Dump-and-Go Marry Me Chicken (Printable version)
Creamy chicken in a sun-dried tomato and Parmesan cream sauce, slow-cooked until tender for easy weeknight comfort.
# List of ingredients:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Dairy
02 - 1 cup heavy cream
03 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
→ Vegetables
05 - ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and sliced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
07 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
→ Spices & Seasonings
08 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
09 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
→ Fresh Herbs
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
# Directions:
01 - Place the chicken breasts in an even layer across the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, chicken broth, softened cream cheese, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, dried Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes until smooth and well combined.
03 - Fold the sliced sun-dried tomatoes into the cream sauce mixture.
04 - Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts, ensuring they are fully submerged.
05 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
06 - Shred the chicken directly in the sauce using two forks, or serve the breasts whole. Garnish with fresh basil and serve alongside mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce is so rich and velvety that people will assume you spent hours at the stove, not ten minutes dumping things in a pot.
- It genuinely tastes like something from a nice Italian restaurant but requires zero cooking skill beyond stirring and patience.
- The leftovers reheat beautifully, making it almost better the next day when the flavors have had time to party together overnight.
02 -
- Do not be tempted to cook this on HIGH to save time because the cream can break and separate into a curdled mess that no amount of stirring can fix.
- The sauce will look thin at first but thickens beautifully as it sits and the parmesan works its magic during the last hour of cooking.
03 -
- Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness before adding them to the crockpot so the thinnest parts do not dry out while the thickest pieces finish cooking.
- A quarter teaspoon of garlic powder added to the sauce mix gives an extra layer of savory depth that people will notice but never be able to identify.