Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles
This slow cooker chicken and noodles without cream of chicken soup will warm your soul in the best way! This meal offers juicy chicken breast, rich broth, tender egg noodles, and optional veggies all in one, so you can enjoy Crockpot convenience from real, everyday ingredients. Feel good about the comfort food on the menu tonight.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3-4 large whole carrots peeled and chopped into coins
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chicken base Better Than Bouillon see note
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 2-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 8-10 ounces egg noodles uncooked, we like extra-wide
- fresh parsley and lemon juice optional garnish
Instructions
- Add carrots, broth, Better Than Bouillon, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and sage to the bowl of your slow cooker. Stir to combine.3-4 large whole carrots, 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon chicken base Better Than Bouillon, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- Nestle chicken into the pot and spoon a bit of the liquid on top of each piece.2-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easy to pull apart into bite-sized pieces. Shred in the slow cooker, on a cutting board, or in the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Measure out the cream, then add the cornstarch directly to it and stir to dissolve. Add this to the slow cooker together with the egg noodles. Stir well to coat.1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, 8-10 ounces egg noodles
- Return the cover, be sure the slow cooker is now set to high, and cook for another 12-18 minutes, stirring once. (If you removed the chicken to shred, this halfway stirring point is a great time to add it back in.) Check more often as you near the end of the cooking time; the noodles can go from al dente to gummy surprisingly fast!
- When the noodles are tender, remove the lid, turn the slow cooker to “keep warm,” and sample to season with more salt and pepper to taste. Try to serve right away, with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and more pepper as desired. I find most adults and some kids like it with a little squeeze of lemon juice mixed in or on top. Enjoy!fresh parsley and lemon juice
Notes
- Bouillon: You can omit this or substitute with another bouillon powder, paste, or cube. If you omit it entirely, I recommend starting with a 1 full teaspoon of salt in this recipe, and adding more to taste. And if you don’t keep Better than Bouillon on hand, I highly recommend it—a jar lasts forever, and it’s one of those secret ingredients you’ll reach for again and again! It’s also amazing in my magic one pot mac and cheese.
- Sage: I'm partial to the texture of rubbed sage, which is more airy and flakey than ground sage, but it really doesn't make a big difference. If using ground sage, it's a bit more concentrated, so you may want to use a scant 1/2 or just 1/4 teaspoon.
- Chicken: Chicken thighs make a fine substitute; they may take a touch longer to cook, depending on size.
- Egg Noodles: If your kids will balk at the egg noodles mixed into everything else (one of mine does), you can absolutely just cook them separately. It helps to plan ahead to do this and reduce the broth to 2 cups instead of 3, so you don’t have excess sauce at the end.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for 1-2 days in an airtight container; the noodles do get more mushy the longer they sit. Reheat as needed in the microwave or in a small saucepan. If it looks a bit gluggy, don’t worry; it will thin back out as it warms. I don’t recommend freezing this.