Spoon golden mushroom soup over raw chicken breasts, accompanied by 2 ingredients, into slow cooker for a creamy dish that I plan meals around

This slow cooker Amish-style golden chicken pasta is the kind of simple, stick-to-your-ribs supper I lean on when the day gets away from me. It reminds me of the church basement potlucks I grew up with here in the Midwest, where a can of soup, a bit of pasta, and some good farm chicken could feed a crowd without any fuss. The whole dish starts just the way my neighbors have done it for years: raw chicken breasts laid in the slow cooker, then golden mushroom soup spooned right over the top, along with just two more pantry ingredients. By the time evening rolls around, you’ve got a creamy, golden sauce that clings to every strand of pasta and makes the whole kitchen smell like home. It’s the kind of meal you can plan a week of lunches around, and it only takes a few minutes of hands-on time.

Serve this golden chicken pasta in wide, shallow bowls so the creamy sauce can pool around the edges. A simple green side—like steamed green beans, a tossed garden salad, or buttered peas—keeps the plate balanced and feels very true to old Midwestern supper tables. Warm dinner rolls or thick slices of buttered white or sourdough bread are perfect for soaking up the extra sauce. If you like, sprinkle a little extra black pepper on top of each serving, and maybe a light dusting of grated Parmesan, though it hardly needs it. A jar of pickled beets or dill pickles on the table would make my mother smile and fits right in with the country feel of this meal.

Servings: 6

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place the raw chicken breasts in a single layer on the bottom of your slow cooker, nestling them in so they lie fairly flat.

Open the cans of condensed golden mushroom soup. Using a spoon, dollop and spread the soup evenly over the raw chicken breasts, making sure each piece is well coated. This is what will turn into that creamy golden sauce.

Pour the chicken broth around and over the soup-covered chicken, trying not to rinse all the soup off the top but making sure there is liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker so nothing scorches.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easily shreds with a fork.

About 20 minutes before you plan to eat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove. Add the dry pasta and cook according to the package directions until just al dente. Drain well.

While the pasta cooks, use two forks to gently shred or chunk the cooked chicken right in the slow cooker. Stir the chicken into the golden mushroom sauce until everything is well combined and creamy.

Add the drained hot pasta to the slow cooker. Use a large spoon to gently fold the noodles into the saucy chicken until every piece of pasta is coated with the golden, creamy mixture.

Cover the slow cooker again and let the pasta sit on WARM (or LOW, if your cooker doesn’t have a warm setting) for 5 to 10 minutes so the noodles can soak up some of the sauce and the flavors can settle together.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with a little salt and black pepper, then spoon into bowls and serve hot.

For a slightly richer sauce, you can replace 1/2 cup of the chicken broth with 1/2 cup of milk or half-and-half, stirring it in after the chicken is cooked and shredded so it doesn’t curdle. If your family likes a more pronounced mushroom flavor, add a small can of drained mushroom pieces along with the soup before cooking. For extra vegetables without changing the spirit of the recipe, stir in 1 to 2 cups of frozen peas or mixed vegetables during the last 30 minutes of slow cooking, before adding the pasta. If you prefer dark meat, boneless skinless chicken thighs work beautifully and stay very tender. To make this a bit more “Sunday dinner,” you can sprinkle a handful of shredded cheddar or Parmesan over the top after adding the pasta, cover, and let it melt for a few minutes. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of broth or milk to loosen the sauce, making this a good recipe to cook once and plan lunches around. If you don’t want to use pasta, the same golden chicken mixture is wonderful spooned over mashed potatoes, rice, or even thick slices of buttered toast.