How to make chicken carbonara in a slow cooker

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Classic chicken carbonara is one of those heartwarming dishes that brings you right back to your childhood. While there are some variations to be had on this popular dinner staple, one thing is for sure — bacon (or pancetta) absolutely must be present! Now for us, if a recipe lives or dies by the addition of our favorite strip of crispy-salty-pork, then it's sure to be a winner in our book! This dreamy recipe for slow cooker chicken carbonara takes a few diversions from its classic parent recipe; however the outcome is, dare we say it, more delicious that you could have ever dreamed possible!
Packed with flavor, this incredible recipe is loaded with brilliant Italian spices including parsley, thyme, basil, and oregano with a dash of salt and pepper. Onion and garlic give a familiar depth to the dish while crumbly bacon, sweet green peas and the surprising (yet mouthwatering) addition of cream cheese and cream of chicken soup makes for a recipe perfectly suited to clearing out the family pantry in style!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Carbonara
6
15 minutes
5 hours
5 hours + 15 minutes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium white onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup (112ml) chicken stock
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
8oz (225g) cream cheese
10.75oz can cream of chicken soup
8oz (226g) bacon or pancetta
8oz (225g) pack of spaghetti
4oz (113g) frozen peas
½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Lightly grease the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker and place the chicken breasts into the base. Place the sliced onions and crushed garlic over the top and season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock and the parsley, oregano, thyme, basil, and garlic powder before pouring this over the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Just before the 4 hours are complete, quickly fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat and set aside to cool. Combine the cream cheese and the cream of chicken soup in a small bowl.
Pour the cream cheese mixture over the chicken and stir until well-coated. Crumble the fried bacon over the top. Cover and cook on low for a further 1 hour.
15 minutes prior to serving, boil a pot of water and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain the spaghetti in a colander over the frozen peas.
Place the spaghetti and peas into the crock pot along with the chicken and toss to coat the noodles. Serve with a garnish of fresh parsley.
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Pro tip: Feel free to shred up your chicken breasts once they're cooked through for a more even distribution through the pasta. You can do this quickly using two forks, just prior to tossing in the noodles!
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