This 5-ingredient slow cooker chicken enchilada pasta is my kind of weeknight cooking: everything goes straight into the pot—yes, the campanelle goes in dry—and a few hours later you’ve got a deeply flavored, cheesy, Tex-Mex–style dinner. It borrows the saucy, smoky spirit of chicken enchiladas, a dish that grew out of Mexican corn tortilla traditions and became a comfort-food staple across the Midwest, but reimagines it with pasta instead of tortillas. The slow cooker does the work, infusing the chicken and pasta with enchilada sauce while the campanelle’s trumpet-shaped curls catch every bit of sauce and cheese.
Serve this creamy chicken enchilada pasta straight from the slow cooker with a simple green salad dressed in lime vinaigrette and a side of warm tortilla chips for crunch. A squeeze of fresh lime and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro or green onion brighten the rich, cheesy sauce. If you enjoy heat, offer hot sauce or sliced jalapeños at the table. A cold Mexican lager, a light pilsner, or sparkling water with lime pairs nicely with the smoky, savory flavors.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada CampanelleServings: 6
Ingredients12 ounces dry campanelle pasta
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 medium)
2 cups red enchilada sauce (store-bought or homemade)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (about 8 ounces)
DirectionsScatter the dry campanelle pasta evenly over the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, making sure it’s in an even layer so it cooks uniformly. This step is key: the pasta goes in dry and will absorb the flavorful liquid as it cooks.
Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer directly on top of the dry pasta. If the pieces are very thick, you can lightly pound them to an even thickness so they cook more evenly, but keep them whole for maximum juiciness.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the red enchilada sauce and chicken broth until fully combined. This mixture will act as both the cooking liquid for the pasta and the braising sauce for the chicken, giving you a deeply flavored base with just two pantry ingredients.
Pour the enchilada sauce and broth mixture evenly over the chicken and pasta, gently nudging the pasta with a spoon to ensure most of it is submerged in liquid. It’s fine if a few pieces poke above the surface; they’ll soften as the mixture simmers and steams.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. The chicken should be cooked through (165°F in the thickest part) and the campanelle should be tender but still slightly firm to the bite. Slow cookers vary, so start checking for doneness on the early side of the time range.
Once the chicken is cooked, transfer the breasts to a cutting board and quickly give the pasta a stir in the sauce. The sauce will look loose at this point, which is exactly what you want; the pasta will continue to drink it in as you finish the dish.
Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces using two forks, then return the shredded chicken and any juices from the board back into the slow cooker. Gently fold the chicken into the pasta and sauce so everything is evenly distributed.
Sprinkle the shredded Mexican blend cheese evenly over the top of the hot pasta and chicken. Cover the slow cooker again and let it sit on WARM or LOW for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce has thickened and clings to the campanelle.
Give the pasta one final gentle stir to marble the melted cheese through the saucy campanelle. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (the enchilada sauce and cheese usually provide plenty of salt). Serve hot straight from the slow cooker, making sure each serving gets plenty of chicken, pasta, and cheesy sauce.
Variations & TipsTo keep this a true 5-ingredient recipe, I’ve folded the flavor into the enchilada sauce and cheese, but you can easily customize it. For extra smokiness, choose a chipotle or fire-roasted enchilada sauce. If you prefer a creamier, milder dish, swap 1/2 cup of the chicken broth for heavy cream or half-and-half (add it when you add the cheese so it doesn’t curdle). Dark-meat fans can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs; they stay especially tender in the slow cooker and are forgiving if your cooker runs hot. For a spicier version, use a hot enchilada sauce or stir in a spoonful of canned diced green chiles or jalapeños along with the shredded chicken. If you need to stretch the meal, you can increase the campanelle to 16 ounces and bump the broth to 3 cups, watching the timing so the pasta doesn’t overcook. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce. While the recipe is designed around campanelle—its ruffled edges catch the sauce beautifully—you can substitute another short, sturdy shape like rotini or cavatappi if that’s what you have on hand, keeping the same dry-pasta-in-the-pot method.
