Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Marinara Mozzarella Mushroom Mish-Mosh (with Penne Pasta!)

How’s that for a mouthful? I couldn’t figure out what to call this recipe, so decided to err on the descriptive side today with this Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Marinara Mozzarella Mushroom Mish-Mosh (with Penne Pasta!). The “marinara mozzarella mushroom mish-mosh” moniker fits, however, since this really is a toothsome mouthful of a recipe. And, it’s such an easy way to make a beautiful meal out of the humdrum chicken drumstick.

In this week’s Sunday Scratchups (your weekly recipe from scratch around grocery sales and affordable ingredients), I took a little bit of a shortcut with jarred marinara. I do prefer using ALDI SimplyNature Organic marinara as a still-affordable step up from basic jarred sauce — it also sports no added sugar, which is a win-win in my book — but, you can use your own favorite jarred marinara here. Drumsticks are always affordable, often going on sale around here at $.79/lb or less, and I’d also picked up a super-useful pack of pre-sliced mozzarella on sale at Costco this week.

With all of these ingredients at hand, this filling and flavorful Crock-Pot chicken drumsticks recipe pretty much threw itself together with only slight assistance from me.

Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Marinara Mozzarella Mushroom Mish-Mosh (with Penne Pasta!)

Ingredients

2.5-3 lbs chicken drumsticks, trimmed
8 oz sliced white or baby bella mushrooms
24 oz jar marinara
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
16 oz box penne pasta
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan, divided
8 oz mozzarella, sliced
Dried or fresh parsley to garnish, optional and to taste

Directions

Trim any excess skin off of your drumsticks and arrange them in the bottom of your slow cooker. (I used a 7 quart manual Crock-Pot here.) Add mushrooms, then dollop with minced garlic.

Pour marinara over chicken and mushrooms, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Stir lightly to blend seasonings into sauce and ensure that it is entirely covering the chicken and mushrooms, then cover and cook on low for 4.5 hours.

Start a pot of water boiling for pasta at four hours into your slow cooking time, 30 minutes before the chicken marinara will be done. Cook the penne al dente in salted water according to package directions.

Drain pasta, then stir the cooked penne and 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan straight into the chicken marinara mixture in the crock. Top with mozzarella and another 1/3 cup Parmesan, then replace the lid and cook on low for another 20 minutes.

Garnish your chicken drumsticks & pasta marinara with fresh or dried parsley before serving (optional).

Note: The marinara sauce will seem somewhat watery when you first open the Crock-Pot, but thickens up during the additional 20 minutes of cooking time with the shredded Parmesan.

Such an easy family dinner recipe!

This Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Marinara Mozzarella Mushroom Mish-Mosh is such an easy family recipe, and a big step up from your basic pasta and sauce! Your Crock-Pot does all the work of slow cooking the drumsticks to perfect fall-apart tenderness, while cooking them in the marinara sauce helps keep them moist and savory. The mozzarella + Parmesan cheeses simply take everything up another notch, adding a salty tang and creaminess to balance out the acidity of the tomato sauce in a brilliant mish-mosh-mashup of flavor.

Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Marinara Mozzarella Mushroom Mish-Mosh (with Penne Pasta!), printable recipe

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Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Marinara Mozzarella Mushroom Mish-Mosh (with Penne Pasta!)

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A toothsome mouthful in an easy Crock-Pot recipe that makes a beautiful meal out of the humdrum chicken drumstick.

Course dinner

Keyword chicken, crock-pot, drumsticks, easy recipe, marinara, pasta, slow cooker

Total Time 5 hours hours

Servings 6

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

• 2.5-3 lbs chicken drumsticks trimmed
• 8 oz sliced white or baby bella mushrooms
• 24 oz jar marinara
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic about 6 cloves
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 16 oz box penne pasta
• 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan divided
• 8 oz mozzarella sliced
• Dried or fresh parsley to garnish optional and to taste

Instructions

• Trim any excess skin off of your drumsticks and arrange them in the bottom of your slow cooker. (I used a 7 quart manual Crock-Pot here.) Add mushrooms, then dollop with minced garlic.
• Pour marinara over chicken and mushrooms, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Stir lightly to blend seasonings into sauce and ensure that it is entirely covering the chicken and mushrooms, then cover and cook on low for 4.5 hours.
• Start a pot of water boiling for pasta at four hours into your slow cooking time, 30 minutes before the chicken marinara will be done. Cook the penne al dente in salted water according to package directions.
• Drain pasta, then stir the cooked penne and 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan straight into the chicken marinara mixture in the crock. Top with mozzarella and another 1/3 cup Parmesan, then replace the lid and cook on low for another 20 minutes.
• Garnish your chicken drumsticks & pasta marinara with fresh or dried parsley before serving (optional).

Notes

The marinara sauce will seem somewhat watery when you first open the Crock-Pot, but thickens up during the additional 20 minutes of cooking time with the shredded Parmesan.

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