Slow Cooker Amish Chicken and Noodles

Amish chicken and noodles is thick, homestyle comfort food: shredded chicken and hearty egg noodles in a buttery gravy that clings to every bite. This slow cooker version does almost all the work for you. It feeds eight, so it suits a family dinner or a potluck table.

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The classic way to serve it is spooned right over mashed potatoes. It also holds its own in a bowl with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

The method is simple. The chicken cooks low and slow in seasoned broth, then the noodles go in at the end so they stay thick and tender.

What goes into Amish chicken and noodles

• 2 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 celery ribs, finely diced
• 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 package (24 oz) frozen thick homestyle egg noodles
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

You need a 6 quart slow cooker. Six cups of broth plus a big bag of noodles takes up real room, and a smaller cooker will run over or cook unevenly.

Why the noodles go in frozen and late

The most common complaint about slow cooker noodle dishes is mush. Thin dried noodles left in hot broth break down into a pasty mess long before the chicken is done. That is why this recipe holds the noodles back until the last stretch and uses frozen thick homestyle egg noodles, which keep their shape in the slow cooker much better than thin dried ones.

The noodles also do a second job. As they cook on HIGH, they release starch into the broth. That starch, together with the cream of chicken soup and butter, turns the liquid into a gravy. No flour slurry needed.

How to make it

• Place the chicken, onion and celery in a 6 quart slow cooker.

• Add the cream of chicken soup, broth, butter, salt, pepper and thyme and stir gently.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, until the chicken shreds easily.
• Remove the chicken, shred it and set it aside.

• Turn the slow cooker to HIGH, stir in the frozen noodles, cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes, stirring twice, until the noodles are tender and the broth has thickened.

• Return the chicken, stir well and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Fans of Amish comfort food can also make our Amish creamy vegetable rice soup with corn, peas and rice.

For another slow cooker pasta night, our slow cooker tortellini and meatballs in vodka sauce goes in straight from the freezer.

Small habits that make a better pot

Dice the vegetables small

Chop the onion and celery finely. After six hours on LOW they soften into the sauce and flavor it without leaving big crunchy pieces that fight with the noodles.

Stir twice during the noodle stage

Frozen noodles tend to clump when they first hit the broth. Give everything a stir a couple of times during the 30 to 40 minutes on HIGH so the noodles separate and cook evenly. Keep the lid on between stirs so the heat stays up.

Shred while the noodles cook

Two forks are all you need. Pull the meat apart on a cutting board while the noodles simmer, and it will be ready to go back in right at the end.

Swapping the chicken

Boneless skinless thighs are a common swap and stay juicy over a long cook. Use the same weight and wait until the meat shreds easily before moving on to the noodles.

Serving it and keeping the leftovers

Serve it the old fashioned way, ladled over a mound of mashed potatoes, or in a wide bowl on its own. A green vegetable or a simple salad on the side keeps the plate from feeling too heavy.

The gravy keeps thickening as it sits, because the noodles go on soaking up liquid. If it looks a little tight by the time everyone sits down, stir in a splash of warm chicken broth to loosen it.

Once cooled, leftovers go into an airtight container in the fridge and are best eaten within 3 to 4 days. The noodles will have absorbed most of the sauce overnight, so add a bit of broth when you reheat on the stove or in the microwave, and heat until steaming hot all the way through.

For more set-and-forget dinners, try the slow cooker lemon herb chicken and rice or the sticky slow cooker honey garlic chicken . On a cold night, the crock pot creamy chicken parmesan soup is another cozy bowl, and the slow cooker cowboy casserole feeds a crowd just as easily.

Questions about this recipe

Can I use dried egg noodles instead of frozen?

The recipe is written for frozen thick homestyle noodles because they stay firm in the slow cooker. Dried thin noodles soften much faster and tend to turn mushy, so we do not recommend swapping them in with the same timing.

Can I cook it on HIGH the whole time?

This recipe was written for 6 hours on LOW, and the gentle heat is what makes the chicken breasts tender enough to shred. We have not given a HIGH timing for the first stage, so stick with LOW for the best texture.

My sauce is still thin. What now?

Give the noodles the full 40 minutes on HIGH with the lid on. Most of the thickening happens near the end, and the gravy firms up more as it stands for a few minutes after you add the chicken back.

Do I need to thaw the noodles first?

No. They go into the slow cooker straight from the freezer, and the 30 to 40 minutes on HIGH is timed for frozen noodles.

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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team

The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us