Pioneer Woman Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken and Broccoli: A Creamy Comfort Classic

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For busy families and comfort food enthusiasts, a slow cooker is a kitchen essential. Imagine coming home after a long day to the aroma of a hearty, flavorful meal, ready to be served. This Slow Cooker Chicken And Broccoli Pioneer Woman inspired recipe brings that dream to life. It’s a creamy, cheesy, and utterly satisfying dish that combines tender chicken and broccoli in a velvety sauce, perfect for a weeknight dinner or a cozy weekend gathering.

Slow cooker recipes are a game-changer for simplifying meal preparation. Just load in the ingredients, set the timer, and let the appliance work its magic. If you appreciate the convenience of slow cooking, you’ll also love these equally effortless recipes: Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon, Slow Cooker Jambalaya, and Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef. Each offers a unique flavor profile while maintaining the ease of slow cooker preparation.

Overhead shot of slow cooker creamy chicken and broccoli served over rice, showcasing the creamy texture and inviting presentation.

Why This Slow Cooker Chicken and Broccoli Recipe is a Winner

• Effortless Simplicity: This recipe is incredibly easy to make. Just combine the ingredients in your slow cooker and let it simmer to perfection. Minimal prep work and maximum flavor!
• Flavor Explosion: The creamy blend of soups, combined with savory chicken, tender broccoli, and melted cheddar cheese, creates a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. The hint of Cajun seasoning adds a unique depth that elevates this dish from ordinary to extraordinary.
• Family Favorite: This creamy chicken and broccoli is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Its comforting flavors appeal to both kids and adults, making it a reliable option for family dinners. Prepare to receive requests for seconds (and thirds!).

Key Ingredients for Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken and Broccoli

This recipe utilizes pantry-friendly ingredients, making it a convenient choice for a last-minute meal. The secret to its exceptional flavor lies in the Cajun seasoning, which introduces a subtle warmth without overpowering the creamy richness.

• Cream of Chicken Soup: This forms the creamy base of the sauce. For an even richer flavor, consider using homemade cream of chicken soup.
• Cheddar Cheese Soup: Adding cheddar soup enhances the cheesy notes, complementing the cheddar cheese topping beautifully.
• Chicken Broth: This liquid component not only adds moisture but also intensifies the chicken flavor throughout the dish.
• Seasoning Essentials: Salt, garlic salt, and Cajun seasoning are the flavor enhancers. Adjust the Cajun seasoning to your preference for spice.
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: These cook to tender perfection in the slow cooker and shred easily, creating succulent pieces within the creamy sauce.
• Sour Cream: Stirring in sour cream at the end adds a delightful tang and extra creaminess to the sauce.
• Broccoli Florets: Use fresh or frozen broccoli—both work equally well. Frozen broccoli is particularly convenient for pantry staples.
• Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese, preferably medium cheddar, provides a classic cheesy finish that melts beautifully over the hot chicken and broccoli.

Step-by-Step Guide to Slow Cooker Chicken and Broccoli

Making this creamy chicken and broccoli in your slow cooker is surprisingly simple. The hands-off cooking method allows the flavors to meld and deepen, resulting in a truly satisfying meal.

1. Combine Base Ingredients: Lightly grease a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In the crockpot, combine the cream of chicken soup, cheddar soup, chicken broth, salt, Cajun seasoning, and garlic salt. Whisk the mixture until well combined, ensuring a smooth base for the sauce.

Overhead view of cream of chicken soup, cheddar soup, chicken broth, and spices being combined in a crockpot, illustrating the initial step of sauce preparation.

2. Add Chicken and Slow Cook: Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts directly over the soup mixture in the slow cooker. Cover the crockpot and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours or on high heat for 3 hours. The longer cooking time on low yields more tender chicken.
3. Shred Chicken: About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, open the lid and shred the chicken using two forks. This allows the shredded chicken to absorb more of the flavorful sauce in the final cooking stage.

Close-up of chicken breasts being shredded with forks in the creamy sauce within the slow cooker, demonstrating the shredding process.

4. Incorporate Remaining Ingredients: Add the broccoli florets, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese to the slow cooker. Stir gently to combine all ingredients evenly into the sauce.
5. Final Cook and Serve: Cover the slow cooker again and continue cooking for the last 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender-crisp and heated through, and the cheese is melted and gooey. Serve hot over rice, and garnish with extra shredded cheese, if desired.

Overhead shot of the finished slow cooker creamy chicken and broccoli in the crockpot, ready to be served, highlighting the creamy texture and melted cheese.

Tips and Delicious Variations

This slow cooker chicken and broccoli recipe is versatile and easily customizable. Here are some tips and variations to tailor it to your preferences:

• Chicken Prep: For quicker cooking and no-shredding convenience, cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces before adding them to the slow cooker. Alternatively, boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used for a richer flavor, but ensure they are pre-cut as they don’t shred as easily as breasts.
• Serving Suggestions: While we love this dish served over white rice, explore other bases like brown rice, pasta, quinoa, riced cauliflower, baked potatoes, or sweet potatoes for variety.
• Vegetable Swaps and Additions: Feel free to experiment with different vegetables. Sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, steamed carrots, or cauliflower florets are excellent additions. Frozen peas can be added directly without thawing for extra green goodness.
• Garnish Ideas: Elevate the presentation and flavor with garnishes. Extra shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, or fresh herbs like chives or rosemary add delightful finishing touches.
• Spice It Up: For those who enjoy a bit of heat, increase the amount of Cajun seasoning or add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Alternatively, serve with hot sauce on the side to allow everyone to customize their spice level.

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Instructions

For a faster cooking option, this recipe can be adapted for the Instant Pot.

1. Pressure Cook Chicken: Place chicken breasts and chicken broth in a lightly greased Instant Pot. Sprinkle all seasonings over the chicken. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes, followed by a manual pressure release.
2. Shred and Combine: Carefully open the Instant Pot and remove the chicken to shred. Return the shredded chicken to the pot, and add broccoli, cream of chicken soup, and cheddar soup.
3. Sauté to Thicken: Turn on the Instant Pot’s sauté function and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir frequently to prevent scorching, and cook until the broccoli is tender-crisp, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Finish and Serve: Turn off sauté mode and switch to warm setting. Stir in sour cream and cheese until fully melted and combined. Let it sit for a few minutes to warm through before serving.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

This creamy chicken and broccoli is perfect for meal prepping and can be prepared in advance in several ways:

• Fridge Prep: Assemble all ingredients in the slow cooker up to the cooking step. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook. Then, proceed with slow cooking for 4-6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
• Advance Chicken Cooking: Cook the recipe until the chicken is shredded. Refrigerate in the slow cooker or an airtight container for up to 3 days. To finish, reheat in the slow cooker on low for 1-2 hours or on the stovetop over medium heat until heated through. Then, add broccoli and remaining ingredients and continue as directed.
• Freezing for Later: Cook until chicken is shredded, let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and proceeding with the recipe. Reheat from frozen in the slow cooker on high for 1-2 hours, or until heated through, before adding broccoli and remaining ingredients.
• Leftover Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving.

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Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Over Rice

5 from 4 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

Delicious creamy chicken and broccoli that you can easily throw into the crockpot, and be confident that the entire family will love it!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Slow Cooker: 5 hours hours
Total Time: 5 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can cheddar soup
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 cups broccoli florettes
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Spray a 6-quart crockpot with pan spray and add the 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, 1 (10.5 ounce) can cheddar soup, 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning, and ¼ teaspoon garlic salt into the bottom of it. Stir everything together until combined.
• Lay 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts over the soup mixture in the bottom of the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high 3 hours.
• Before the last 30 minutes of cooking, shred the chicken with two forks and add 4 cups broccoli florettes, 1 cup sour cream, and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for the remaining 30 more minutes until the broccoli is tender and heated through.
• Serve over rice and garnish with more shredded cheese if desired.

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Notes

Updated on August 26, 2024 Originally Posted on January 27, 2014

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 41gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 1483mgPotassium: 1074mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1183IUVitamin C: 56mgCalcium: 234mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American

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