This 5-ingredient slow cooker loaded bacon pasta using gemelli is exactly what I make on busy game days when I want the house to smell amazing without hovering over the stove. You toss everything into the slow cooker before the basketball games start, and by halftime you’ve got bubbling, cheesy, bacon-loaded pasta ready to scoop straight onto plates. It’s inspired by classic loaded baked potato flavors but simplified into a one-pot pasta that works on a hectic workday or a casual weekend at home. Minimal prep, kid-friendly, and it looks like a cheesy pasta bake when you lift that lid.
Serve this loaded bacon gemelli straight from the slow cooker with a big green salad (bagged salad totally works) and some garlic bread or breadsticks for dunking into the extra cheese sauce. A tray of raw veggies with ranch keeps it light on the side, and if it’s game day, set the slow cooker right on the counter next to chips, salsa, and a simple veggie platter so everyone can scoop a bowl during halftime. It pairs nicely with iced tea, light beer, or sparkling water with lemon.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Loaded Bacon GemelliServings: 6
Ingredients
12 oz gemelli pasta, uncooked
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
8 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
8 oz thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (plus 1 tablespoon bacon drippings, optional)
Directions
Cook the bacon: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until very crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to cool, then crumble or chop into small pieces. If you’d like extra flavor, reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings.
Prep the slow cooker: Lightly spray the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray for easier cleanup. Pour in the chicken broth and the reserved bacon drippings, if using.
Add cheeses: Stir in the cream cheese cubes and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese (reserve the remaining 1/2 cup for topping). It’s okay if the cream cheese doesn’t fully melt at this point; it will smooth out as it cooks.
Add pasta and most of the bacon: Add the uncooked gemelli pasta and about three-quarters of the crumbled bacon to the slow cooker. Stir well so the pasta is mostly submerged and the bacon and cheeses are evenly distributed.
Slow cook until pasta is tender: Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring once around the 1-hour mark to make sure the pasta cooks evenly and doesn’t clump. The pasta is done when it’s just tender and the sauce is thick and creamy. (Slow cookers can vary, so start checking at 1 1/4 hours.)
Finish with cheese and bacon: Once the pasta is tender, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese evenly over the top, then scatter on the remaining crumbled bacon. Cover and let it cook on HIGH for another 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly around the edges, giving it that cheesy pasta bake look.
Serve: Give the pasta a gentle stir around the edges, then scoop it straight from the slow cooker with a large spoon. Serve hot while it’s extra cheesy and creamy. Switch the slow cooker to WARM to keep it ready for seconds through the rest of the game.
Variations & Tips
Make-ahead tip: You can cook and crumble the bacon the night before and cube the cream cheese so it’s ready to go in the morning. Store both in the fridge, then toss everything into the slow cooker right before the game starts. Extra-loaded version: Stir in sliced green onions or chives at the end for that loaded-baked-potato vibe, and finish with a dollop of sour cream on each serving. Veggie boost: Fold in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas, broccoli florets, or mixed vegetables during the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking so they heat through without turning mushy. Different cheeses: Swap part of the cheddar for shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or a cheddar–Jack blend for extra cheese pull. Protein swap: Use cooked, crumbled sausage or shredded rotisserie chicken instead of bacon if that’s what you have on hand (or do half bacon, half sausage for a meatier version). Texture control: If the pasta sauce gets thicker than you like as it sits on WARM, stir in a splash of warm chicken broth or milk until it loosens back up. If your slow cooker runs hot, check the pasta early to avoid overcooking and turning it too soft.
