This Italian cream cheese chicken is one of the easiest recipes that you can make this week! It's so creamy and delicious, it'll have even your pickiest eaters begging for more.
Looking for a super easy and versatile weeknight dinner that the whole family will love? Oh, and did we mention that the leftovers are ah-maz-ing?! Boy, did you come to the right place!
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This Italian cream cheese chicken recipe is so easy to make. Not only that, it can be prepared in several ways – so you can choose what works for you and your day! Alright, enough blabbing! Let's get to that easy peasy recipe.
When I first started making this Italian Cream Cheese Chicken back in college (heck yeah! It's that easy even a college student can make it), I would just throw it in the crockpot and let it cook while I went about my day! Easy peasy…
Then one day I forgot to get the crockpot going and didn't realize until dinner time rolled around. Fortunately I had a bunch of shredded chicken in the freezer and realized I could easily make this meal in the time it takes to cook a pot of rice! BAM! How versatile is that!?!
HOW TO PREPARE CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN
This recipe calls for 2-3 uncooked chicken breasts. If you don't have the time to cook it fresh, feel free to simplify the recipe by using a rotisserie chicken or 2-3 cups of shredded chicken. This is my favorite way to pre-cook multiple chicken breasts to keep them tender and juicy.
In a hurry? No problem, let your Instant Pot do the cooking for you! Check out how we prepare a giant batch of shredded chicken in the instant pot so we always have delicious chicken on-hand to toss into a recipe. Simply add all of the ingredients to your Instant Pot and cook on the poultry or meat setting. So simple and so delicious!
If you don't have an Instant Pot but still don't feel like cooking your cream cheese chicken in the pan, don't worry! Grab your Crock Pot, add all of the ingredients, and cook until chicken is done. Cook on low heat for about 5-6 hours or high heat for about 4 hours.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS DELISH RECIPE
This delicious recipe is so creamy and makes a sauce of its own. Try serving it over a bed of rice (leftover is great!), noodles, or mashed potatoes. Just make sure that you time it right so that it's ready when your cream cheese chicken is. We always like to have a side salad with ours, but green beans, broccoli, and corn all go well with it, too!
EASY SUBSTITUTIONS FOR ITALIAN CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN
We've all been there. Dinner time rolls around and you suddenly realize you're missing one of the key ingredients for your meal. Hey, it happens! The good news, though, is it's SO easy to make swaps with this versatile recipe. Here are a few substitutes to try:
- Chicken – All out of chicken breasts? Use thighs instead, or turkey! Both are just as delicious.
- Cream Cheese – If you're running low on cream cheese, you can use sour cream or Greek Yogurt in its place.
- Cream of Chicken Soup – No cream of chicken soup in the pantry? No problemo! Try cream of mushroom if you're short on time, or whip up your own batch of super easy, homemade cream of chicken.
- Italian Dressing – You have two options here! Either sub in a packet of dry ranch seasoning, or you can use half a bottle of Italian dressing. If you choose the bottle route, we recommend cooking in the slow cooker to allow the extra moisture to evaporate.
You can't go wrong with any of these switcheroos! The end result will be the same–a tasty, filling meal with minimal effort. What, what?!
HOW TO USE & STORE YOUR LEFTOVERS
There's just one thing we forgot to mention. This recipe makes the BEST leftovers! It's really good reheated as it is, but it's also amazing when you turn it into a soup. Yum! Here are three more creative ways to repurpose your leftovers:
- Create a Casserole – Slice up and sautee some mushrooms, and steam some broccoli. Toss it into a casserole dish along with the chicken, top with cheese, and bake at 350°F, covered, for 25 minutes, and then uncovered for an additional five.
- Make it Pasta Night – Who doesn't love pasta night?! This chicken is begging for some noodles. Grab some angel hair or penne and serve that leftover chicken on top with a little grated parmesan.
- Quesadillas – How easy is this? Just grab some tortillas, fill with your leftover chicken, and grill on the stovetop for a few minutes. Dip in pizza sauce instead of salsa. Yum! You've got a whole new meal!
Want to freeze those leftovers? That's cool, too (literally). In fact, we suggest doubling this recipe. Why not make one for now and one for later? Just add any leftovers to a freezer-safe bag and label with the date and heating instructions. When you're ready to serve, pop it in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Easy peasy!
THIS ITALIAN CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN RECIPE IS SO EASY
Alright, so are you ready to start cooking your new favorite chicken recipe? Grab these ingredients and get to it!
Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 2-3 chicken breasts
- 1-2 Italian dressing seasoning packets
- 2-3 cans cream of chicken soup
- 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
- 1 can sweet kernel corn, optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in pan over low-medium heat.
- Add chicken breasts to pan and pour Italian dressing packets on top.
- Cook chicken until done in the middle.
- Add soup and cream cheese. Heat until melted.
- Add milk or water if the sauce is too thick.
- Serve over warm rice.
Notes
- Add chicken to a slow cooker. Cook on high until chicken is done and no longer pink, about 4-6 hours.
- Add seasoning packet, soup, cream cheese, corn, and butter. Cook until heated through, chicken shreds, and flavors are incorporated throughout.
- Optional: Add milk or water if the sauce is too thick.
Oh, you've got a little drool on your chin that you might need to wipe off! 😉
As you can see, with just a little easy peasy cheesy effort, you've got a dinner the whole family will love!
What's your favorite thing to pair this Italian cream cheese chicken recipe with? Let us know in the comments!
Looking for more great shelf cooking ideas?
- Make your own homemade vinaigrette that's super easy.
- Learn how to reheat your leftovers and love them!
- Set your grocery budget and stick to it!
Chow for now!
Meal was delicious, so good there were no leftovers.
But I am wondering can it be frozen?
So glad to hear that! It should freeze just fine. The sauce may change consistency a little bit since it’s made with cream cheese, but it’ll still taste delicious!
Soo good!!! And I totally had all the ingredients! Thank you for saving the night! I’m stuck at home with two small kids and Rona. I don’t want to leave the house & this recipe was a life saver!
I made this for dinner last night. What a great flavor profile! I had used Zesty Italian dressing packets instead of regular ones and my mouth was salivating looong before I got to eat this. Suggestion would be to flatten chicken before you cook it. Makes the chicken more tender and holds juices in better. Use room temperature cream cheese as it will melt faster. I also removed the cooked chicken from the butter before I added the soup and cream cheese. I wanted to get all those tasty zesty italian bites that got fried in the butter better dispersed in the sauce. This is a keeper recipe for SURE! Thanks for sharing it!
SO glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing those tweaks, it’s always fun to get some new tips from others!
I haven’t made this Cream Cheese Chick recipe yet but your website is SOooo interesting and informative. But let me add a comment about cream of chicken and mushroom soup: they contain MSG (monosodium glutamate) and if someone else out there is allergic to this horrible ingredient, as I am (gives me a humungous headache), please give us a substitute. Thank you!
We have a recipe here so you can make your own!
My family loves this recipe. I haven’t made it in awhile and can’t remember how long to cook it in the instant pot? Also, if you’re using condensed soup do you add the water the soup can calls for or make it with the condensed soup?