Herbie Creative Recipes

Slow Cooker Creamy Gouda, Italian Blend & Bacon Chicken Pasta

Name: Slow Cooker Creamy Gouda, Italian Blend & Bacon Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2-3 cups vegetable broth; 3 cups pre-cooked chicken, sliced or shredded; 2 cups frozen broccoli florets; 1 tbsp minced garlic; 4 oz cream cheese (1/2 block), cubed, or 1 full wheel (5.2 oz) Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin; 1-2 tsp crumbled cooked bacon (or more to taste); 4-6 oz sliced Gouda (6-8 slices); 1/2-1 cup Italian Style Cheese Blend (mozzarella, smoked provolone, asiago, Parmesan, Romano, fontina); 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving; 1 cup total heavy cream and/or Mexican crema (1/2 cup each recommended); 1 tsp agave or honey; 2 tbsp soy sauce, to taste; 1-3 handfuls baby spinach-arugula mix; 1/2-1 cup Salsa Madre Queso (optional); Salt and black pepper, to taste; 10-12 oz pasta (penne, rotini, or similar), cooked al dente separately

Slow cooker creamy chicken pasta with Gouda, Italian cheese blend, bacon, garlic, soy for depth, and spinach-arugula stirred in at the end.

Mains Pasta Slow Cooker American Italian 4 servings Prep 20 min Cook 4 hrs Total 4 hrs 20 min

5.0 (1 review)

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Ingredients

2-3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups pre-cooked chicken, sliced or shredded
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
1 tbsp minced garlic
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 block), cubed, or 1 full wheel (5.2 oz) Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin
1-2 tsp crumbled cooked bacon (or more to taste)
4-6 oz sliced Gouda (6-8 slices)
1/2-1 cup Italian Style Cheese Blend (mozzarella, smoked provolone, asiago, Parmesan, Romano, fontina)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1 cup total heavy cream and/or Mexican crema (1/2 cup each recommended)
1 tsp agave or honey
2 tbsp soy sauce, to taste
1-3 handfuls baby spinach-arugula mix
1/2-1 cup Salsa Madre Queso (optional)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
10-12 oz pasta (penne, rotini, or similar), cooked al dente separately

Instructions

In the slow cooker, combine vegetable broth, minced garlic, pre-cooked chicken, frozen broccoli, and crumbled bacon. Season lightly with black pepper and hold most salt for later. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 1/2-2 hours, until hot and the broccoli is tender.
Once the broth is steaming, stir in cream cheese cubes or a full wheel of Boursin. Melt on LOW for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

Prep
Stir in Gouda, Italian cheese blend, Parmesan, heavy cream and/or crema, agave, soy sauce, and optional Salsa Madre queso. Keep on LOW, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses melt and the sauce is glossy. Taste before adding salt.
Stir in 1-3 handfuls of baby spinach-arugula mix. Cover for 2-3 minutes on LOW until just wilted.

Cooking
Cook pasta al dente separately in salted water. Drain and toss the warm pasta into the sauce. Stir gently to coat, then hold on Warm until serving.
Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve hot.

Notes

Use 1 tbsp minced garlic and 2 tbsp soy sauce (6 tsp).
Boursin can replace cream cheese entirely.

Reviews

5.0

1 review

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1 star 0

Anonymous 2026-08-12

Creamy gouda and bacon. Slow cooker magic.