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$5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals and Cooking Tutorials for the Busy Home Chef

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Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

January 4, 2014 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 4 Comments

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Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

This recipe is part of our 6th Costco Meal Plan: 20 Slow Cooker Freezer Packs from Costco for $150!

Y’all know that I’m just not that into cream of soups. I’m just not.

I’m also not that into the dressing packets.

So this is a ‘made from scratch’ version…combining the flavors of ranch with the creaminess of cream cheese.

(Like with some of the other recipes in this 6th meal plan in the 20 Meals from Costco for $150 series, pay close attention to the packing directions and recipe directions!)

Couple notes:

  • The cream cheese shouldn’t ever be frozen. Keep it in the fridge, or hold it for future shopping list if you think it’ll be awhile before you cook this. It is added in at the end of the cooking cycle, so read closely!
  • Gluten Free Modification: Serve with side of rice instead of dinner rolls.
  • Whole 30 or Paleo Modifications: Omit the cream cheese and homemade cream of mushroom soup. Add some veggies around the chicken and shower it all with Ranch seasoning mix and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with some fresh fruit or oven roasted green beans.

Note: I’ve written the recipe below to be based on the shopping list for the 6th plan in the 20 Meals from Costco for $150 series.

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken Recipe

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Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

Melt in your mouth weeknight dinner!
Prep Time20 minutes minutes
Cook Time8 hours hours
Servings - 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 4 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 cup chopped mushrooms
  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 Tbsp homemade ranch dressing mix (or 1 packet)
  • 4 oz cream cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes (or 8 oz. if you make more chicken)
  • Side: Dinners rolls & frozen veggies

Instructions

Homemade White Sauce

  • In a skillet or saucepan, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour. Whisking while pouring, add the milk to the flour-butter paste. Whisk vigorously until the flour melts into the milk.
  • Over medium heat, bring to bubbling and the sauce will begin to thicken. Add the salt and chopped mushrooms.
  • {Let cool for 10-15 minutes if you are adding the sauce to the freezer bags during the all at once assembly of the packs.}

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken

  • Place the chicken in the base of the slow cooker and season with salt and pepper and then add the ranch dressing mix spices over the top. Pour the homemade cream of mushroom soup over top of the chicken.
  • Set your slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours. When there is 30 minutes left in the cooking cycle, switch the slow cooker to high and add the cubed cream cheese.
  • Serve Creamy Ranch Chicken with dinner roll or frozen veggies. (Or with brown rice or GF pasta if GF.)

Freezer Meal Instructions

  • To pack into gallon size freezer baggie: Make the homemade cream of mushroom soup as directed and let it cool. Add the chicken to the baggies, then salt and pepper, then the ranch dressing mix spices.
  • Pour the cooled sauce over the top.Do not add cream cheese to the freezer baggies. Be sure to make a note on the bag to add it before the end of the cooking cycle.Label it, remove as much air as you can and seal. Freeze up to 6 months in your fridge freezer or 12 months in a deep freezer.
  • To thaw: place the bags in the fridge overnight. Or quick thaw in a bowl of warm water.

This recipe is included in the Deck the Freezer Party!
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Filed Under: Budget Friendly Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Freezer Recipes and Freezer Meal Plans, Slow Cooker Recipes

These meals are a LIFESAVER!

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Comments

  1. Brandy says

    January 5, 2015 at 11:00 pm

    Can you recommend which type of gluten free flour works best toreplace the wheat flour in this recipe?

    Reply
  2. April says

    January 21, 2015 at 1:47 pm

    There are some mistakes in this recipe as you typed it. You mention “don’t put the pasta in the freezer baggy”, but pasta isn’t in this recipe. I think you meant to write “don’t put the cream cheese in the freezer baggy”. Also, in the freezer baggy directions you say to put the salt and pepper on top of the chicken and then the ranch dressing, but salt and pepper aren’t included as ingredients (Salt is, but only for the making of the cream of mushroom soup – not for additionally putting on top of the chicken. And pepper isn’t listed at all)

    Reply
    • Jenn K says

      February 10, 2015 at 12:10 pm

      Thanks for letting us know. I’ve updated the recipe.

      Reply
  3. Lori says

    February 4, 2015 at 10:18 am

    I made this yesterday for dinner and oh my Lord… AMAZING! Huge raves from everyone, even my picky 5 year old. He devoured it without me asking him to try it. Definitely a keeper!

    Reply

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