Crockpot Meals Easy Busy Family Dinner Blueprint
This crockpot meals easy busy family dinner blueprint is a flexible slow cooker chicken and vegetable recipe designed for hectic weeknights. Toss everything into the crockpot in the morning and come home to tender chicken creamy potatoes and vegetables in a family friendly sauce that feels like a Sunday dinner with almost no effort.
Equipment
- Slow cooker 5 to 6 quart Notes optional set to low or high according to recipe
- Cutting board Notes for chopping vegetables and trimming chicken
- Chef knife Notes for cutting vegetables and meat
- Measuring cups and spoons Notes for broth cream and seasonings
- Mixing bowl optional Notes helpful for whisking broth and cream together
- Tongs or large spoon Notes to serve and shred the chicken in the crockpot
Ingredients
- Amount 800 Unit g Name boneless skinless chicken thighs Notes trimmed of excess fat can use breasts for leaner option
- Amount 700 Unit g Name potatoes Notes scrubbed and cut into bite size chunks about 4 medium potatoes
- Amount 150 Unit g Name carrots Notes peeled and sliced about 2 medium carrots
- Amount 1 Unit Name medium yellow onion Notes diced
- Amount 3 Unit cloves Name garlic Notes minced
- Amount 360 Unit ml Name chicken broth Notes low sodium
- Amount 180 Unit ml Name cooking cream or half and half Notes or plain Greek yogurt stirred in at the end for a lighter version
- Amount 2 Unit tbsp Name olive oil Notes for optional onion sauté
- Amount 2 Unit tbsp Name all purpose flour Notes to thicken the sauce can substitute cornstarch for gluten free
- Amount 1 Unit tsp Name fine salt Notes or to taste depending on broth
- Amount 0.5 Unit tsp Name black pepper Notes freshly ground
- Amount 1 Unit tsp Name dried thyme
- Amount 1 Unit tsp Name dried oregano
- Amount 1 Unit tsp Name sweet paprika
- Amount 2 Unit tbsp Name fresh parsley Notes chopped for garnish
- Amount 150 Unit g Name frozen peas or mixed vegetables Notes stir in during last 30 minutes of cooking
- Amount 1 Unit Name lemon Notes zest and juice optional for a brighter flavor near the end
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables Peel or scrub the potatoes and cut them into even bite size chunks. Slice the carrots. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. This should take about ten minutes.
- Layer vegetables in the slow cooker Place the potatoes and carrots in an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. Scatter the diced onion and garlic over the top. These vegetables form the base of your crockpot meals easy blueprint and hold up well to long cooking.
- Arrange the chicken Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and trim any large pieces of visible fat. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in a single layer as much as possible.
- Make the simple sauce base In a small bowl whisk together the chicken broth cream salt pepper thyme oregano and paprika. If you are not pre sautéing the onion add the flour to this bowl and whisk well so there are no lumps.
- Optional sauté step for extra flavor For deeper flavor you can heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the diced onion for 3 to 4 minutes until soft then add the garlic for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the onions stir for another minute and then slowly pour in a cup of the broth while whisking. Add this mixture plus the remaining broth and cream to the slow cooker. This step is optional but improves richness.
- Add the sauce to the slow cooker Pour the broth and cream mixture evenly over the chicken and vegetables. Use a spoon to nudge pieces so the liquid seeps down between everything. The chicken does not need to be fully submerged but should be mostly surrounded by liquid.
- Cook on low or high Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on low for about 6 to 7 hours or on high for about 3 to 4 hours. The chicken is done when it is very tender and reaches a safe internal temperature and the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
- Finish the sauce and add vegetables if using If you want to add frozen peas or mixed vegetables stir them in during the last 30 minutes of cooking so they heat through but do not turn mushy. If the sauce seems too thin mix 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch with a little cold water then stir it into the crockpot and cook on high for 15 more minutes.
- Taste and season Taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if needed. If you like a brighter flavor you can add a little lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice at this stage and stir well.
- Serve Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley over the top. Serve the creamy chicken and vegetables in bowls on their own or spoon them over rice mashed potatoes pasta or cauliflower rice for a lower carbohydrate option.
- Storage and reheating Let leftovers cool slightly then store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave adding a spoonful of broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Notes
This crockpot meals easy busy family dinner blueprint is designed as a base recipe you can tweak all year. For a lighter version use chicken breast instead of thighs and swap part of the cream for extra broth or plain Greek yogurt stirred in at the end off heat.
To add more vegetables increase the carrots and stir in frozen peas or green beans during the last half hour of cooking. You can also replace some of the potatoes with cauliflower or sweet potato.
For a complete set it and forget it weeknight plan pair this recipe with other slow cooker meals on your site such as your chili or lentil soup pages and link to them from this card. This builds a little internal hub of crockpot meals easy recipes that readers can move through without leaving your site.
Leftovers make excellent next day lunches. Pack the chicken vegetables and sauce into single serving containers and store in the fridge. You can also freeze portions for up to two months for a future emergency dinner night.