This slow cooker 5-ingredient mushroom chicken is the kind of supper I lean on when the day’s gotten away from me and I still want something warm and honest on the table. It comes straight out of the old Depression-era style of cooking: a few pantry staples, a cheap cut of meat, and time doing the work instead of fancy techniques. You literally lay raw chicken breasts in the slow cooker and dump canned sliced mushrooms right over the top, along with just three other simple ingredients. By the time evening rolls around, you’ve got tender chicken in a savory gravy that tastes like it took all day in a farmhouse kitchen, even though you barely lifted a finger.
I like to spoon this mushroom chicken and its gravy over fluffy mashed potatoes, but egg noodles or plain white rice are just as fitting, especially if you grew up in the Midwest like I did. Add a simple side of buttered peas, green beans, or a tossed salad to bring a little color to the plate. Warm dinner rolls or a slice of soft white bread are perfect for sopping up every last bit of the sauce. A jar of crisp pickles or a little applesauce on the side gives that old-fashioned table feel I remember from my parents’ kitchen.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Mushroom ChickenServings: 4
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 medium breasts)
2 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cans (4 ounces each) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 packet (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
Directions
Place the raw chicken breasts in a single layer on the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, and water until fairly smooth.
Pour the soup mixture evenly over the chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
Dump the drained canned sliced mushrooms over the top of the chicken and sauce, spreading them out a bit with your hands or a spoon so they cover the chicken.
Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is very tender and reaches at least 165°F in the thickest part.
Once cooked, gently shred the chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker or leave the breasts whole, and stir them lightly so they’re well coated with the mushroom gravy.
Taste the sauce and add a little salt and pepper if needed. Serve the mushroom chicken hot, spooning plenty of gravy and mushrooms over each portion.
Variations & Tips
For a creamier sauce, you can reduce the water to 1/4 cup or stir in a splash of milk or cream at the end of cooking, letting it warm through for a few minutes. If you like a bit more seasoning, a pinch of dried thyme or parsley fits right in without changing the simple, old-fashioned character of the dish. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of breasts; they stay very moist and are often more affordable, which is in keeping with that Depression-era mindset of stretching a dollar. If you don’t have dry onion soup mix, you can sprinkle in 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and a scant teaspoon of salt for a similar flavor. To bulk it up, add sliced onions or a handful of baby carrots around the chicken before you pour on the soup mixture. For food safety, always start with raw chicken that has been kept refrigerated at 40°F or below, and wash your hands and any surfaces that touch the raw meat. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F before serving. Once cooked, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and use within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot before eating.
