Pour jarred marinara sauce and these 4 ingredients over chicken breasts into a slow cooker for the cozy dinner everyone requests again

This cozy slow cooker chicken and noodles is my easy, Amish-style comfort supper with a little shortcut twist: we pour jarred marinara sauce and just four more pantry staples right over chicken breasts and let the slow cooker do the work. The noodles soak up that tomatoey, creamy broth and turn into the kind of stick-to-your-ribs bowl my family asks for over and over again. It has the homey feel of church potlucks and small-town suppers, but it’s simple enough to toss together on a busy weeknight.

Serve these saucy chicken and noodles in wide bowls with a sprinkle of extra Parmesan on top and some cracked black pepper. A simple green salad with ranch or Italian dressing and a side of garlic bread or buttered dinner rolls makes it feel like a complete meal. For a little color and freshness, add steamed green beans or peas on the side, or stir a handful of baby spinach into the hot noodles right before serving so it just barely wilts.

Servings: 6

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place the raw chicken breasts in an even layer on the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the jar of marinara sauce, condensed cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and garlic powder until mostly smooth. This is the cozy, tomato-creamy sauce that will flavor both the chicken and the noodles.

Pour the marinara mixture evenly over the chicken breasts in the slow cooker, making sure all the chicken is covered. This should look like a generous layer of red sauce over the raw chicken.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easily shreds with two forks.

About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and shred them with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir it into the sauce.

Stir the uncooked egg noodles into the slow cooker, making sure they are mostly submerged in the sauce so they cook evenly. If the mixture looks very thick, you can add a splash more chicken broth or water, 2 to 4 tablespoons at a time.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the egg noodles are tender but not mushy.

Taste and season with salt and black pepper if needed. Spoon the chicken and noodles into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese, if you like. Serve warm.

For picky eaters, you can use a very smooth marinara and skip any chunky varieties so there are no visible pieces of tomato or onion. If your family prefers a creamier, less tomato-forward dish, use only 1 1/2 cups marinara and add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth, then stir in 2 to 4 ounces of cream cheese at the same time you add the noodles. For more classic Amish-style flavor, swap the garlic powder for 1 teaspoon dried parsley and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and use a plain or lightly seasoned marinara. You can also stir in a cup of frozen peas or mixed vegetables during the last 10 minutes of cooking for a one-pot meal. If you need to stretch the recipe for a crowd, add up to 4 more ounces of egg noodles and an extra 1/2 cup broth, keeping an eye on the noodles so they don’t overcook. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of broth or milk to loosen the sauce; they also pack nicely in thermoses for school or work lunches.