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Enjoy creamy and delicious Crock Pot Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Pasta at home and save a ton of money. Let the slow cooker do all the work and serve your family a delicious pasta meal.
I love one pot meals and this recipe does not disappoint. If you enjoy Olive Garden, make this Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Pasta at home for a real treat. You are going to love this recipe.
The chicken is so tender from being slow cooked and the alfredo sauce is rich and creamy. My kids actually said they liked this recipe better than the restaurant version. We love to serve these Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli Recipe as a delicious appetizer.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
If you love Olive Garden, you will love this delicious recipe. Our entire family loves this Olive Garden chicken. It’s a great recipe. The tender chicken and creamy sauce makes this the best weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- Skinless Chicken Breasts, Diced
- Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- Minced Garlic
- Black Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese
- Block of Cream Cheese
- Penne Pasta
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
Substitution ideas
- Chicken – You can use chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts or even a mix of both. The recipe will still be amazing.
- Pasta – Try using other types of pasta such as bow tie, elbow or shells. Any type of pasta works great.
- Dressing – You can use another brand of Italian dressing. I usually use the Olive Garden brand to get the same flavor but any would be delicious in this recipe.
- Use other meats – You can use shrimp and that would be amazing as well. The shrimp will only take 1-2 hours to cook through in the crock pot.
- Add Vegetables – Another idea is to add broccoli to the the crock pot 30 minutes before it is finished cooking. This is a great way to bulk up the meal and help stretch the meat.
How to Make Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken
- Step 1 – Place the chicken, salad dressing, garlic, pepper and Parmesan cheese in the crock pot.
- Step 2 – Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours on low or on high for 4 hours.
- Step 3 – For the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, dice up the cream cheese. Place the cream cheese on top of the ingredients in the crock pot. Stir it into the crock pot. Cover and allow the cheese to melt.
- Step 4 – Prepare the pasta based on the package container in a separate pan to al dente.
- Step 5 – After cooking the pasta, stir the pasta into the crock pot right before serving and enjoy
Recipe Tips
- Shred Chicken – If you prefer you can shred the chicken for this recipe instead of dicing it. Shred the chicken with two forks or learn how to shred with a mixer.
- Pasta – Cook pasta separately in a large pot. Then mix with the alfredo mixture. This is a great recipe to prepare the pasta ahead of time.
- Cream Cheese – The cream cheese melts easier if the cream cheese is diced before adding into the chicken mixture.
Serving Suggestions
Here are my favorite things this serve with this creamy Olive Garden chicken Alfredo recipe.
How to Make in the Instant Pot
This recipe can be made in an instant pot as well with these easy steps.
- Place the chicken, Olive Garden Italian dressing, garlic, pepper and shredded Parmesan Cheese in the Instant pot.
- Seal the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Do a quick release to release the pressure from the Instant Pot after the cook time.
- Then switch the instant pot to the sauté setting. Stir in the diced up cream cheese. Heat for 3-5 minuets over medium heat until the cheese is fully melted.
- Next turn off the instant pot. Cook the pasta separately according to package directions. Then stir it into the instant pot.
Serve immediately while warm and then enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
I diced the chicken for this recipe as it’s cooks quicker and combines well with the sauce and pasta. You can use whole chicken breasts instead of diced for this recipe.
If you use whole chicken breasts, cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Shred the chicken and then stir in the cream cheese and pasta.
I love the cream cheese in this recipe but you do not have to use it. You can use 1 cup of heavy cream or half and half instead to make the sauce creamy in this recipe.
The sauce will be thinner if you use heavy cream instead of the cream cheese in this recipe.
The sauce in this slow cooker olive garden chicken pasta does have a creamy Alfredo taste. However, the combination of the Italian dressing, cream cheese and parmesan cheese give this sauce a zesty Italian dressing flavor as well.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop depending on how much you have leftover.
More Olive Garden Recipes
- Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
- Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe
- Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Recipe
- Crock Pot Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Pasta
We love to hear from you. If you make this Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo Recipe, please leave us a comment.
Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Diced
- 16 oz. Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese
- 16 oz. Penne Pasta
Instructions
- Place the chicken, dressing, garlic, pepper and parmesan cheese in the crock pot.
- Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
- For the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, dice up the cream cheese and stir it into the crock pot. Cover and allow the cheese to melt.
- Prepare the pasta based on the package container in a separate pan.
- Stir the pasta into the crock pot right before serving and enjoy!
I have made this so many times in the last few months. My wife and I never get tired of it. My only tip to this recipe is that I put the cream cheese in at the beginning and let it cook for the 6 hours. I also add fresh mushrooms, garlic, and onion. In the last 30 minutes I add fresh baby spinach. All that really compliments and accentuates this awesome recipe.
Yes, you can use a different Italian dressing or use half of the amount needed to reduce the saltiness of it.
This had a good taste but it was salty we couldn’t eat and had to throw it out. Can we use a different Italian dressing that contains less salt?
Made this for dinner tonight. It was good. It seemed a bit salty, but I did use half the amount of cream cheese, half the amount of salad dressing, as I also used chicken tenders so didn’t feel I had as much chicken as recipe calls for…
I would make it again..crackpot recipes are so easy to make for dinner!
Easy and delicious! Family loved it! Only thing I did differently was use fettuccine noodles.
I absolutely loved this dish. It was so easy. I cooked stir fried cabbage with this. It was a winner!
100/10 I would make this again! I uses a 24 oz bottle because that’s all my store had but it’s so flavorful I did add mushroom, onion, and a dash of onion powder!
Yes that works.
I want to make this but I’m going to use a rotisserie chicken, how would you recommend I cook it?
The chicken breast I’m using are very thick. Should I use three instead of four?
Very good and easy to make. The Italian dressing flavor was a bit overpowering so it didn’t feel very Alfredo-y. Next time I will use about 1/2 the dressing.
I do think that searing the chicken before adding it to the crock pot would add flavor to the chicken in this recipe, but I made it without doing that and it was still delicious!
Do you think pan seared chicken breasts would elevate this dish or just leave alone
Yes, I would add 2-3 cups of chicken broth, then cook on high pressure for 23-25 minutes with a quick release. Then stir in the cream cheese, melt on the sauté setting. Then add in uncooked pasta, seal and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes with a quick release.
Can you make this on the instapot? If so what are the times?
Just made this recently and it was a hit with my family! So good and easy!
Yes, you definitely can do that.
I have doubled this recipe and yes all is still as good!!!! I use my 6.5qt and she’s full!!!! (After the pasta or course)
I have several recipes that allow the pasta to be cooked in the Crock-Pot, not separately…. Does anyone think that would work with this dish as well???
Can you use frozen chicken breast and shred them instead of cubes?
This was the very first recipe I made. It was delicious and easy to make. The only reason I gave a 4 instead of 5 is bc I felt is was a little too tangy for me. So when I make this again, I’ll use just a little less of the dressing.
So simple to make and quite flavorful! Plus super convenient since I always have OG dressing on hand for salads anyway.
hands down one of the best alfredo’s ii have made, my mother hates alfredo but she loves this!!
Hands down my familie’s favorite!
Yummy!
I haven’t doubled it yet. I think you would just need to make sure that your crock pot is big enough to hold all the ingredients and if so, you should be fine to double the recipe.
Has anyone doubled this? If so how was it? Would like to make this for 10 or so? ?
Yes, that will work great in this recipe.
Can you use the parmesan cheese that comes in the container?
I had to cut the recipe in half as it’s just my husband and I, but it was delicious! We both loved it. And I will make it again.
Crock pot shrimp scampi is another one of my favorites! I love the shrimp with the creamy sauce over the shrimp with pasta. The mozzarella cheese gives the sauce such a great flavor & texture. This meal is so easy because it does not require very many ingredients. Add a baby greens salad that includes cranraisins, mandarin oranges, & toasted almonds with homemade honey mustard dressing & you have a fantastic meal!
This is my husband’s favorite dish at Olive Garden and this recipe didn’t disappoint. He said it tasted just like it does at the restaurant! Will definitely be making this again! Thank you so much!
Love olive garden and pasta. This was amazing. Thank you Carrie.
I haven’t yet but I think that would be delicious. I think broccoli would tastes great but just add it in the for the last 15-20 minutes of the cook time so that it doesn’t over cook. Thanks!
Has any one added veggies too it? If so which ones do you recommend??
Yes – That will work great!
Can I cook this on Low for 8hrs
I might curdle a bit – I would watch is closely and you may need to whisk it in real good at the end if the cream cheese separates some. Let us know how it turns out!
Ooops. I should have read it all the way first. I put the cream cheese in with the rest. Hope it still turns out okay.
Yes, you can. Thanks!
Can you substitute regular italian dressing?