The Food Factor: Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Spinach Noodle Casserole

Video by Jonathan Parrish.

Who says comfort food has to be unhealthy? This delicious casserole is loaded with flavor, and best of all—you don’t have to heat up the oven! Before you start putting all of the ingredients in your slow cooker, please note: the noodles, spinach, and cheese are added *after* the chicken cooks for 6–8 hours. You’ll cook the noodles separately, so this is not technically a one-dish meal, but it’s pretty close!

For an even healthier option, swap out the traditional egg noodles for a whole-wheat version or even pasta, such as whole-wheat bow ties or whole-wheat fettucine noodles broken up into smaller pieces.

Crew Review: when we first tasted this dish, we all had the same reaction: something is missing! The recipe by itself is very bland. If I were to make it again, I would probably add a packet of Ranch or Italian dressing mix to give it more flavor without a lot of effort.

Food safety reminder: remember to wash your hands after handling the raw chicken!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Spinach Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast, skinless, boneless
• 10¾ ounce can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ tablespoon dry chives
• ½ tablespoon dry thyme
• ½ tablespoon dry parsley
• 16 ounces egg noodles, cooked
• 3 cups baby spinach, rinsed and chopped
• 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands and clean the preparation area.
2. Place the chicken breast in the bottom of a slow cooker.
3. In a small bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, water, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, thyme, and parsley. Pour seasoned soup mixture over chicken breast.
4. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low 6–8 hours, until chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.
5. Remove the chicken breast from the slow cooker and shred into fine pieces. Add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker, and stir in hot, cooked egg noodles, baby spinach, and shredded cheese.
6. Replace the lid and allow to heat through for 15–20 minutes until spinach is wilted and cheese is melted.

Thank you to our friends at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for this printable recipe!

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