SLOW COOKER CREAMY BACON RANCH CHICKEN

SLOW COOKER CREAMY BACON RANCH CHICKEN 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces 10 ounces cream cheese, cut into 2-ounce chunks 2 tablespoons dried parsley 1 tablespoon dried chives 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon dried dill 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup roughly chopped pepperoncini peppers, drained 1 cup buttermilk (add 1 cup if making pasta) 8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled 3 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley, for garnish 1 pack slider buns (optional to make sliders) 8 ounces penne pasta cooked according to package (optional to make a creamy pasta dish) Arrange chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add cream cheese on top of chicken. Sprinkle evenly over chicken and cream cheese everything from dried parsley to pepperoncini peppers. Pour buttermilk on top (if you plan to mix with pasta, add an additional 1 cup of buttermilk). Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 7 hours. Mix the chicken and sauce. Top with bacon and parsley. For sliders: Serve on buns and top with your favorite cheese. For pasta: Toss with cooked penne pasta. tip: For a quick and easy ranch mix, substitute all dried herbs, salt and pepper for 1 package of ranch dressing mix.