Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes

 There are some dinners that are fancy and complicated, and then there are the dinners that just make everyone happy.

Tonight's dinner was definitely the second kind.

I made slow cooker shredded chicken served over mashed potatoes with a warm dinner roll on the side, and it was one of those simple meals that felt like a big bowl of comfort food. Even better, I turned the leftovers into a couple of easy freezer meals for another day.

That's my favorite kind of cooking: make dinner tonight and make another day easier at the same time!

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner

I started with just two large chicken breasts in my slow cooker. I added a little water, salt and pepper, put the lid on, and let the chicken cook for about 4 hours.

Once the chicken was cooked and tender, I shredded it in my stand mixer.

If you've never shredded cooked chicken this way, it is such a handy shortcut! Put the cooked chicken in the mixer bowl, use the paddle attachment, and let the mixer do the work for you. It takes just a minute or two.

I put the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and added:

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup with herbs
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables

I gave everything a good stir and let it warm together until it was creamy and delicious.

And Yes, I Used Instant Mashed Potatoes!

I am not above a shortcut.

For this dinner, I made instant mashed potatoes because sometimes you just need dinner to be easy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using convenience foods when they help you get a homemade meal on the table.

I spooned the creamy shredded chicken over the mashed potatoes and served it with a dinner roll.

And honestly?

It was so good.

It reminded me of the kind of old-fashioned, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food that makes you want to curl up with a blanket afterward.

Don't Forget the Leftovers!

This is actually my favorite part of the whole meal.

Instead of putting all of the leftovers into one big container and hoping someone remembers to eat them later, I made individual freezer meals.

I took the leftover mashed potatoes and divided them into single-serving portions in freezer-safe containers.

Then I spooned some of the creamy chicken mixture right over the top.

Into the freezer they went!

Now I have two easy lunches or dinners waiting for us on a busy day.

No cooking.

No deciding what to make.

No reaching for takeout because everyone is hungry and I'm tired.

Just grab a freezer meal, heat it up, and dinner is handled.

Why I Love Meals Like This

I am always looking for ways to make our grocery money stretch while making life a little easier.

This dinner checked a lot of boxes:

✔ Easy ingredients

✔ Very little hands-on cooking

✔ Slow cooker friendly

✔ Family-friendly comfort food

✔ Uses inexpensive pantry staples

✔ Makes great leftovers

✔ Freezes well

And those freezer meals are especially valuable to me.

Sometimes saving money isn't just about finding the cheapest ingredient. It's also about having something ready to eat when you're tempted to order pizza, grab fast food, or run through a drive-thru.

A homemade freezer meal can save money later.

Easy Chicken and Mashed Potato Freezer Meals

If you want to make this meal stretch even further, simply cook a little extra chicken or make a larger batch of mashed potatoes.

Portion the mashed potatoes into freezer-safe containers, add the creamy chicken mixture on top, allow everything to cool appropriately before freezing, and label the containers with the date and what is inside.

Then you'll have your own little stash of homemade convenience meals.

I love that.

It's basically meal prepping without spending an entire Sunday cooking 14 different meals.

Sometimes all you need to do is make a little extra of something you're already cooking.

My Easy Comfort Food Dinner

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

• 2 large chicken breasts
• A little water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup with herbs
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables

Cook the chicken with water, salt and pepper in the slow cooker for about 4 hours, or until cooked through and tender. Shred the chicken, then return it to the slow cooker.

Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup and frozen vegetables. Continue cooking until everything is hot and creamy.

Prepare mashed potatoes separately. Instant potatoes work perfectly fine for this!

Serve the creamy shredded chicken over mashed potatoes with a dinner roll on the side.

And don't forget to save those leftovers for the freezer!

This was one of those dinners that reminded me that inexpensive food doesn't have to feel boring. Sometimes the simplest meals are the ones everyone looks forward to.

And when dinner tonight also gives me two easy meals for another day?

That's a win in my kitchen.