Crockpot Chipotle Chicken Pasta
This one has a kick to it! Which means we loved it! Adjust to your liking :) Also, again, the large amount is for a family of 6 meal prep!
Ingredients:
2lbs thin-sliced chicken breast
4 Tbsp Adobo sauce
3 chipotle peppers, minced (I used peppers in a can in Adobo sauce to build on that smoky flavor. Adjust the spiciness to your liking. The peppers pair nicely with the Adobo sauce.)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 ¼ cups water
1 1/2lbs penne pasta, or pasta of your choice
About 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water
Blended Cheese Sauce:
2 ½ cups low-fat cottage
½ cup of 1/3-fat cream cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 ½ Tbsp honey
1 ¼ cups fat-free Fairlife, or milk of choice
salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped chives, for garnish
Instructions:
Add the chicken breast to the slow cooker with the adobo sauce, minced chipotle peppers, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon, and water. Stir well to ensure the chicken is evenly coated with the seasonings and sauce. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender enough to shred easily.
While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta halfway according to the box instructions.
Once the chicken is done, use two forks to shred it directly in the slow cooker.
In a blender, combine the low-fat cottage cheese, 1/3-fat cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, honey, Fairlife, salt, and pepper to create the blended cheese sauce.
In the slow cooker, add the half-cooked pasta along with about 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water to help the sauce reach a smooth consistency.
Pour in the blended cheese sauce, and stir thoroughly to ensure that the pasta and chicken are well-coated.
Cover the slow cooker again and cook on low for an additional 20-30 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and the pasta to finish cooking until perfectly tender. During this time, the pasta will absorb the flavors of the sauce.
Once done, give it a final stir to ensure everything is mixed evenly. Serve and garnish each portion with freshly chopped chives for a pop of color and added flavor.
