This little slow cooker campanelle dish is what I reach for on a soft May evening when the porch swing is calling louder than the stove. It’s a true dump-and-go supper: four pantry ingredients, no browning, no fuss, and the slow cooker does all the work while you sit outside and listen to the birds settle in for the night. The ruffled edges of the dry campanelle catch a glossy, velvety sauce that reminds me of the creamy church-basement casseroles I grew up with in the Midwest, just simplified for busy spring days when you still want something warm and comforting in your bowl.
Spoon this rich, saucy campanelle into warm bowls and pair it with a simple green salad dressed in vinegar and a little sugar, the way our mothers did, to cut through the creamy sauce. A side of buttered peas or steamed green beans fits right in with its Midwestern roots. Warm dinner rolls, garlic toast, or even a thick slice of buttered white bread are perfect for mopping up the umami-rich amber sauce that pools at the bottom of the slow cooker. A glass of iced tea or lemonade sipped on the porch finishes the picture.
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker CampanelleServings: 4
Ingredients
12 oz dry campanelle pasta
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (loosely packed)
8 oz cream cheese, cut into large cubes
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a bit of oil or nonstick spray so the pasta and cheese don’t stick too much.
Pour the dry campanelle pasta into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it into an even layer so it cooks as uniformly as possible.
Scatter the shredded rotisserie chicken evenly over the dry pasta. If using refrigerated chicken, break up any large clumps so it heats through evenly.
Slowly pour the chicken broth over the pasta and chicken, pressing down gently with a spoon to make sure most of the pasta is submerged. It’s fine if a few ruffled edges poke up; they’ll soften as they cook.
Dot the top with the cream cheese cubes, spacing them out across the surface so they can melt and run down between the pasta and chicken as the mixture heats. Do not stir at this point.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, or on LOW for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the pasta is just tender when you bite into a piece. Avoid lifting the lid more than once or twice, as that lengthens cooking time.
About 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove the lid and gently stir from the bottom, folding the melted cream cheese into the pasta and chicken. The mixture will look loose at first but will thicken into a glossy, velvety sauce as you stir and it sits.
If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a splash or two of hot water or additional warm broth until it reaches a silky, spoon-coating consistency with a little amber-colored sauce pooling at the bottom. If it seems too thin, cover and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes on HIGH, stirring once, until it thickens.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired by adding a small pinch of salt or pepper at the table, keeping in mind that the broth and rotisserie chicken may already be well seasoned.
Serve the campanelle straight from the slow cooker while it’s hot, with the ruffled pasta coated in the glossy sauce and tender morsels of chicken nestled throughout. Keep the slow cooker on WARM for up to an hour for second helpings, stirring occasionally to maintain that velvety texture.
Variations & Tips
To keep the spirit of a simple four-ingredient, dump-and-go supper, any changes should be small and easy. You can swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth if that’s what you have on hand; the color will still be a pretty, light amber and the flavor nicely savory. For a richer, more indulgent sauce, replace 1/2 to 1 cup of the broth with half-and-half or whole milk, but be sure to keep the slow cooker on LOW if you do this to prevent curdling. If you prefer beef, use shredded pot roast and beef broth instead of chicken and chicken broth, which will deepen the color and give the sauce a more robust, gravy-like flavor. For a gentle tang that reminds me of old-fashioned cream sauces, you can use Neufchâtel cheese in place of cream cheese; it melts similarly but is a bit lighter. If you like a touch of extra umami without adding more ingredients upfront, finish each bowl at the table with a light sprinkle of grated Parmesan or a few drops of Worcestershire sauce.
Food safety tips: Use fully cooked rotisserie chicken and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the dish. Do not leave cooked chicken or the finished campanelle sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s a very warm day). If you assemble the ingredients ahead of time and refrigerate the crock insert, add 15 to 30 minutes to the cooking time and start on LOW so the ceramic doesn’t crack from sudden temperature change. Leftovers should be cooled quickly, stored in shallow containers, and refrigerated within 2 hours; enjoy them within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot before serving. Always ensure the slow cooker reaches a safe temperature; if your unit runs cool, favor the HIGH setting and check that the dish is piping hot and the pasta fully tender before serving.
