Chicken Macaroni Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient – Depression Era

Chicken Macaroni Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient – Depression Era. Put dry elbow macaroni, raw chicken breasts, and 3 more ingredients into the slow cooker for a simple, comforting meal.

This easy 5-ingredient chicken and macaroni recipe is my go-to when the day is busy but I still want something tasty, warm and filling on the table. It’s inspired by the make-do meals our grandparents stretched through hard times — simple pantry staples, no fancy steps, and everything cooked together in one pot.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• dry elbow macaroni → 1.5 cups
• boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3–4 small breasts) → 1.5 pounds
• condensed cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz cans) → 2 pieces
• low-sodium chicken broth → 2 cups
• salt, or to taste → 1 teaspoons

Chicken Macaroni Slow Cooker: Steps

1. Grease the crock: Start by giving the inside of your slow cooker a generous coating of nonstick spray or a light wipe of oil so the 1.5 cups dry elbow macaroni doesn’t bond to the bottom during cooking. Set the crock firmly into its base on a flat, steady kitchen surface before you add anything.
2. Add the chicken: Lay the raw 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3–4 small breasts) in a single layer down the center or along one side of the slow cooker. They can sit snug against each other, but avoid stacking them on top of one another so every breast gets an even shot at cooking all the way through.
3. Add the macaroni: Scatter the 1.5 cups dry elbow macaroni directly into the slow cooker right alongside the chicken, keeping it mostly on its own side of the pot. A few pieces tumbling under or around the chicken is completely fine — this is a true dump-and-go situation and perfection is absolutely not the point.
4. Mix the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the 2 pieces condensed cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz cans) together with the 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 1 teaspoons salt, or to taste until the mixture is relatively smooth and well combined. It will look a little thin and loose right now, but don’t worry — once the pasta starch cooks into it, everything will thicken up beautifully.
5. Pour and press: Pour the soup and broth mixture slowly and evenly over the top of both the chicken and the 1.5 cups dry elbow macaroni, making sure the pasta is mostly submerged and coated in liquid. Use the back of a spoon to gently nudge any dry bits down into the sauce, though a few peeking above the surface won’t cause any problems.
6. Slow cook: Secure the lid on the slow cooker and let it do all the hard work — cook on LOW for 4 to 270 minutes 270:00, or on HIGH for around 2½ to 3 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked through and the macaroni has turned perfectly tender. Try your best to resist lifting the lid during the first couple of hours so the pasta can build up steam and cook properly.
7. Shred the chicken: About 30 minutes 30:00 before you’re ready to serve, pop the lid off and use two forks to pull the chicken breasts apart right there in the slow cooker, stirring the shredded meat all the way through the macaroni and sauce. If everything looks thicker than you’d like at this point, stir in a splash of warm broth or plain water, two to four tablespoons at a time, until the consistency feels rich and creamy rather than stodgy.
8. Season and rest: Give it a taste and adjust the 1 teaspoons salt, or to taste as needed until the flavor is exactly where you want it. Place the lid back on and let everything rest on WARM or LOW for another 10 to 15 minutes so the sauce can settle, tighten slightly around the noodles, and the flavors can really come together into something that tastes like it took all day.
9. Serve hot: Give the whole pot one final good stir, scraping all the way from the bottom, then ladle generously into deep bowls and get it on the table when the pasta is still tender and the sauce is nice and creamy. This one is best eaten fresh and hot, right out of the crock.

Notes

1. For a richer, more indulgent finish stir in a handful of shredded cheddar or a spoonful of cream cheese right along with the shredded chicken — it melts straight into the sauce and makes it taste like something far fancier than five ingredients.
2. If you’re feeding little ones or anyone sensitive to salt, start with just half a teaspoon and season up at the end once the broth and soup have had a chance to cook down.
3. Leftovers will thicken considerably in the fridge overnight, so when you reheat them just splash in a little broth or milk and stir over low heat until everything loosens back up to that original creamy texture.

Depression Chicken Fricassee Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient