Living in a 100-year-old farmhouse, we feel every little change in the weather. We hear the pitter patter of rain on our tin roof, we feel the thick humidity of the Central Virginia summers seep through our walls, and we listen to the howling wind as it screams through the doors. There is no mistaking that it’s winter right now, the weather is frigid, and all that we want to do is sit by the wood stove with a mug of tea. This is the time of year for comfort food, and nothing beats a classic Slow Cooker Chicken and Stuffing Casserole for an easy dinner. With carrots, broccoli, chicken and stuffing all cooked in a creamy sauce, it’s a true one pot meal that warms our bodies, nourishes our souls, and takes the chill off of these cold February nights!
One of the most popular recipes on this blog continues to be a recipe for Chicken and Stuffing Casserole that I shared back in 2013! The recipe is one that I received on an index card at my bridal shower from one of my mother-in-law’s friends. It also reminds me of a dish that my own mom made regularly during the cool weather months of my childhood. Â Long story short, this is a classic combination for a reason: it’s delicious, it’s easy, and it appeals to just about everyone!
While the original is still a keeper, sometimes I just need a dump-and-go slow cooker chicken recipe that doesn’t require my attention…at all. The kind of meal where I can toss the ingredients into a pot, set the timer, and then forget about it for the rest of the day. I don’t want to dwell on my dinner, stress about what to serve, or spend hours slaving over a hot stove. Set-it-and-forget-it is definitely the way to go!
I adapted Lois’s recipe to make use of the Crock Pot and added some veggies so that it would be a complete dinner — no sides necessary! This Slow Cooker Chicken and Stuffing Casserole is comfort food at its finest, and an easy weeknight dinner that every home cook should have in her repertoire. I hope that you enjoy it as much as our family does!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 12 ounce bag frozen broccoli florets (about 4 cups)
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 10.75 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 10.75 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
- ¼ cup water
- 3 ½ cups about 7.5 ounces dry Pepperidge Farm Herb-Seasoned Stuffing Mix
- 1/3 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Spray inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Place carrots and broccoli at the bottom of the prepared slow cooker.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on top of the vegetables.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together condensed mushroom soup, condensed chicken soup, and water. Pour sauce over the chicken.
- Sprinkle dry stuffing mix over top of the chicken. Drizzle with melted butter.
- Put a lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 6-8 hours (or on HIGH for 3-4 hours).
That’s so neat that you live in an old farmhouse! I bet it has its charms! This casserole is my definitely of true comfort food. There’s nothing better than making a meal in the slow cooker, especially when it involves a classic like this. And I love how easy it is, too! I’ve got to try this!
Thanks, Gayle! Yep, the farmhouse has TONS of “charm” — but it’s also a lot of constant maintenance and upkeep. We do love it, though.
Have a great weekend!
I don’t have time to do this in the slow cooker. Can I bake this in the oven and if so for how long?
Hi, Heidi! If you’d like an oven-baked version of this recipe, I would suggest this casserole: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/chicken-and-stuffing-casserole/
You can add some veggies to that casserole as well, if you want to throw in some peas, broccoli, etc. Enjoy!
I agree with Gayle, your farmhouse sounds really charming. Old wood stove and tea… comon.. that’s so cozy 🙂 Love the story behind this lovely casserole. Once again you’ve showed us just how amazing cook you are. This looks delicious.
Oh, you are so sweet Natalie. Thank you!!!
holy moly! way to adapt a comfort food to make veggie packed and slow cooked to perfection! You got mad mom skills and chef skills! you know that, right?
Hah! I wouldn’t survive without my slow cooker (as you know), and I wouldn’t get nearly enough veggies in their bodies if I didn’t combine them with other good stuff!
This morn made your slow cooker italian chicken & quinoa soup. Just had bowl-so good! Will be making again! Am new to your website-easy pleasing recipes! Thnx!
Hi, Cindy! That’s wonderful! So glad that you enjoyed the soup, and welcome to the blog. I hope that you find plenty of other delicious meals to enjoy too!
Jesse would happily (and does, on Thanksgiving) just eat the stuffing and not whatever it was stuffed inside of so he would LOVE this! On Thanksgiving we make two batches of stuffing – one for the turkey and one to bake by itself for Jesse, haha!
That’s funny! Stuffing Lovers Unite! 🙂
What size slow cooker please?
Hi, Donald! I used a large 6-quart slow cooker, but anything in that general size range will work!
Thank you.
This chix stuffing casserole is amazing! I’m making it for the second time in 4 weeks!
Jesse approves!!
That’s great! So glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Im going to try this Sunday, thank you
Wonderful! Enjoy, Natalie!
Can you use frozen green beans?
Hi, Sherry! You can, but the green beans cook a lot faster than broccoli. As a result, they will be VERY well done by the end of the slow cooking time. If you don’t mind very soft green beans, that will work fine. Otherwise, maybe add them towards the end of the cooking time to keep them a bit more crisp. 🙂
Thank you!😃
Can you use a bag of frozen cut green beans and set of the broccoli?
Mine came out very dry. Could I add more soups or more water?
Hi, Cindy! I’m sorry that yours came out dry. Slow cookers can be very finicky and different brands and models can cook at very different temperatures. It sounds like maybe your dish just cooked for too long given the temperature of your pot. I haven’t had a drying out problem with this recipe in my slow cooker, so while you can try adding additional soups or liquid, I can’t guarantee how it will turn out. I would definitely try cooking it for less time and see how that does as well! 🙂
Does the chicken have to be thawed or can it be frozen?
Hi, Kathleen! You can definitely use frozen chicken — just make sure that you give it enough time in the Crock Pot to cook all the way through. You’ll just have to adjust the cooking time a little bit. 🙂
5 stars! Loved this recipe! I am not used to having broccoli and carrots though in my dressing, are they needed?
Hi, Melissa! Yes, you can definitely omit the broccoli and carrots — no problem! 🙂
Never thought you could do chicken and dressing in a crockpot! I am a southern cooker and i do cornbread dressing for huge dinners. BUT for a meal at home for 2, this is awesome!!! Making it for the 3rd time today. I do use the cheap Kroger brand Chicken flavored stuffing mix instead of the other brand (NOT a sage fan) it tastes awesome! Thanks for a recipe i have already shared with others in my [email protected]
Awesome, Melissa! I’m so glad that you’ve enjoyed this recipe — and thanks for the tip about the Kroger brand stuffing!
I just put this in my new Hamilton Beach 6 qt programmable slow cooker and can’t wait for dinner tonight with all the things I love! The only change I made is that I added onion powder when I salted and peppered the chicken. 💕
Wonderful! Enjoy the dinner! Your new slow cooker sounds great! 🙂
Do you start w/ raw chicken? Do you dice it first?
This did sound comforting and I really wanted to try this recipe and started to pin it…when I saw the sodium levels per servings! Yikes! That’s a heart attack waiting to happen. Must be the canned soups. Good question above about dicing the chicken first?
Thanks anyway.
Hi, Jan! No, I don’t dice the chicken first. It just goes in whole. 🙂
I totally understand if it’s too much sodium for your liking; however, if you don’t have heart problems or high blood pressure, one dinner with higher-than-ideal sodium every now and then shouldn’t hurt you at all. 🙂 It’s all about balance!
Blair
I am making this tomorrow. I have sodium issues. I am using Campbell’s healthy request. It has lower sodium. You could use any other lower sodium cream soup.
Yes! That’s a great option, Tracy! Enjoy. 🙂
Hi, Beth! Yes, you start with raw chicken. No, you do not need to dice it before it goes into the pot. The chicken becomes very tender after cooking, so it’s easy to shred with a fork, dice, or just serve whole at the end when you’re ready to eat. 🙂
Could I use sliced butternut squash instead of or in addition to carrots? Can you freeze or refrigerate left overs and reheat in microwave?
I’ll be alone on thanksgiving and this sounds like a good meal for me instead of turkey.
Thanks,
Rosemary
Hi, Rosemary! Yes, I think the butternut squash would probably work well as a substitute!
I have never tried freezing the leftovers, so I’m not sure how they would work. If you want a freezer-friendly option that’s similar, I would suggest trying my Chicken and Stuffing Casserole (not a slow cooker option), which you can see here: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/chicken-and-stuffing-casserole/
A lot of folks have added vegetables to that casserole with good results. You could use the butternut squash in it as well, but I would suggest pre-cooking or steaming it a bit so that it’s soft enough when the casserole is done baking. The casserole freezes really well before it’s baked, so I would divide the recipe between two smaller (8-inch square) pans. You can bake one right away for your meal, and then wrap the other one tightly and freeze it for your Thanksgiving meal. Then just thaw overnight in the fridge and bake on Thanksgiving! 🙂 Hope that helps!
Sounds great for a Thanksgiving side! I only have a 3qt pot at moment (graduating to larger soon!). How much adjusting do you think I’d need for this recipe?
Hi, Jayn! I use a 6-quart slow cooker for recipes like this, so I would cut the ingredients in half to accommodate your pot. 🙂
Just put this in the crockpot!!! I’m a sucker for stuffing and this looks perfect!!! Thanks so much for the recipe, I can’t wait to dig in!!! 🙂 Merry Christmas
Awesome! I hope that you loved it, Jess! 🙂 Merry Christmas to YOU!
Can i use baby carrots instead of sliced ones?
Hi, Anna! YES! 🙂
This is an AWESOME recipe, This will be something i cook for years to come! I dont add the carrots, this time i didnt have broccoli but had broccoli cauliflower mix, came out fine, I also had Kroger Chicken Stuffing instead of Pepperidge Farm , i use it all the time now instead.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy it, Melissa! Your substitutions sound great, too. 🙂