Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarela Chicken Pasta

This new recipe for Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Chicken is a spin-off from a freezer meal I made a few months ago called Lemon Pesto Chicken. Looking back at that recipe I wish I would have done this to it from the start. Adding the pasta and parmesan in the slow cooker at the end of the cooking time THEN topping with mozzarella cheese turned that basic recipe I made a few months ago into a meal I want to make weekly now.

THE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup jarred pesto I used Mezzetta
• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1/2 lemon
• These items don't get added until the end
• 1 lb. rotini cooked and drained
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil to garnish
• Slow Cooker Size
• 6 Quart or larger

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Spread over the pesto, squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Cut the butter into slices and lay over the chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
3. Near the end of the cooking time, cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain well.
4. Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Add the cooked pasta and the parmesan cheese, stir everything until the pasta is coated with the buttery pesto sauce and the chicken is evenly dispersed throughout the pasta. Add the mozzarella cheese over the pasta. Cover for about 15 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.
5. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe and image adapted from: www.themagicalslowcooker.com

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