Step 1

In a slow cooker, add diced tomatoes and Rotel with their juices.

Step 2

Add the chicken stock and Velveeta diced into 1” cubes. Cook on high for 1 hour in a crockpot/slow cooker. On the stove, cook in a soup pot on low heat for 1 hour.

Step 3

After 1 hour, turn your slow cooker down to a lower setting. Whisk in the heavy cream. Give the soup a good stir with a spoon or whisk.

Step 4

Add either chicken or sausage (defrosted meat is recommended and cooks faster). You can brown your sausages or crumbled sausage in a skillet if you wish to add some flavor, then slice them into thin rounds. The meat cooks in the soup, just use defrosted meat. The whole chicken breasts will shred after an hour of cooking in the soup. Simply shred with two forks in the pot, or slice on a plate and add back to the soup.

Step 5

Add the pasta and cook for 45 minutes to cook the pasta. If the pasta is in the slow cooker for more than an hour, the pasta can get overcooked and go super soft.

Step 6

Once the pasta goes into the soup, it will thicken the soup after about an hour. Add more chicken stock or water to thin out if desired.

Step 7

Serve in individual bowls or handled mugs topped with basil ribbons, crackers, tortilla chips or warm bread slices, or croutons.

Step 8

Stovetop Tips: You can make on the stovetop, simply cook over low medium heat in a large dutch oven, and stir often, and once the cheese is melted reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy cream, chicken or sausage after the first hour. It is best to use defrosted meats. Then shred the chicken with two forks in the pot at the 1 hour mark and finish cooking with the pasta for another 45 minutes.

Step 9

Leftovers: Keep them in a large saucepan, the next day, pull out about 30 minutes before you want to reheat the soup, and warm up over medium heat on the stove or in the microwave in bowls.