Given the choice do you prefer to cook at home or go out to dinner? When we were young and wild (okay just young, we were never wild) I would have said, hands-down, go out to dinner. But as time goes by and I have learned more about cooking and we have a family and our schedules are busier we start thinking about things like value of our time and value of our money. And it just seems more and more that hanging out in our kitchen at home in what we would rather do. We enjoy working together as a family to get food on the table and it's fun to come up with our own custom creations. Even on days when we have food in the slow cooker it's fun to let the kids pick some side dishes or help with putting some bread in the oven then hanging out to talk about our days.
This family friendly meal is so simple yet so delicious you will love to make it over and over again. Even the pickiest eaters should find something to love about this simple, creamy and tasty spaghetti.
I had to get creative because my three year old will have nothing to do with tomatoes which makes the idea of traditional spaghetti pretty much into a no-go. You could easily add a can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce if you wanted to but it's also amazing without.
Instead I started of by browning a little butter in the skillet along with some garlic and sage. Add that base to the crock along with chicken thighs (so much flavor!!) and broth and it can just cook all day. Once it's done add a little cream and pasta and dinner will be on the table in 30 minutes! Serve it up with crusty bread, a green salad or your family favorite side. Let the kids help!! Family dinner at it's best!
Slow Cooker Simple Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 3 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 oz spaghetti noodles
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese and parsley for serving optional
Instructions
- Heat skillet on stove over medium high heat
- Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to skillet
- Let melt until butter starts to bubble then start to whisk
- Add garlic, sage and salt and continue whisking until bubbles dissipate and butter starts to develop brown specks and takes on a nutty aroma
- Remove from heat and continue to whisk for 1-2 minutes while it cools a bit
- Add to crock along with chicken and broth
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 until chicken is fully cooked
- Remove chicken from crock and shred
- Add cream and spaghetti noodles to crock and press the noodles into the liquid until they start to soften and can be fully covered
- Return chicken and give everything a little stir
- Turn slow cooker to high and continue to cook for 30-40 minutes (stir 2-3 times) until pasta is fully cooked to your liking
- Serve with cheese and parsley as desired
Notes
Nutrition
This has to be one of the best pasta dishes I have seen in a while.. and I LOVE that it can be made easily in a crockpot. A perfect recipe in my eyes!
It's very simple but still super tasty 🙂