Description
This slow cooker Tuscan chicken miracle will have your family thinking you spent hours in the kitchen when all you did was toss everything in and walk away. Dinner win!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and prepare all other ingredients.
- Optional: Sear chicken in olive oil for 1-2 minutes per side until golden but not cooked through. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Add onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and 3 cups of chicken broth to the slow cooker with the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 1.5-2 hours until chicken is nearly cooked.
- Stir in uncooked orzo pasta and remaining 1 cup of chicken broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20-30 minutes until orzo is al dente.
- Reduce heat to LOW. Add cream cheese cubes and stir until melting. Add heavy cream and stir until sauce is smooth.
- Fold in chopped spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.