Crock Pot Chicken Baked Ziti

Time for an ultra-simple crock pot chicken baked ziti. Just follow these easy step-by-step photo instructions to have some great Italian comfort food bursting with tasty goodness.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• ♨️What is "Baked Ziti"?
• The Pasta
• ✔️Tips
• 📖Italian Recipes
• 🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions
• 📖 Recipe

Introduction

I think of baked ziti as a lazy man's lasagna. I do love lasagna but I'm lazy, and I'm even lazier with this recipe using raw chicken, uncooked pasta, and a crock pot.

My personal favorite crock pot recipe is my Crock Pot Baked Ziti. It was converted from an oven-baked recipe  Pioneer Woman's Bake Ziti.

It is beef based and even uses ricotta cheese to make it more lasagna-like. But what I love most about that recipe is the sauce. So easy and makes the dish

Here I'm using the same sauce, changing to chicken, using uncooked pasta like my crock pot recipe and just making it simpler.

My Rating

A solid higher 4 or a lower 5.

♨️What is "Baked Ziti"?

Baked ziti is a classic Italian American comfort food baked casserole dish. It is made with macaroni and combined with tomato sauce and cheese. It may include meat, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and other things.

There are variations, but that is it. I'm using the crock pot to do my "baking."

The Pasta

Ziti vs. Penne Noodles

Close but not the same. Ziti is a bit bigger and has straight cut ends. Penne is a little smaller with angle cut ends.

I have been berated for using penne instead of ziti. Yep, I do it all the time, and it doesn’t matter. Ziti pasta is harder to find for me, and I like smaller pasta. So use what you like.

Should I Cook the Pasta First?

No. It is cooked in the crock pot with the fluid from the sauce and chicken. I suggest using standard box pasta here since I know how it will cook in this sort of usage.

If you use non-standard pasta, the results may or may not be good.

✔️Tips

Can I use jarred sauce?

Yep, but only do the chicken, the pasta, the cheese, and your sauce. Leave the other ingredients out. But you will love my sauce and should just do mine.

Crock pot size

This fits in a 3 ½ qt or larger crock pot. If you use a full size cooker with this recipe, it may cook a bit faster.

A double fits in a 6 qt or larger crock pot.

Storage

Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave. Good frozen for 3-4 months.

📖Italian Recipes

Chicken Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti with Sausage

The Best Crock Pot Baked Ziti

Crock Pot Pizza Casserole

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions

Trim and pat dry two skinless boneless chicken breasts, about 1 to 1 ½ pounds.

Cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces. Also, chop 1 small onion or ½ medium.

To a smaller (3-4 quart) crock pot add 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon basil, ½ teaspoon parsley, ½ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon crushed pepper (optional) and 2 cloves crushed garlic. Add  1 cup shredded mozzarella and mix well. Add the prepared onion and chicken and mix well.

Mix in 2 cups uncooked pasta of your choice. I'm using penne pasta. 2 cups is half of a one-pound box of dry pasta.

Smooth the top. Cover with ½ cup shredded mozzarella.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

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📖 Recipe

Crock Pot Chicken Baked Ziti

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Time for an ultra-simple crock pot chicken baked ziti. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions to have some great Italian comfort food bursting with tasty goodness.

Tap to leave a Rating

3.78 from 9 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Servings #/Adjust if desired 6

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Ingredients

US Customary - Convert to Metric

• ▢ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts - about one pound
• ▢ 1 small onion chopped - or ½ medium
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
• ▢ 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon basil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional
• ▢ 2 cups ziti or penne pasta - ½ of a one pound box
• ▢ 1 ½ cups mozzarella shredded

Instructions

• Trim and pat dry two skinless boneless chicken breasts, about 1 to 1 ½ pounds. Chop into small bite-size pieces.
• Chop 1 small onion or ½ medium.
• Add 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes to a smaller (3-4 quart) crock pot.
• Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon basil, ½ teaspoon parsley, ½ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon crushed pepper (optional) and 2 cloves crushed garlic. Mix well.
• Add 1 cup shredded mozzarella and mix well. Add the prepared onion and chicken and mix well.
• Mix in 2 cups uncooked pasta of your choice. Smooth the top.
• Cover with ½ cup shredded mozzarella.
• Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips:

1. You need about 1 to 1 ½ pound of chicken. I use skinless boneless chicken breast, but skinless boneless thighs would work well.
2. This recipe uses a smaller 3-4 qt crock pot. You can double the rsecipe and use a larger 6-8 qt crock pot.
3. If you use a larger crock pot without doubling, it may cook a bit fast. See #5 below.
4. You may use jarred sauce, but then you only use the chicken, cheese, pasta, and your sauce. But you should use mine. So much better.
5. This recipe may cook a bit faster if your crock pot runs hotter. So if it does, check at 3 hours for temperature over 165 and tender pasta.

To adjust the recipe size:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition

Calories : 336 kcalCarbohydrates : 40 gProtein : 29 gFat : 7 gSaturated Fat : 4 gPolyunsaturated Fat : 0.02 gMonounsaturated Fat : 1 gCholesterol : 58 mgSodium : 963 mgPotassium : 10 mgFiber : 4 gSugar : 5 gVitamin A : 700 IUVitamin C : 20.6 mgCalcium : 250 mgIron : 2.5 mg

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Course :Main Course

Cuisine :Italian

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Originally published October 7, 2018.