Easy To Cook, Creamy Crock Pot Chicken With Peas

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken With Peas is a recipe that I concocted years ago. I kind of just threw a few things in the crock pot and let it cook all day. Right before sitting down for dinner, I made some rice so serve the creamy chicken with. Wow. That’s what I thought. What a simple way to cook such a tasty dinner! It quickly became a favorite and I would look forward to making it on a regular basis.

Crock Pot Cooking

I’m sure most people know what a crock pot is. However, they might not know how it works or how to cook with it. Let’s start with how it works, shall we? Unlike an oven or stove top burner, crock pots (sometimes referred to as slow cookers) cook food at a low temp for long stretches of time. Have you heard the phrase, low and slow? It is the motto of crock pots! The slow cooker cooks the food consistently with low heat so that it cooks by trapping the heat. Thus, it cooks the meat thoroughly, but does not dry it out, assuming you add a decent amount of liquid to the pot.

Texture & Flavor

One of the greatest things about cooking in a crock pot is that the food simmers for long periods of time and the food, most especially, the meat becomes very tender. It literally falls apart without needing a knife. If you like tender meat, slow cooked meats in a crock pot is sure to be a favorite for you. Not only is the texture soft, but because the meat and veggies breaks down during the cooking process, the juices from the food keep the meal moist as it simmers. As a result, this provides a tasty sauce that you will want to savor with each bite.

Cook Times

Cook time in a crock pot can vary from dish to dish. I mainly cook dinners in my crock pot so at this point, I’ll keep this pretty simple to understand as far as meats are concerned. We will delve deeper into cooking times for desserts and appetizers in other recipes, but for now, let’s stick with cooking times for meats only.

Large Roasts & Pork Loins

Larger roasts such as roast beef and pork loins generally take at least 8 hours on low. Generally, 8 – 10 hours on low is the best way to cook roasts in a crock pot. Typically, I won’t cook big hunks of meat like these on the high setting. Personally, I prefer the low and slow methodology and stick to it whenever possible. I just have to budget my time accordingly because low and slow is really the best way to cook a roast or large pork loin.

Chicken & Pork (small cuts)

However, when it comes to chicken and smaller cuts of pork, those typically cook in 5 hours (somewhere between 4 to 6 hours) on low. If you were to use the high setting on a crock pot, you could cook chicken and thinner cuts of pork in as little as 3 hours. I’m always nervous that the meat will become dry so I prefer the lower temperature for longer periods of time. Just be sure to add some liquid to whatever meat you are cooking so that it cooks evenly without becoming dry.

Convenient Dinner

The purpose of the crock pot is to make cooking easy and to come home to a yummy dinner that is ready to eat. That is the beauty of crock pot dinners! To get to this point, you do have to do some preparation at the beginning of the day. And, if your house is like mine, mornings are hectic. Who really wants to prepare dinner while you are getting kids ready for school, yourself ready for work, and trying to make it out of the house on time? Suddenly, that easy to cook dinner becomes a hassle!

Preparation

I love making easy crock pot meals. To be fair, most crock pot meals are usually very easy to cook. However, some need more preparation than others. I’m a huge fan of crock pot meals that consist of dumping ingredients into the pot and turning on the temperature. What home cooked meal is better than that? I certainly can’t think of anything off the top of my head!

Since even the simplest recipes can seem overwhelming in the chaotic mornings, being prepared is key. You can prep your crock pot dinner the night before. Did you know that? It’s true and it’s a game changer. I’m sure you can find an additional 5 to 10 minutes before you head to be to prep your dinner for the next evening. Just put the necessary ingredients in the crock pot and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. Rather than prepping your dinner in the morning, all you need to do is pull the crock pot out of the refrigerator as you are getting everyone ready. By the time you are heading out of the house, the pot will be room temperature and you can set it and forget it. Oh wait, that’s another cooking device, isn’t it? Well, no matter, it holds true here as well!

Making Creamy Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Chicken boneless
• 3 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup I prefer Campbell’s healthy request for lower fat and calories
• 10 oz Peas frozen
• 3 cups Rice cooked

How To Make

• Place chicken in the crock pot.
• Top chicken with cream of mushroom soup.
• Turn crock pot on low and cook for approx 6 or more hours (cook for 3 hours on high).
• Approx. 30 minutes before time is done, add peas and stir. (if you prefer, you can add the peas with the chicken and cream of soup from the beginning).
• Once done, serve over rice or pasta.

What To Serve With

Rice (Brown or White)

The most obvious way to serve this creamy crock pot chicken with peas is over rice. You can opt for white rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, whatever rice you want. The stickiness of the rice is perfect for holding on to the creamy goodness of the sauce. That way, you can soak up as much sauce in each bite as possible. It’s a delicious and easy way to eat this family favorite dinner.

Pasta

Pasta is one of my favorite starches, if not, my most favorite starch! Therefore, it is not surprise that I suggest serving the creamy crock pot chicken and peas over pasta. A noodle type of pasta such as spaghetti or linguini would be a perfect choice for maximizing your bites with all the sauce! However, ziti is a great choice for creamy sauces because it’s easy to eat and can hold onto the sauce inside the pasta. How’s that for maximizing your taste buds?!

Keto Friendly

And finally, if you are on a keto diet and want to eliminate starches wherever possible, you could skip the rice, pasta, and potatoes, and opt for just the main dish of chicken, peas, and that yummy cream of mushroom sauce! All the protein you need without sacrificing taste. It’s a great way to stay focused with preferred dietary needs.

Must Try Crock Pot Recipes

Once you try this creamy crock pot chicken and peas, I know you will add this to your dinner rotations of easy meals. It really is a no-brainer when it comes to easy of cooking that tastes delicious.

And since you will love this dish so much, you might want to check out some other very easy cooking (crock pot) meals that are equally as tasty!

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

Hawaiian Chicken

Mango Pork

Honey Parmesan Crusted Pork

Incredible Martini Recipes

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Martini

Bananas Foster Martini

Sugar Cookie Martini

Pistachio Martini