Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta meal prep recipe for the week
This healthy and delicious Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta meal prep recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients. This is a great recipe for anyone who loves Italian pasta dishes but wants a healthy alternative. This is a great lunch meal prep recipe because all you have to do is warm it up in the microwave and add some extra Parmesan cheese on top. You can also freeze this meal prep recipe and keep it for those days that you are not in the mood to cook.
5 servings Olive Garden Chicken Pasta Lunch meal prep bowls – 413 calories per meal prep bowl, 6.4 grams of fat, 39 grams of carbs, and 51 grams of protein. This recipe is high in protein and is full of flavor.
Total calories per bowl – 413 calories
What you might need:
Ingredients for this Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta with Light dressing
This easy to make chicken pasta meal prep dish is made with simple ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store. This is a basic recipe that does not have a lot of ingredients. All you need are a few vegetables, pasta, chicken, and some Light Olive Garden Italian dressing. The dressing gives this recipe a great taste.
Here are the simple ingredients you will need for this recipe:
- 2 Lbs (32 oz) Chicken breast
- 1 cup of light Olive Garden Italian dressing
- 8 oz Protein Pasta
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh spinach
Optional: salt to taste and ground black pepper to taste
How to make this delicious slow cooker Olive Garden Light dressing chicken pasta recipe
Here is how to make this simple and delicious chicken pasta meal prep recipe for the week. This recipe only has a total of 7 ingredients and is only around 413 calories per meal prep bowl.
This recipe is made in a slow cooker but if you are short on time you can also use an Instant pot pressure cooker. For this recipe I recommend a slow cooker but if you are going to use a pressure cooker, set it for 30 minutes.
Here are the simple instructions for this Olive Garden Chicken Pasta recipe:
- Take out your slow cooker Add the chicken breast to the slow cooker and then add the light Olive Garden Dressing the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker on high and cook for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours remove the top and shred the chicken with two forks. After shredding the chicken, add the cooked pasta to the slow cooker. You can precook the pasta on a stovetop or cook it on the slow cooker. I choose to precook the pasta.
- Next, add the red and green bell pepper to the slow cooker and mix everything together. After mixing add the 4 Tbsp of parmesan cheese and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes to cook the bell pepper.
- After 30 minutes add the 2 cups of fresh spinach and mix everything together. Evenly transfer the chicken protein pasta 5 meal prep containers.
Best Protein Pasta to Use for this meal prep recipe
Whenever I cook pasta, I like to use protein pasta instead of regular pasta because you replace a lot of the carbohydrates with protein instead. Each serving of this pasta has 10 grams of protein and because of this, each bowl has around 51 grams of protein.
These protein pastas are a great way to get more protein in your diet.
Ingredient Substitution
Zucchini noodles: If you are looking for a low-carb option you can replace the pasta with zucchini noodles. I recommend that you make your own and not buy the pre-made ones.
Kale: You can replace the spinach with kale. If you are looking for a hardier greens then use kale.
Spice: If your like me and love a little spice in your food then I recommend adding a 1 Tbsp of crush chili flakes to this recipe. That will give it just enough kick.
Can you freeze this Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta Recipe?
Yes, you can freeze the recipe for up to a month or you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. The glass meal prep bowls are great for freezing your food.
More Healthy Chicken Meal Prep Recipe Ideas
Here are a few more healthy chicken meal prep recipes that you might like.
Pressure Cooker Shredded Chicken Coleslaw Tacos
Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Meal Prep tools for this recipe
If you don’t already have a Crock-pot slow cooker then get yours now. They are a great kitchen essential.
Grab some airtight glass meal prep bowls to store you delicious meal prep recipes.
Grab your Olive Garden Italian dressing and protein pasta
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 5 hours |
| Passive Time | 4 hours |
| Servings |
Servings
|
- 2 Lbs (32 oz) Chicken Breast
- 1 Cup Light Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- 8 oz Protein + Penne Pasta
- 1 Large Green Bell Pepper
- 1 Large Red Bell Pepper
- 4 Tbsp Granted Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Cups Spinach
Ingredients
|
|
- Take out your slow cooker Add the chicken breast to the slow cooker and then add the light Olive Garden Dressing the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker on high and cook for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours remove the top and shred the chicken with two forks. After shredding the chicken, add the cooked pasta to the slow cooker. You can precook the pasta on a stovetop or cook it on the slow cooker. I choose to precook the pasta.
- Next, add the red and green bell pepper to the slow cooker and mix everything together. After mixing add the 4 Tbsp of parmesan cheese and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes to cook the bell pepper.
- After 30 minutes add the 2 cups of fresh spinach and mix everything together. Evenly transfer the chicken protein pasta 5 meal prep containers.
Jim Lopez, the founder and editor of The Meal Prep Ninja, shares his journey from a passionate bodybuilder and fitness enthusiast to a certified nutrition coach. Certified by Precision Nutrition, Jim aims to empower others with knowledge on meal prep and nutrition, offering resources for busy individuals to enjoy low-calorie, tasty foods. His blog is a community for sharing healthy eating habits and meal prep recipes
Do you need to cook the fresh spinach
In this recipe yes, or you can just add fresh spinach when you are ready to eat it.