My aunt always brought this to spring church potlucks. Only 5 ingredients tossed into the pot before you leave for the day. The savory herb smell fills the whole house and the meat just falls apart.

This slow cooker 5-ingredient chicken and stuffing is one of those cozy, church-basement classics that never goes out of style. My aunt used to bring a big crock of it to our spring church potlucks, and you could smell that savory herb stuffing the minute you walked in the door. Everything gets tossed into the slow cooker before you head out for the day, and by the time you’re home, the chicken is falling apart into the soft, flavorful bread stuffing with a rich, gravy-like sauce. It’s simple, budget-friendly, and a real family-pleaser on busy weeknights.

Serve this chicken and stuffing straight from the slow cooker with a big spoon so everyone can scoop out plenty of tender chicken and herby stuffing. It’s wonderful with a simple green vegetable like steamed green beans, roasted broccoli, or a crisp side salad to balance the richness. A can of cranberry sauce or some sliced apples on the side adds a nice bit of sweetness. If you’ve got hungry teenagers, warm dinner rolls or buttered corn on the cob make it feel like a full Sunday-style meal, even on a weeknight.

Servings: 6

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Lightly grease the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray or a little butter for easier cleanup.

Lay the chicken in a single layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. It’s fine if the pieces overlap slightly, but try to cover the bottom evenly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup and the chicken broth until mostly smooth and combined.

Pour the soup-and-broth mixture evenly over the chicken, making sure all of the chicken is coated. This liquid will turn into a rich, gravy-like sauce as it cooks.

Sprinkle the dry herb-seasoned stuffing mix evenly over the top of the chicken and sauce. Do not stir; just spread the stuffing out in an even layer so it can soak up the steam and juices.

Drizzle the melted butter slowly and evenly over the dry stuffing mix, trying to moisten as much of the surface as you can. This helps the stuffing become soft and flavorful instead of dry.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easily shreds with a fork and the stuffing is soft and moist.

Once cooked, gently shred or break up the chicken right in the slow cooker using two forks, folding it through the stuffing and gravy so everything is well mixed but not mashed. Taste and add a pinch of salt or black pepper if needed.

Switch the slow cooker to WARM if you’re not serving immediately. Serve the chicken and stuffing straight from the pot, making sure each scoop has plenty of chicken, stuffing, and gravy.

For picky eaters, you can use plain stuffing instead of herb-seasoned if the visible herbs bother them, and stir in a little extra broth at the end if they prefer a softer, more mashed texture. If your family likes dark meat, boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay especially moist and shred beautifully. For a creamier dish, swap one can of cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom or cream of celery. If you want to sneak in some veggies, you can scatter 1 to 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables or frozen green beans over the chicken before adding the soup mixture; they’ll cook down nicely under the stuffing. To lighten it up a bit, you can use reduced-fat condensed soup and cut the butter to 1/4 cup, just know the stuffing won’t be quite as rich. Food safety tips: Always start with fully thawed chicken; don’t put frozen chicken directly into the slow cooker, as it can stay too long in the temperature “danger zone.” Use a slow cooker that’s at least 5 quarts so it heats evenly, and make sure the lid stays on during cooking to maintain a safe temperature. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking in shallow containers, and reheat until steaming hot before serving again.