I love my crock pot, but to be honest, when I pull it out I want dinner to be super easy. I don’t want to chop fresh herbs or dirty a dozen measuring cups. I want to toss everything in, set it, and walk away until dinner.
Our family of five eats at staggered times: the little ones and I eat first, my teen comes home after football practice, and my husband often eats later after work. A full roast chicken with multiple side dishes doesn’t fit that schedule—slow cooker meals that serve in shifts are much more practical.
In my grocery store there’s an aisle full of powdered convenience mixes—seasonings for meatballs, pulled pork, beef stew, and BBQ chicken. Sometimes I browse those packets for inspiration to recreate flavors from scratch, but other times I use them straight. For this recipe I used one as-is: Crockery Gourmet Chicken by Superior Touch is my favorite.
Crockery Gourmet Chicken!
The packet’s original directions make a stew, but it also suggests an alternative: “Chicken a la King.” I decided to try that because the name brings back a fond memory—Dr. Seuss once mentioned chicken a la king in The Nose Book:
But just suppose
you had no nose!
Then you
could never
smell
a rose…
…or pie, or chicken a la king.
You’d never smell a single thing.
For this meal you’ll need a crock pot large enough for a whole chicken or bone-in pieces, and a rice cooker (or your preferred method for making rice). I love the rice cooker because it keeps one more pot out of the sink—just rinse the insert when you’re done.
Into the crock pot: one whole chicken, 8 ounces frozen peas, 3 large chopped carrots, 8 ounces mushrooms, and the seasoning packet mixed with 2 cups cold water poured over the chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8.
The packet recipe calls for potatoes and canned mushrooms, but I prefer to skip the potatoes and use fresh mushrooms. Feel free to experiment—both approaches work.
When the chicken is done, remove it to a platter. It will be very tender and likely fall from the bone; I find the removable lifting rack that came with my crock pot makes it easy. Pull the meat from the bones and shred or slice as you like.
Serve by placing a cup of cooked rice in a bowl, topping it with chicken, and spooning the sauce and vegetables over everything. The result is a comforting, saucy chicken a la king-style dish that’s effortless and perfect for serving family members at different times.
Chicken a la King with the help of Crockery Gourmet
This method is fuss-free, family-friendly, and flexible—swap vegetables, adjust cooking time for pieces, or use boneless chicken if you prefer. The crock pot makes dinner simple without sacrificing flavor.