Toss raw chicken leg quarters in the crock and 2 other ingredients to get a meal so delicious your friends will be begging for more!

This 3-ingredient slow cooker holiday weekend chicken is the kind of recipe you pull out when the house is full, the day is busy, and you still want folks around your table licking their fingers and asking for seconds. It starts with plain raw chicken leg quarters, just like the big family packs we used to buy at the small-town grocery, and leans on a simple seasoned soup mix and a pantry staple to do the rest of the work. It reminds me of the church potlucks back in the Midwest, where every slow cooker on the table smelled like home and nobody fussed with fancy techniques—just good ingredients, low and slow, and time to enjoy the day while supper makes itself.

This chicken is rich and savory, with plenty of flavorful juices in the bottom of the crock, so it’s begging to be spooned over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or simple white rice. Add a pan of green beans or corn, maybe a tossed salad or coleslaw if it’s warm out, and you’ve got a full holiday weekend spread without much effort. Warm dinner rolls or biscuits are perfect for soaking up the extra sauce, and if you’re feeding a crowd, a big bowl of cut watermelon or a simple fruit salad rounds things out nicely.

Servings: 4–6

3–4 pounds raw chicken leg quarters (about 4 large pieces)

Place the raw chicken leg quarters in a single layer in the bottom of a large slow cooker, skin side up. It’s fine if they overlap a little, but try to keep them mostly in one layer so they cook evenly.

In a small bowl, stir together the condensed cream of chicken soup and the dry ranch seasoning mix until the powder is evenly blended and the mixture is smooth and pale yellow.

Pour or spoon the soup-and-ranch mixture evenly over the chicken leg quarters, making sure the tops of the pieces are well coated. The chicken should be mostly covered on top with the yellowish sauce, similar to a thick blanket of seasoned powder and soup.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours, or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is very tender and reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C). The meat should pull away easily from the bone.

Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken leg quarters from the slow cooker with tongs, as they will be very tender and may fall apart. Stir the cooking juices and sauce left in the crock to blend them into a smooth gravy-like mixture.

Serve the chicken leg quarters hot, spooning the creamy ranch sauce from the slow cooker over the top or over your potatoes, noodles, or rice.

If you’d like a bit of color and texture, you can broil the cooked chicken leg quarters on a foil-lined baking sheet for 3–5 minutes to crisp and brown the skin before serving; just watch closely so they don’t burn. For a slightly lighter version, use reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup and a reduced-sodium ranch mix, and taste the sauce before adding any extra salt at the table. You can also swap cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup for a different but still cozy flavor. If you want to stretch the meal, tuck 1–2 cups of thick-cut carrots or chunked potatoes under the chicken before cooking; keep in mind this may add a bit of cooking time, so check for tenderness. For a touch of brightness, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onions over the finished dish. FOOD SAFETY TIPS: Always start with fully thawed chicken leg quarters—do not put frozen chicken directly into the slow cooker, as it may stay too long in the temperature “danger zone.” Keep raw chicken and its juices away from ready-to-eat foods, and wash hands, cutting boards, and utensils thoroughly after handling. Make sure the thickest part of the chicken reaches at least 165°F (74°C) as measured with a meat thermometer. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers, and reheat to 165°F before eating.