Introduction
Slow cookers help you make easy and tasty meals without much work. This “Tasty Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes Recipe” puts together soft chicken with well-cooked potatoes in a rich ranch sauce. It’s a filling dish that’s easy to make and great for feeding a family or preparing meals for the week.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this filling slow cooker meal:
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 1/2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 pounds yellow baby new potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 ounces cream cheese cubed at room temperature
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese divided
- Cooked and crumbled bacon (to taste)
- sliced scallions (to garnish)
Preparation
Step 1: Get Your Ingredients Ready
First, collect all your ingredients. This gets everything ready before you start cooking.
Step 2: Mix Chicken Broth and Ranch Dressing Mix
At the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker, mix 1/2 cup of chicken broth with 3 1/2 tablespoons of ranch dressing mix. Stir to combine well.
Step 3: Add Chicken and Potatoes
Put the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a single layer over the broth mixture. Then, place the yellow baby new potatoes on top of the chicken. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the ingredients and season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Step 4: Cook
Put the lid on the slow cooker and set it to cook on HIGH for about 2 hours and 45 minutes. If you want to cook on LOW, set the slow cooker for about 3 hours and 45 minutes. The chicken should be cooked all the way through, and you should be able to pierce the potatoes with a fork.
Step 5: Shred the Chicken
After the chicken has cooked , take it out of the slow cooker and put it on a cutting board. Let it cool down for about 5 minutes. Then, take two forks and pull the chicken apart into small, bite-sized pieces.
Step 6: Add Cheese and Cream
Toss in 6 ounces of cubed cream cheese, 1/4 cup of ranch dressing, and 1 1/2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese to the slow cooker. Put the lid on and cook on HIGH for about 10 minutes, or until the cheeses start to melt and the potatoes become tender. Take off the lid and mix the ingredients until the cheese mostly combines.
Step 7: Return Chicken to Slow Cooker
Put the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker. Mix to cover the chicken with the cheese mixture.
Serving
Step 1: Divide and Garnish
Dish out the chicken and potatoes into 8 shallow bowls. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese to each serving. Finish with crumbled bacon and thin slices of scallions.
Step 2: Serve
Serve the dish right away while it’s hot and creamy. This recipe works well for a family dinner or a comforting meal on a cold day.
Nutritional Information
Each serving of this dish has about:
- Calories: 552
- Fat: 29g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Protein: 23g
Tips and Variations
- Different Ingredients: You can use Italian seasoning or any other mix you like if you don’t have ranch dressing mix. If you prefer dark meat, chicken thighs work well instead of breasts.
- More Veggies: To boost flavour and nutrition, throw in extra vegetables like carrots or celery to your slow cooker.
- Spicing It Up: To give your dish some heat, add a bit of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce.
How to Store and Reheat
Keeping Leftovers
Keep any chicken and potatoes you don’t eat in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months too. Cool the dish before you freeze it.
Reheating
To reheat, let frozen portions thaw in the fridge overnight. Heat them in the microwave or on the stove until they’re hot all the way through. If the dish looks too thick after you heat it, add some chicken broth or milk to get the texture you want.
Conclusion
This slow cooker chicken and potatoes recipe offers a simple and cozy meal you can count on for a hectic weeknight or a weekend family get-together. The mix of smooth ranch sauce soft chicken, and filling potatoes creates a fulfilling option that needs little prep work. Savor the convenience of a slow-cooked dish with this uncomplicated recipe!
