Creamy Fajita Pasta Freezer Meal Recipe

Classic fajita flavors meet creamy comfort food in this Creamy Fajita Pasta that’s as easy to prep as it is to devour. Slow cook it or make it in the Instant Pot – either way, it’ll deliver big flavor with minimal effort. 

Why You’ll Love this Creamy Fajita Pasta Recipe

1. Comfort Food 2.0. Everything you want in a comfort food, but with extraordinary flavor. 
2. Meal prep gone gourmet. Major depth of flavor, cream cheese, tender chicken thighs – nothing is bland about this dinner. 
3. Recipe, please? Everyone will want to know how you whipped up this magical pasta. 
4. Dress it up or down. Make it cozy and simple in bowls or plate it with toppings and a drizzle of cilantro-lime crema. 
5. Make-ahead superhero – skips out on the effort, but not the flavor. 

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Creamy Fajita Pasta Freezer Meal Recipe

Keep it simple with this Creamy Fajita Pasta Freezer meal. Bold flavors, juicy chicken, and a rich sauce – meal-prep style – here to make your weeknights easy. 

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Course dinner

Cuisine American, Mexican

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1-2 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless
• 1 0-12 oz bag frozen peppers and onions
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 0.5 cup water or broth
• 3-4 tbsp taco seasoning or 1 packet
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 cup Kinder's fajita sauce (optional)

Day of Cooking:

• 16 oz rigatoni or penne
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz cream cheese

For Serving:

• shredded cheese
• avocado slices
• sour cream
• cilantro

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Instructions

 

Make it Fresh | Slow Cooker Directions:

• Add all ingredients, plus 2 cups chicken broth, to the slow cooker. Do not add the pasta, cream cheese, or For Serving ingredients yet. 
• Cook on low for 5 hours. 
• Shred chicken, then stir 8 oz cream cheese into pasta.
• Cook on low for 30-45 min, ensuring pasta is fully cooked. Add 15 minutes if pasta needs more cook time. (You may need to add ½ – 1 cup water depending on type of pasta used).
• Stir, serve, and enjoy.

Freezer Meal Prep Directions:

• Prepare a gallon freezer bag, labeling according to your preferred method.
• Add all ingredients, except Day of Cooking ingredients, to the freezer bag. 
• Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Meal Prep | Slow Cooker Directions:

• Thaw freezer bag in fridge 12-24 hours before cooking.
• Dump the contents of the freezer bag, plus 2 cups chicken broth, into a slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 5 hours. 
• Shred chicken, then stir 8 oz cream cheese into pasta.
• Cook on low for 30-45 min, ensuring pasta is fully cooked. Add 15 minutes if pasta needs more cook time. (You may need to add ½ – 1 cup water depending on type of pasta used).
• Stir, serve, and enjoy.

Meal Prep | Instant Pot Directions:

• Thaw in the fridge for 12-24 hours before cooking. (Meals can be cooked from frozen, but some Instant Pots may trigger a burn notice due to slow steam generation).
• Dump the contents of the freezer bag, plus 2 cups chicken broth, into the Instant Pot. 
• Set to High Pressure for 15 minutes, then allow a 5-minute natural release followed by a quick release.
• After releasing the pressure and removing the lid, shred the chicken directly in the pot. Add 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 12 oz gluten-free penne pasta and 1 cup water to Instant Pot. Stir to combine.
• Open the Instant Pot, set to sauté function, and stir in the pasta. Cook pasta until it reaches your desired texture. 
• Stir, serve, and enjoy.

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What to Serve with Creamy Fajita Pasta

• Fresh fruit with lime and Tajín. Mango, pineapple, or even watermelon make for a refreshing side. 
• Fire-roasted corn. Grab a bag of it frozen, heat and drizzle with salt and lime. 
• Southwest coleslaw (be sure to add lime and cilantro for a flavor boost!) 
• Chips with guac and salsa – a crunchy contrast to the creamy pasta that also doubles as an app. 
• Chopped cucumber and tomato salad.

Freezer Notes for Creamy Fajita Pasta

• Recipe will last 3-6 months in the freezer.
• If you froze in a glass casserole dish, place it in the oven when you turn it on to preheat so it gradually warms with the oven. Placing a cold glass dish into a hot oven will cause the casserole dish to shatter.
• Recipe can be frozen after cooking, however this does change the texture and flavor. I recommend freezing raw, not cooked.
• When reheating, warm mixture in a pot over medium heat with a splash of water, or reheat in the microwave in 30–45 second intervals, stirring between each.

Want to Make It Fresh in Slow Cooker Today?

Skip the freezer prep and add everything into the slow cooker today.

Step 1: Add all ingredients, plus 2 cups chicken broth, to the slow cooker. Do not add the pasta, cream cheese, or For Serving ingredients yet. 

Step 2: Cook on low for 5 hours. 

Step 3: Shred chicken, then add 8 oz cream cheese and stir in pasta. 

Step 4: Cook on low for 30-45 min, ensuring pasta is fully cooked. Add 15 minutes if pasta needs more cook time. (You may need to add ½ – 1 cup water depending on type of pasta used).

Step 5: Stir, serve, and enjoy.

Real Mom Tips

• Use frozen, diced veggies. The work is done for you – no extra dishes. 
• Use chicken thighs, not breasts. They’re more tender and shred easily. 
• To up the spice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the freezer bag. 
• Make it extra cheesy with some shredded cheddar or pepper jack stirred in. 
• Make it fun! Let your kids build their bowls with all the toppings. 

Creamy Fajita Pasta Dietary Adjustments:

Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta, taco seasoning, and broth.

Make it Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free cheddar cheese.

Make it Nut-Free: Recipe is naturally nut-free.

Make it Egg-Free: Recipe is naturally egg-free.

Pasta night doesn’t need to be predictable. Keep everyone guessing and satisfied with this twist-on-two-classics creamy fajita pasta.

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FAQs

Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs? 

Chicken breasts are a substitute for chicken thighs, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. I almost always use chicken thighs because they are extremely tender and shred more easily. Chicken breasts dry out more quickly, and since they are leaner, they tend to not carry as much flavor as chicken thighs. 

What type of pasta works best in this recipe? 

Penne or rigatoni are great choices for this recipe because they hold the sauce well and won’t overcook easily. I recommend avoiding thin pastas like spaghetti, linguine, and angel hair. They are very likely to overcook and turn mushy. 

Can I use gluten-free pasta? 

Certainly, gluten-free pasta can be used in this recipe. Just beware that cooking time and texture will vary, because gluten-free pasta tends to be more fragile than pasta that contains gluten. If you’re going the gluten-free route, lentil pasta is one of my favorites.  

I’m in a time crunch; can I cook this on high instead of low? 

I would not recommend cooking this on high. Not only is low and slow the best way to get ideal texture and flavor, but cooking on high can overcook the chicken or pasta, and it could curdle the dairy. 

How spicy is the pasta? 

The spice level depends on your taco seasoning but will be mild to medium. You can up the heat with extra spices or even by adding some hot sauce at the end, and you can turn it down by serving with shredded cheese or a dollop of sour cream. 

Other Chicken Freezer Meal Recipes You’ll Love

• Yellow Curry Chicken Freezer Meal 
• Tuscan Garlic Chicken Freezer Meal 
• Thai Cashew Chicken Freezer Meal 
• Pesto Chicken and Veggies Freezer Meal 
• Honey Mustard Chicken Freezer Meal

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Comment below and let me know how your Creamy Fajita Pasta turned out!