken breasts, diced
1 lb turkey Polish sausage
30 oz reduced-fat Alfredo sauce
1 package frozen fajita blend green peppers, red peppers, and onions
28 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 lb dried angelhair pasta

Combine all ingredients except pasta in crockpot.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Follow directions on package for cooking pasta.  Drain and add to crockpot.
Stir until all noodles are covered.

One Pot BBQ Chicken Pasta ***

We all liked this a lot.  It wasn't really anything special, but it was still a nice change from the norm.  I'll definitely make it again.  I didn't make many changes, other than using two breasts instead of one (to make it go a little further - lunch leftovers for hubby), subbing petite diced tomatoes for the regular diced tomatoes (personal preference), and subbing the real bacon bits/pieces for the bacon slices (that's what I had on hand).  I just realized I left out the garlic, but I doubt it really made any difference in the long run.

ONE POT BBQ CHICKEN PASTA

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ DamnDelicious)

4 slices bacon, diced

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-­inch chunks

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

2 cups chicken broth

1 (14.5­ ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste

3 cups rotini pasta

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup barbecue sauce, or more, to taste

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-­8 minutes; drain excess fat, reserving 1 tablespoon. Stir in chicken and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes.

Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes.
Stir in barbecue sauce and cheese until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Ravioli Casserole with Spinach and Mozzarella ***

I just adore spinach.  I really and truly do.  I also like ravioli (although it falls second to tortellini - yum!). This was my third time to make this recipe, and we still loved it.  Once again, I really didn't make many changes.  I doubled the recipe, put it in a 9x13 (I like to have leftovers for dh's lunches) and added a TON more spinach.  Other than that, I pretty much stuck to the plan.  Although, I did use some shrimp scampi ravioli that I came across at the store today.  So good!  Definitely better than plain old cheese.  Last time I made it, I added in a handful of chopped grilled chicken, since hubby doesn't think it's a meal if it doesn't have meat.  That went really well too.  I didn't preboil my ravioli, and they were still perfect.  Everyone loved it once again, so I need to remember to make it more often!

RAVIOLI CASSEROLE WITH SPINACH AND MOZZARELLA
(Amy - amylz)

1 pkg. fresh cheese-filled ravioli
1 jar pasta sauce
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups baby spinach

Cook the ravioli in a generous amount of lightly salted water for 3 minutes, or until firm/tender. Scoop out the ravioli with a slotted spoon into a large bowl of ice-cold water. When chilled, drain the ravioli well. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spoon 1/4 of the pasta sauce into the bottom of 8-inch square baking dish. Layer 1/3 of the ravioli on top of the sauce. Top the ravioli with 1/2 the spinach leaves. Top the spinach with 1/3 of the cheese. Top the cheese with 1/4 more of the sauce, 1/3 more of the ravioli, the rest of the spinach and 1/3 more of the cheese. Top the cheese with 1/4 more of the sauce and the remaining ravioli. Top the ravioli with the remaining sauce and cheese. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Makes: 4 servings
* Amy's (luckymommyto2boys) notes: I double the recipe, put it in a 9x13, and cook for 30 minutes covered and 20 uncovered.  I don't preboil the refrigerated ravioli, and I sometimes add a handful of chopped grilled chicken.

Previous reviews:
11/15/10 ~ I saw this on Amy's blog and knew I had to make it ASAP.  I had two packages of refrigerated ravioli that were just waiting to go bad, and I am an absolute spinach fiend.  It was the perfect solution.  :)  It got raves all around.  Even dh gushed, and he's totally not a gusher.  I have strict instructions to make this one again soon, so I guess that tells how much my family likes it, huh?  ;)

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken ***

This is one of the recipes that I made back in 2007, before I even started my blog.  I had down that it was a recipe we liked, but I never rated it or reviewed it in my notes or anything.  I have several like that in my files, so I'm trying to work through them here and there.  We loved this one, though.  I made it with the tricolor rotini, and I used frozen chicken.  I started it a little late, so I had to cook on high for a bit at the first.  I'll do the frozen again, but next time, I'll do hours on low and then add the cream cheese and do another hour.  My crockpot runs pretty warm, so that's all the time it takes to cook from frozen.  I didn't bother mixing the cream cheese or anything.  I just added it the last hour, along with the mushrooms and soup.  At that point, I also shredded the chicken.  Then I stirred everything up and left it for the rest of the time.  When it was done, I stirred in the cooked noodles.  Perfect!  It does need a little pepper, but other than that, it's absolutely wonderful!

CROCKPOT CREAMY ITALIAN CHICKEN
(Grace ~ TigMode)

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 cup water
1 package (8oz) light cream cheese, softened
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
hot cooked rice or noodles (I really like this served over spinach fettuccini or tri color rotini pasta)

Place chicken in slowcooker. Combine salad dressing mix and water; pour over chicken. cover and cook on low for 3 hours. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soup until blended. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Cook 1 hour longer or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice or noodles.
*luckymommy/Amy's notes: I used frozen chicken and cooked a total of 5 hours.  During the last hour, I shredded the chicken and added the cream cheese, soup, and mushrooms directly to the crockpot and stirred well to combine.

One Pot Wonder Southwest Pasta ****

I loved this one!  It was a hit for all of us.  The chicken and pasta are both perfectly cooked, which kind of surprised me.  This was from the same website as the One Pot Wonder Chicken Lo Mein, so I shouldn't have been surprised.  We really enjoyed that one too.  I normally am not a huge fan of black beans, but you can't really taste them in here, since you rinse them before cooking.  I cooked mine for 15 minutes and then let it sit for 5.  I used a frozen three pepper and onion blend (I love those things!), so this took very little prep for me.  Will definitely be making this again.

ONE POT WONDER SOUTHWEST PASTA

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheWholesomeDish)

1 (13.5 oz) box of whole wheat rotini (or any pasta you like)
2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 medium green bell pepper cut into thin strips

1/2 medium red onion, sliced

1 (15 oz) can Rotel canned tomatoes and chilies (I used the Mexican blend with lime and cilantro)

1/4 cup taco seasoning (I used one packet)

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups fat-free chicken (or vegetable) broth

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup Mexican cheese blend, plus more for topping (Optional)

Add all but the last 2 ingredients (beans and cheese) to a large pot. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. There should be 1/4 to 1/2 inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot when it is done.

Remove from heat. Stir in the black beans and cheese (optional). Cover and let it rest for about 3 to 5 minutes to warm the beans, melt the cheese, and absorb the excess liquid.
luckymommy/Amy's notes: I added 2 uncooked boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces to the first step.

One Pot Wonder Chicken Lo Mein ***

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of lo mein.  It just always tastes to oily to me, for some reason.  I saw the picture of this one on Pinterest, though, and I knew I had to try it.  So glad I did!  It was delicious.  I used two large boneless/skinless chicken breasts, just to make it stretch a bit further.  I also used linguine, since that's what the OP used with hers.  Definitely my favorite for this dish as well.  I think the fettuccine would have been a bit too big for this.  It would have taken away from the other flavors, in my opinion.  The red pepper flakes add just a bit of heat, but it was just right for my kids.  Over all, this was an absolute winner for us.  I served it with the Slow Cooker Baked Sliced Apples, so that we'd have a little of sweet to offset the heat. ;-)

ONE POT WONDER CHICKEN LO MEIN

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ TheWholesomeDish)

1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small chunks

12 oz. whole wheat linguine or fettuccine, broken in half

4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in thin 3 inch long strips

1 medium red bell pepper, cut in thin 3 inch long strips

1 bunch green onions, white part sliced and green part cut in 3 inch long strips

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Add the chicken, then the pasta, then the remaining ingredients to a large stockpot and cover. Bring to a boil. Stir and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until most of the liquid is gone and the chicken is cooked through.

Manwich Cheesy Chicken Pasta ***

I was really surprised by how tasty this was.  I'm not a fan of sloppy joes in general, but this was pretty good.  The cheese and chicken help to soften the sweetness of the sloppy joe mix, which helps a lot.  I had shredded chicken in the freezer, so I just pulled that out to use.  Between that and not having to precook the noodles, this recipe is beyond easy.  I had it on the table in less than 30 minutes.  Woo hoo!  I'm definitely putting this one in the "keeper" file!

MANWICH CHEESY CHICKEN PASTA

(Yellow Bliss Road via Pinterest)

2 cups shredded or diced chicken

2 Tbsp minced onion

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 can Manwich Bold  + 1 can water

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 pound of small dry pasta (I used penne)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat a small amount of oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic and saute for one minute, then add cooked chicken* and saute for a couple of minutes.

(*Tip: I happened to have cooked, shredded chicken on hand so I used that, but I think I would start with raw chicken next time and cook the diced chicken and in the pot).

2. Add chicken broth, Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce, water and pasta to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about 25-25 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar until well incorporated, reserving a handful to sprinkle on the top. Cover for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt, and stir.

4. Serve